W. D. Edwards Dies Shortly After Bullet

Passes Through Body.

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NO TRACE FOUND OF HARDENED CRIMINAL

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Local Authorities Believe It Work Of Notorious Killer.

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Wm. D. Edwards, freight conductor on the C. &. N. W. railway, was the victim of a bandit’s bullet in a holdup of the ticket office of the company in this city early Monday morning. The bandit made his escape after forcing Thomas Wright, the night operator to hand over the company’s cash which amounted to about $250.

Plan Well Figured

That the robber had laid his plans well can be judged from the story which was given by the night crew of the railroad company, for the holdup was committed at a time when only the night operator and the conductor were around the building as all the other men had gone to different parts of the yard to attend to their duties. The bandit also knew the value of haste because the entire performance was pulled off in about the space of ten minutes.

Wright’s Story

Following is the story of the holdup as given by Wright at the coroner’s inquest which was held at Forster’s on Monday afternoon.

It was about 11 o’clock in the evening when Wright went to work, relieving the day operator. Nothing out of the ordinary happened and no suspicious characters were seen around the building. Following the arrival and leaving of the passenger going west at 1:05 in the morning he had turned off the lights in the waiting room and on the platform. Conductor Edwards was in the office at various times after Wright came on duty and at about 12:15 a.m. he left to eat his lunch, returning shortly before one.

Returned With Shotgun

When Edwards returned he had a shotgun with him which he showed to the boys in the office. He was preparing to go hunting early Wednesday morning and he had just had some repairs made in his Winchester. He had no shells with him and after the boys had examined the gun it was put in the corner behind the door of the ticket office.

It was about 2:20 in the morning that Wright went to eat his lunch, going to his home on Valley Street about a block and a half from the depot.

Was About Three O’clock

As near as Wright can figure out, it was around three o’clock when the holdup took place. He had returned from lunch at 2:45 and after helping with the trunks returned to the office where he and Edwards talked for about ten or fifteen minutes when they heard a noise on the screen of the north window of the office. They then heard the command to “Stick ’em up.” Both men complied and Wright could plainly see the muzzle of the gun up against the window altho he could not see anything of the man holding the weapon. Edwards had been sitting on the telegraph table right in front of the window and after putting up his hands he suddenly squatted down under the table and began to walk sideways to the office door. He had taken but a few steps when a shot rang out and when he reached the door he slumped to the floor saying to Wright, “By God, I guess he means it.”

Ordered To Open Door

Wright had been sitting in the telegrapher’s chair when the order came to throw up his hands. He had risen from his chair. After shooting Edwards, the bandit came around to the door and ordered Wright to open it. The bandit had a revolver in each hand when he entered. Edwards, when he fell, supported himself on his elbows right in front of the door and as the robber entered he kicked the wounded man in the neck or on the head with his foot, whereupon Edwards sank entirely to the floor. Wright was then ordered to open the cash drawer and complied, the bandit taking the odd $45 which it contained. Wright was then ordered to open the safe which he started to do. He missed the outside combination the first time but succeeded in opening it the second time. The bandit repeatedly urged him to hurry and after Wright missed the combination on the outside of the safe he was told by the bandit that his brains would be blown out if he (the bandit) was caught. Wright then told the bandit that if he would keep still he could probably get the safe open. The second time Wright tried he succeeded in getting the safe open and was then told to hand the compartments out which he placed on the top of the ticket counter.

Bandit Held Light

While Wright was opening the safe the bandit held the light, which was on a table near the safe, down so that Wright could read the combination. After all the money had been obtained the bandit asked Wright where the rest was and when told that was all ordered Wright to proceed out of the door. He followed Wright, holding a revolver up to his ribs and as they passed out of the door the bandit took the shotgun which was standing in the corner. When they got out of the depot Wright was ordered to go east, followed by the bandit. As the bandit searched Wright for weapons he came upon Wright’s watch and then said to Wright: “To show you I’m a good fellow I’ll let you keep it.”He also made the remark: “it’s too bad to shoot him but that’s what he gets for running. I’m an old hand at it.”

Turned On Third South

When they reached Third South the bandit ordered Wright to go straight ahead and to make no noise. Wright continued until he reached the track scale about a block and one-half further north and then turned to Valley street and returned to the depot. When Wright returned to the depot he found the train crew already there working over Edwards and shortly after the police and doctor appeared on the scene.

No Description Of Robber

Wright was unable to give any description of the robber. All that he was able to state was that he was about the same height as himself but somewhat heaver. He wore a blue handkerchief over his face with holes cut in for the eyes and nose. He wore dark clothes and a dark hat.

Inquest Held Monday

Monday afternoon an inquest was held over the body with Dr. Kiefer of Sleepy Eye acting for Coroner Reineke who was out of town, and Albert F Plor acting for County Attorney Streissguth. The entire train crew was called on the witness stand and gave account of themselves, the testimony of all being about the same.

Engineer L. G. Hartl was called to the stand and stated that accompanied by Fireman Henry F. Wild, Conductor Edwards and brakesmen A. C. Mueller and John M. Ubl they had switched around the yards all evening until they lunched shortly after twelve. Conductor Edwards had been with them practically all of this time and when they ate they put the engine on track No. 2 so that the westbound passenger due at 1:05 a.m. would have a clear road. After the passenger left he went into the office and talked a while with the telegrapher and Edwards where Edwards had shown him the gun which he had brought back after lunch. At about 2:35 he received orders to go to the east end of the yards and switch three empties and take them down to the Eagle Mill. At the mill they hooked on four loads and brought them back to the yards, placing them on track 2. When they arrived from the mill he noticed that Conductor Edwards was not at the switch as was his custom and after some of the other boys had made the switch and the cars had been placed on track 2 he drove the engine on the main line where it was placed right opposite the men’s waiting room on the east end of the depot.

Found Edwards On Floor

Engineer Hartl went into the office but came out immediately and informed the fireman and the brakemen that Conductor Edwards was lying on the floor in the office. They all went into the office where Brakeman A. C. Mueller turned Edwards on his back.They noticed that he had blood on his face but did not notice the wound in his abdomen. They tried to revive him with water, Mueller immediately calling for Dr. Strickler who arrived about ten minutes later. Hartl told central to notify the police and the sheriff’s office and tell them that someone had bean shot at the depot. They had noticed the hole in the window pane and also noticed that the safe was open and suspected a hold-up. They thought that the operator had gone to lunch but after they had been in the office several minutes Wright came in from his harrowing experience with the robber.

When Dr. Strickler arrived he noticed that Edwards was breathing heavily and jerkily and knew that he had been mortally injured. He called for an ambulance but before it arrived Edwards had expired. It was about 8:30 when he died so that he lived about 25 minutes after being shot. The police and sheriff appeared on the scene immediately and an investigation was undertaken at once.

Several Shots Fired

Several shots were fired by the bandit, one of them entering Edwards body just above his right hip on the front side and plowing thru his entire body coming out below the left hip on his left side. Another bullet was found in the men’s waiting room it having gone thru a wood casing and landed against the stove in the waiting room. Several parties in town claim that they heard three shots fired but if so no trace could be found of the third bullet. The fatal one was found in the clothes of Edwards.

Police Suspect Anderson

Local authorities who are investigating the crime have expressed the belief that the robber might have been George “Dutch” Anderson, a notorious criminal, accomplice of Gerald Chapman in a $1,000,000 mail robbery in New York. Chapman and Anderson were both caught but made their escape from prison. Chapman was given away by a couple in Indiana and recaptured and Anderson is now wanted for the murder of this couple who were killed on August 14. He is reported to be in Minnesota and is suspected of having pulled off a mail robbery in Winona about a week ago.

Necrology

W. D. Edwards, the victim of the holdup, was born on July 15, 1881 at Colfax, Iowa. He was therefore only 44 years of age when his life was suddenly cut short. In 1903 he came to New Ulm and has since made his home here. The following year, 1904 he was united in marriage to Louise Keller, the marriage taking place in this city. Six children were born to this union, three boys and three girls, all of whom with the sorrowing mother survive. The children are Melvin, Kenneth, William, Mildred, Maurentena and Elaine. He is also survived by his father, John Edwards of Stockton, Cal., and by three sisters, Mrs. M. Ward and Mrs. W. Smith, Stockton Cal, and Mrs. R. C. Kennedy, Enida, Okla. The deceased has been a conductor for the C. &. N. W. Railway for the past twenty-five years, during which time he was also affiliated with the Order of Railway Conductors and the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. Funeral services will be held from the house on Thursday afternoon at 2 o’clock, Rev. C. Hohn officiating. Burial will be made in the Catholic cemetery.

New Ulm Daily Journal,

September 16, 1925

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