The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-08-05

A GANG OF HoUsEBREAKERs SPOTTED BY
| Rock ISLAND Policeman On Friday
morning, the I'd inst, as Policeman Mitsch
was standing at Henry Woltman's corner,
in front of the ferry landing, he saw three
| suspicious looking characters come from the
ferry boat, and he ''shadowed" them, noting
particularly their dress, appearance, CONVEX
sation, &C., &c. Some vague hints about
'Jobs' were overheard, and his suspicious
were aroused. The trio visited two saloons
only, and then returned to Davenport, not
having lone anything to warrant an arrest.
The next morning Saturday the 3D. Mitsch
saw the same three come over again, and he
again Swallowed" them, walking quietly
along near then, and following close enough
to overhear their conversation. They evil
dently had been drinking, and their CONVEX
sation soon developed the fact that there
was difficulty between them in regard to
dividing some money they had improperly
obtained. They were in town all day, and
visited most of the saloons, Mitsch never
losing sight of them. At o'clock in the
evening they were talking together ON the
street corner, when two of them started to-
wards the railroad depot and the other one,
whom Mitsch regarded as the leader, went
into saloon. Mitsch followed him and sat
down. The fellow drank occasionally and
seemed inclined to be quarrelsome, with PEG
pile in the saloon. He had no acquaintance
or companion with him. Mitsch once no
concealed under his coat sleeve. About / l
O'Clock, when he had got sufficiently drunk
| to warrant an arrest, he was taken by Mitsch,
| McConchie and Feeley and locked up.
On searching him, at the Jail, they found
! three minutely-drawn plans of farm houses,
with roads leading to them, the houses be-
! ing in the country, about I miles from Pc
oria. they also found letter, describing,
carefully, the premises, telling where the
| valuables were situated; in one case describ-
| ing title leather trunk containing mon
ey, and giving all necessary details for rob
| bling all three of the houses.
Mitsch, when these plans and letter were
discovered, remembered that, on Thursday
| night, the LIST inst, at about a quarter tt
eleven o'clock, as Mr.. I. T. Eldridge, o
| Davenport, after closing his bakery, was
proceeding up Main street, in that city, hi
was set upon by party of three ruffians
| who had followed him for some distance
lust above Sixth street. Rushing suddenly
| upon him from the rear, one of the Williams
caught him by the throat, and held him 81
tightly in his vice-like grasp that he was un
able to speak or breathe. A second helt
his hands firmly, while the third man rihet
his pockets. They succeeded in finding
his pocket book, which contained abou
$l75, after securing which they released Mr.
Eldridge, and fled down Sixth street, in tn
direction of Harrison. On Sunday Mitscl
i went over to Davenport and found Mr.. Ell
bridge, and described the three men. Ell
bridge remembered the men, and the DIES
cription fitted them exactly. Hefeaae owe
to our jail, on Sunday, and saw the mai
confined there, and has no doubt he is on
of the three who garroted him.
/ The probability is that two of the men lei
Saturday evening, for Peoria, and the on
| in jail either purposely staid behind, to fol
low on Monday, or got too much whisky an
missed the train. He gives his name a
John Green. He had $26 in good none
and seven or eight dollars in bad money
| He will be kept for further Developments.