AMERICAN GANGSTERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21993, 30 June 1933, Page 7

AMERICAN GANGSTERS

FOUR POLICEMEN KILLED CLASH IN KANSAS CITY.- \ . - NEW YORK, June 18. Not since the St. Valentine Day massacre by gangsters several years ago has the United States been so stirred by a crime as by the shooting of four policemen in cold bloody right in front of the Union Station, Kansas City, yesterday. Machine guns were turned on an official party by gunmen, who apparently were trying to effect the rescue of Frank Nash, a member of the notorious Spencer mail-train robber gang, who was being escorted to Leavenworth Federal prison. Nash also died in the hail of bullets. Raymond Oaffrey, head operative of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was killed with two Kansas City detectives. Grooms and Hermanson, and the fourth officer was Otto Reed, Chief of Police, Oklahoma. Two other policemen were wounded. •' Nash and his six escorts were entering a parked motor car outside the depot when two other motor cars swung round and from each a deadly stream of lead was poured. The policemen drew their guns, but never succeeded in getting them into action. Three of the officers and Nash died oa the spot. All were shot in their heads. More than 100 shots were fired in all, and consternation seized the large crowd of travellers who were emerging from the train. At Lafayette (Indiana) another encounter occurred between police and gangsters. Two gunmen' walked into a trap in a surgeon’s office, where they had gone for medical aid. The gunmen were so quick, however, that' they compelled three policemen to run. Two of these officers were fatally wounded. Harry Hutson, an innocent passer-by, snatched a machine gun from a wounded policeman and mowed down the two gunmen as they ran away. One gangster is dead and the second may die. : ■