The Rising son. [volume], January 05, 1907, Image 6

About The Rising son. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1896-19??

Image provided by: State Historical Society of Missouri; Columbia, MO

                
I
'FRISCO FIEISlfSTODY
Man and Boy, Who for Forty Days Terrorized
Ihe Coast City, Now
AN EXTRAORDINARY
Younger of the Two Desperadoes
Breaks Down and ConfessesThree
Murders, Many Brutal Holdups, and
Demoralization of Police Force Is
Their Record.
S.m Fram isoo. Three separate '
murder without a shut, a knife thrust
r recourse to poison; two brutal as- j
s.iuits that almost resulted In death;
h 1 x I . i midday hank robbery; at least I
thtcc hold tips; the demoralization of
a metropolitan police force and the all-
."Into term; ism of a city of nearly i
too. em)-this stands as the 40 days' j
record ,f a man and a hoy whom the ,
bxal police describe as the most re-
im.ii Kahlo brace of criminals they have ,
ever placed tinder lock and key.
1 he elder u a Kanaka, of a good
f a ft : ! j and cdiicated In a select school.
Hi. name is John Slemsen. and he Is
a handsome fellow of muscular as
pect h'i'. effeminate manner. The
j'iMnecr. Luiils Palmer, Is only 18
Mrs dd
When Siemsen was nonchalantly
confessing his crimes, bo was Inter
rupted !n his narrative by the raptain
of the detectives.
Didn't any of your victims resist
you. Siemsen? Hadn't you any hesi
tation in committing these assaults?"
The murderer puffed at the cigar bo
was smoking and removed It with his
nanacled hands. He seemed annoyed
t something tho detective hat! said,
mid thought a moment before be re
plied: "Captain, I wish you wouldn't use
that world 'assault.' It has come to
have an extremely vulgar significance
and 1 object to It. It would be better
to say when I overpowered theiu.'"
Dabner Breaks Down.
Maimer's confession was different,
broke down a few days after ho
was cupt tired and if ho had not
fobbed on the terrible story neither. I
perhaps night have banged, for it j
would have been a difficult matter to
have forced an udmlssion of any sort j
from Sieuineti U was the fear of j
lioii and the lov of home which
loosened Palmer's Hps. HU father
and elder brother came down from the
liitle country town where only a few
months before the boy bad been a
high seiioiil pupil. Hoth pleaded with
him to tel' the truth. His father
worked on all the religious Impulses
of his son, and evoked tho picture of
bis sorrowing mother. All three wept,
nnd filially th" shaken dupe of tho
elder ctiminii: told the waiting detec
tives evvrv thi:ig
The Hist tiie public heard of the
"gas pipe men." as Siemsen and Dab
ner have been dubbed from the choice
of WMiiens was one morning when ,
the papen reported an unusually brut
ish nnd ntys'erious murder. .lohan
Pfttznor. a shoe merchant on McAllis
ter street, was found In bis shop with
ithe site of his head battered In. De
spite his awlul injuries ho lingered
over a day and night, but died before
lie could givo the police any clew on
which to wot!; li" had evidently been
fittir.3 a pair of shoes to a customer
when h was Mindi down from above
"by sou!-. blunt instrument."
In his signal confession Dabner has
this M say of In first murder:
"On the day of the I'flt.ner murder
Jack Siemnen and I looked in the
showcase of the stove and went down
the street and then came back In tho
titore. Sienner. tried on a pair of
.Khoes the first time, but complained
they vv Me toi dear, and we walked
out. We walked M'ouud tho block
nnd caui back. We went In the store
aui then I cried uu a pair. When be
Safely Behind Bars.
SERIES OF CRIMES
was trying on my shoes Siemsen hit
Pfltzner. who fell to the floor. I then
put on my own shoes and held the
door nt the same time, while Siemsen
went through him. Siemsen got about
$100, which we divided ut our house
on I'nlou street. We threw PtU.ner's
watch In the water at the foot of Fil
more street. This statement is made
freely and voluntarily."
Many Suspects Arrested. .
Hut the police did not know all this.
They raked In suspect after iiuspeet,
but had to let them all go, as each
was able to establish an alibi. Then
the fiendish crime was repeated.
William Frlede, a Market street
( Intl. ins merchant, was slain under al
most exactly similar conditions. He
hovered on the border of life for al
most two weeks and was abb? to mur
mur once: "A largo man and a small
man," before his spirit llickered out.
Siemsen related this deed as a par
ticularly good piece of craftnianship.
It seems that he and Dabncr planned
the attempt carefully, and entered tho
store when there were few people
about and the danger of Interruption
appeared at a minimum. Dabncr tried
on a coat and vest that be selected,
and Siemsen stood by, ostensibly to
offer his approval. As tho merchant
Ktoox'd to measure his supposed cus
tomer for tho trousers Siemsen swung
the gas pipe, which he carried wrapped
In a piece of paper, and felled his vic
tim with a heavy blow.
Meanwhile an ox-convlet was on
trial for a crime which Siemsen and
imhncr had committed the highway
robbery of Dr. T. U. Leland, former
coroner of the city and county. This I
man's name was James Dowdall, and
the police arrested him in a refugee
ennip, apparently for no other reason
than that he had a bad record. He
protested his Innocence, but the detec
tives dragged him through the prelim
inary examination, where Dr. Leland
positively identified him as ono of his
assailants.
Tragedy at Japanese Bank.
Put while the trial of Dowdall was
In progress the two felons for whom
ho suffered, one of them an ex-convlct
like himself, were busily planning their
boldest venture. This was the robbery
of the Kiiuuiou Ginko, or Japanese
bank.
The day before the robbery Siemsen
' drove up in a buggy which he had pur
chased with the proceeds of his other
robberies. He entered and interviewed
the manager, M. Muuakata, declaring
that he intended to become a deposi
tor. At first Munakata was suspicious,
! but by the time Siemsen had left, the
I well dressed, smooth-spoken stranger
I bad allured all doubts, to say nothing
I of havli g obtained an excellent Idea
of tho arrangement of tho hank.
The following day Siemsen and Dab
i ner, each armed with a paper-covered
;ms pipe, waited outside until all savo
j u:;e of the clerks, A. Sasaki, had gone
to luncheon. Then tbey went in.
j Siemsen nodded to the clerk at tho
j counter and with Dabner strode back
to the manager's office. They found
' Mr.nakata writing, und before he could
; greet them Siemsen struck him a blow
over the skull which killed him in
stantly. Then, according to arrange
incut, they called Sasaki to the rear.
As soon as the plucky little Japanese
saw his employer lying In a pool of
blood be started to fight, but Siemsen
beat him to the floor with his gas pipe.
Horribly mangled, he started to ri'se
when Dabner quieted him with a full
arm swing of his leaden weapon. Tho
two thugs then rifled tho tills and the
open safe, taking only tho coin and
currency. They secured about $2,700,
which they stuffed Into a leather
satchel, liefore they had even washed
their hands they drove away, Siemsen
to take his future wife out for a ride
and Dabner to play with the girl's lit
tle brothers and sisters.
Sasaki's Mind Left Blank.
Several persons had seen the two
robbers come out of the bank und the
pollen weie supplied with descriptions'
on the strength of which they arrested
about a scon- of Innocent men. Sas
aki fou!;Vt a winning light with death,
but to t!.e detectives who sat by his
bedside be babbled only "two Ameri
cans." W hen hu dually regained con
sciousness. Hfier many days, his mind
was wiied bare of the whole tragedy
he remembered everything up to the
moment Siemsen entered the bank,
hut beyond that his brain could not
travel.
Siems'-n and Dabner proceeded to
spend their money, untroubled by re
morse, doubts or anticipations. They
were both living with tho family of a
tierman Jeweler, to whoso daughter
Siemsen was making violent and suc
cessful love. Hulda von Hofen, still a
mere child, was won by expensive
presents of gems, automobile rides
and everything that her lover could
lavish upon her. Hoth thugs were well
received In the family, where they ap
peared only as pleasant young chaps,
each with a littlo morn money than
he quite knew what to do with. Hulda
von Hofen at last succumbed to the
fluttering whispers of Siemsen and
they mado a short nuptial trip to Oak
land. About four o'clock on a Saturday
afternoon Siemsen took his wife to. a
hairdresser's parlor to get a shampoo
ami told her ho would bo back In an
hour. Then hu met Dabner, who had
armed himself with a fish plate from
tho car track which ran past the Von
Hofen home. They proceeded to the
jewelry store of Henry A. lledrend on
Stelner street.
The Murderer's Downfall.
This merchant had under his coun
ter a revolver, a police club and a pair
of handcuffs. When the two men en
tered his suspicions were not aroused,
and he turned away from them to pull
their purchase front a shelf. They
struck at him. but tho showcase was
so high that the blow was broken.
llehrend wheeled, snatched his re
volver and smashed the glass case to
attract attention. Then he closed la
on the robbers. Siemsen seized htm
In a muscular grasp and held his head,
while Dabner rained blows upon It
with the fish-plate. One ot these blows,
nervously aimed, cut open Slemsen's
finger. Hut the jeweler fought like
wildcat, and before he could be dis
posed of his little daughter, Bessie,
rushed Into the store from the rear,
followed by her mother. Siemsen and
Dabner darted from tho place.
Siemsen got away, but Dabner was
knocked down and captured by Will
Brown, a fireman. A frensled crowd
surrounded captor and captive, a rope
was produced, and the boy fiend
would surely have been lynched but
for the opportune arrival of a squad
of police, who were scarcely able to
fight their way to the station with
their prisoner.
In tho meantime Siemsen had called
for his wife and taken her home.
Learning of Dabner's capture, with
marvelous effrontery ho decided to
visit police headquarters and Bpread
tho trail for his own escape. Then
he told a story of being held up and
robbed of $!)00 in greenbacks. He
showed tho detectives $75 which he
had taken from tho Jeweler's cash box,
and declared It was ail the footpads
had missed.
Ho overplayed tho part, howover,
giving his true address and placing
the scene of the hold up Behrend's
store. That night he was arrested at
his home.
Dabner weeps wildly and bitterly,
cursing the day ho ever met the
clever, cruel but at present sympathet
ic Kanaka. Siemsen continues to
smoke, gtniln and draw little pictures,
The chief of police has given orders
that when either Is shaved he shall
be bound hand and foot In the chair,
for tear he may got possession of the
razor and slash a way to liberty.
yj
HE CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS.
"Oho!" Exclaimed Policeman Flynn,
Wor
As Policeman Barney Flynn differs
little at 'east, In one respect from
tho average man of limited means, the
approach of Christmas found him
troubled, not to say pessimistic. He
heard the customary talk about Christ
mas; he saw the Christmas advertise
ments In tho papers and the Christmas
goods in the shop windows; he read
the accounts of Christmas plans for
feeding or otherwise remembering the
poor; and the only effect it had on him
was to make him jingle tho "lucky
half dollar he carried In his pocket,
and shake his head dolefully,
"'TIs th' da-ay lv th' rich." he said
to himself. " 'TIs th' time whin ye
wa-ant twinty thousand dollars f'r to
do th' r-right thing be all th' good
people ye know. 'TIs th' da-ay lv give
an' ta-ake, an' If ye can't give ye're
ashamed f'r to ta-ake, an' there ye are.
'T was diff'rlnt In th' ol' days whin
I was a la-ad, but now lvery wan
who ha-ands ye out a two-bit sca-arf
Ixpects f'r to ha-ave as good or bet
ther ba-ack from ye. an' th' ray-suit
Is we all go br-roke glvin' things that's
Iv no gr-reat use to anny wan, but th'
storekeepers that sells thlm. 'TIs
'r me to shtall th' good woman be a
little ta-alk iv har-rd times befoor she
splnds th' rlnt money buyln' r-red ties
an slx-f'r-n-nickcl see-gars be th'
box."
With this object In view Policeman
Flynn entered upon a systematic cam
paign to discourage Christmas shop
ping, and he did it with his usual dip
lomatic ability.
Ye can't Imprlss a thing on th
mind lv a woman be say In' It wanst
an lettln' It go at that," he told him
self. "Ye must ding-dang It into her
head without lettln' her know what
ye're doln'."
So he brgan to drop Incidental re
marks about poverty and hard times,
with a casual suggestion from time to
time to the effect that there would be
no Christmas In that house. Later,
whenever the moment seemed propi
tious, he aired his Christmas views
more at length, and even illustrated
them with occasional stories. All In
all, he congratulated himself that he
was accomplishing his purpose with
exceptional cleverness and strategy.
"Think lv th' bargain days that fol
lies Chris-mus!" he remarked one day
at breakfast. " 'TIs th' wa-ay iv th'
wor-rld. Whin ye ha-ave no money
th' lads In th' shtores Is thryln' f'r
to ha-and things out to ye at llss than
ha-alf th' cost to ma-ake thlm. Oho!
they're sma-art mln. those fellies. All
th' year ye're sayin' to thlm that they
nlver thruly sell annythln' nt llss
than cost, an' th' day afther Chris-mus
they come back at ye an' say: 'Weil
prove to ye now that we can do that
very thing be offerln' th' goods at llss
than cost whin ye're not In sha-ape f'r
to buy thlm.' I tell ye, Mary, th' wise
wan is th' felly that plans f'r to ta-ake
thlm up whin they .ma-ake th' bluff.'
Tho logic of this seemed unanswer
able to Policeman Flynn, and a few
days later he supplemented it by re
minding her that the year before she
was "near dead f thlnkin' lv th' things
ye c'u'd ha-ave an' comparln' thlm
with th' things ye did ha-ave, all bo
cause Iv th' ba-nd habit Iv goln' br-roke
wanst a year." Next, after a reason
able Interval, he told her about Cullen,
one of the men at the station.
"Th' only throublo with Cullen," he
said, "was that his hea-art was so big
an' ray-sponslve that he c'u'dn't button
his vlst over It whinlver anny wan
or annythln' appealed to It. He had
a good head, too, but 't was nawt.hln'
beside iv his hear-rt. His head was
always glvln' him th' r-rlght tip, but
his hear-rt w'u'dn't l'ave him listen to
it. That's why th' byes at th' station
has f'r to dodge him regiar afther
Chrls'mus. He come to me on th
twinty-slvlnth da-ay lv last Day-clm-ber
I ducked him on th' twlnty-slxth,
know-In th' kind Iv a la-ad he was, but
he cornered mo on th' twinty-slvlnth
an' he says to me, be says, 'Harney,'
he says, 'I ha-avo up to th' house,' he
says, 'a br-right green nick-tie, an' a
red nlcktle, an' a polky dot nlcktle,
an' two pipes, an' a box iv see-gars,
an" ol'-gold pair lv ausplnders, an'
some shlippers, an' a fut-rlst,' he says;
'an' the good woman do be bavin' a
sort lv a dolly thing, an' a silk pittl
coat, nn' some shtocklns with pale
blue clocks on thlm, an' a pink shlr-rt-walst,
an' a little statoo lv Vanus f'r
to put on th' kitchen shelf, an' a'
wather-caraffy, an' a new taypot,' he
snys. 'an' th' chlldher has a r-red
sca-arf, an' a shied, nn' a pair lv
ska-ates, an a toy gun. an' a littlo pa
throl wagon, an' soma blocks, as' a
11SMJ1X
-v -i r m
"I See Ye're Not a Woman Iv Ye-er
- rd."
shteam lnjlne.' Thin he sighs an'
says: 'Barney, I nlver lntlnded f'r
to do It, but ye know how it Is ye-er-
silf. Will ye lind me th' loan iv a
two-dollar bill so's we can ate till th'
nlxt pay-day?' That's th' wa-ay Iv th'
ma-an with th' big hear-rt, Mary, an'
so I've had me hear-rt ossified."
This naturally had Its effect on Mrs.
Flynn. "Th poor ma-an," she said
to herself; "he do be ha-avln' a ha-ard
time lv It over th' money, an' 'tis f'r
me to help him out." So she glad
dened his heart by proposing that they
Ignore Christmas entirely. As that
was the very idea that he had in mind
all along, he readily acquiesced. And
yet, even in the hour of victory, he be
gan to modify the compact, thus delib
erately disproving his previous pessi
mistic assertions about tho expected
return favors.
'A bit Iv something f'r Maggie an'
Terry," he said, "but nawthin' Use."
Here, however, Maggie objected. If
there was to be any such arrangement
she wished to be Included In it. There
was no reason why she Should receive
any presents if she was expected to
give none; indeed, as she was receiv
ing an independent salary for her
work as a teacher, she told herself that
there was all the less reason why her
parents should Incur any Christmas
expenses on her account. As for her
own money, she could do with that as
she saw fit It was right that they
should be relieved of a burden that
was rather hard to bear in the exist
ing circumstances, but that was no rea
son why she should be deprived of the
pleasure of giving. Here, it will be
noticed, was another blow to Police
man Flynn's views of the selfishness
that marks the modern Christmas, but
of course he didn't know It. Maggie
kept her opinions to herself, and mere
ly insisted that she should be includ
ed in the compact.
Now this Is an agreement that many
people of limited means have entered
into at various times, and they will
appreciate the difficulties that con
fronted the parties to it. The Christ
mas spirit is contagious, and more
than once Policeman Flynn regretted
that he had been so far-sighted. When
he saw anything that he wanted to
buy for Mrs. Flynn or Maggie, ho
tried to console himself with the re
flection: "Nlver mind! 'T will be
ma-arked down afther Chris-mus."
But with this came the haunting far
that the stock might he exhausted be
fore the day of bargain sales arrived.
The occasional queries at the station:
"What are ye goln' to buy th' good
woman?" also worried him, for he
feared a truthful answer would bo mis
construed, and he would be put down
as a miserly wretch with little affec
tlon for his family. He had one con
solation, however. By tacit agree
ment Terry had been left out of the
arrangement, as being too young right
fully to appreciate It, and so there
was an opportunity to make some fam
ily purchases. Thus It happened that
Christmas eve Policeman Flynn told
his wife that he must get something
more for Terry.
"But ye ha-ave a pllnty f'r him," ar
gued Mrs. Flynn.
"Are you th' wan that's doln' thU,
or am I?" he demanded, with some as
perity.
"Oh, g'wan, If ye wa-ant to." Vie re
turned, "but ray-mlmbor wai ,hlng.'
"What's that?"
"Itay-mlmber Cullen, th la-ad lv th'
big hear-rt that niver meant f'r to do
it."
Policeman Flynn departed with the
uncomfortable feeling of a criminal
who fears he has been found out, and
Mrs. Flynn chuckled. Then she re
tired to her room and made an lnves
tlgation of one of the bureau drawers.
" 'Twill nlver do," she commented,
as she held up one of Policeman
Flynn's socks and regarded It critical
ly. " "lis a sha-ame th' mln don't wear
shtoekln's. Now whatil I ta-ake f'r
to ma-ake It seem r-rlght an' proper?'
Terry noted his mother's mysterious
movements that night, but he was ab
solutely barred from the "kitchen un
til morning, and Mrs. Flynn kept i
close watch of him. Maggie was su
perintending or assisting to superin
tend a waifs Christmas celebration
and did not get home until late. When
she did come she made a mysterious
trip to the kitchen in the dark and
deposited some packages on the table
With the Btealthlness of a thief Po
Uceman Flynn came still later, and
his movoments were the most extraor
dinary of all. He removed bis boots
before going to the room where Mrs.
Flynn was peacefully dreaming of the
v
surprise shn had In store for him, and
after leaving that room he crept intc
his daughter's. Then he went to th
kitchen, and felt along the wall untl!
he found two pan-hooks, to which hi
carefully fastened certain things thai
he was carrying. y
He was awakened the next mornln
by an outcry from Mrs. Flynn.
"Barney!" she cried. "Wake up!
They's been a burglar here."
Policeman Flynn rolled out of bed
and hastily reached for his Sundaj
boots, his only other pair having been
left near the outer door when he took
them at the night before. This feel
ing that he hnd only to put on hit
boots to be fully drcsr.ed was the re
sult of sleeping at the station on re
serve duty in times of great public
excitement. But now he received a
shock.
"Oh, th mtirthcrln' dlvil!" ho cried.
"He's shtolo wan lv me boots!"
"Nlver mind th' boot," retorted Mrs.
Flynn. "He's shtole me only pair iv
silk shtoekln's that I had last Chris'
mus! An' I hear him now," she added
excitedly. "He's in the kitchen, th
thief! Hear him laughln' at what he's
done. F'r th love lv Hlven, Barney,
go down an' gra-ab him quick, an' I'll
folly yo with a broom. Bad luck to
him! He's afther r-robbin' Santy
Claus!"
By this time Policeman Flynn had
got part of his uniform on over his
usual night attire, and was half-way
down the stairs with his revolver in
his hand. Mrs. Flynn, somewhat more
nearly dressed than he, followed, and
Maggie, who boasted of a really pretty
house robe, Joined them.
"Did ho get anything from you?"
Mrs. Flynn found time to ask.
"I don't know." answered Maggie.
'He mussed up everything la one of
my bureau drawers, anyway.
"'TIs Terry!" broke In Policeman
Flynn, from the foot ot the stairs.
The next moment he pushed open
the door of the kitchen, and tho three
entered. Terry was actually rolling
on the floor In a paroxysm of laugh
ter. "What's th' matther with ye?" roar
ed Policeman Flynn.
For answer 1rry simply pointed
to a row of pan hooks on the wall,
and laughed roe more. From the
first hung the silk stockings that Mrs.
Flynn bad missed, stretched afl out
of shape by the statuette that, pro
truded from one and the patent egg
beater that looked over the top of the
other, with Incidental lumps of large
size to Indicate where a little china
clock, some candy, and various other
things had been crowded In. Next te
this was a stocking that Maggie
promptly recognized, although she
blushed to note the knobby shape It
had assumed in Its efforts to provide
room for the regulation box of candy,
a bottle of perfume, a glove box, a fan
tastic little pincushion and a ready
made light-blue shirt waist rolled up
and simply Jammed in. But It was
the last thing In the row that tickled
Terry the most This was Policeman
Flynn's missing boot, and loose cigars.
filled to the top, with one pipe and two
neckties, held In place by the cigars,
nodding over the edge. There were
also various packages on the table
and on the floor.
'Obo!" exclaimed Policeman Flynn,
"I see ye're not a woman lv ye-er
wor-rd."
'An' ye f'rgot about Cullen," retort
ed Mrs. Flynn.
'Nlver a bit," answered the police
man, "but wan might as well splnd
"He Says to Me, He Says"
th' money hlmsllf as Und It to thlm
that does splnd It. An' annyhow, 'tis
no use thryln' f'r to f'rget whin Us
Chrls'mus."
"I'm glad," said Mrs. Flynn, "f'r to
see ye ha-ave a bit lv slnse In ye-er
bead now an' thin."
A moment later she and Maggie
were hurrying back upstairs, and Po
liceman Flynn was looking about him
In a bewildered sort of way.
"Terry," he remarked, "I ha-ave a
sort lv an Idee that some wan kissed
me. Was It Maggte or ye-er mother?"
" "Twas both," said Terry.
(Copyright, 190S. by Josoph H. Howies.)
(Cut yrlght, by the Century Co.)
The Indispensable "Well."
Across the club luncheon table a
man looked up from his grilled sole
and proclaimed that no man in Kng
land' can carry on a conversation
without saying "well," says the Lon
don Chronicle. The usual bet was
made. For a week the two friends
glared at each other, knowing that
"well" Is tho beginning of most cas
ual sentences. . . . You may not
have noticed that! Dumbly they
parted day by day, with a handshake,
and the word "well " frozen . on
their Hps. After a week ono of the
two had to confess that the language
had got the better of him. "Well," he
said, "I'd rather drop a sovereign
over that dinner than choke that
'well.' I can't talk without It'."
V