The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-09-18
CRIMINAL CASES.
BOLD AND MURDERoUs ASSAULT ON A CITI
ZEN OF DIES MONIES.

ZEN OF DIES MONIES.
Dies MONIES, Sept 16.-John James, a
grocer on the corner of Twelfth and Syca-
more streets, was assaulted this evening in
his store He was knocked down with a
slung shot and robbed of 5000. While his
assailant was STOPPING over the PROSTATE
form of his victim, rifiing his pockets, a
customer came in and gave chase, and af
ter four or five blocks the villain was cap
tured by citizens and is now in jail. A
strong sentiment is growing in favor of
lynching the assallant, who answers close
ly to the description of the man who as.
saulted the saloonkeeper Hans Kastberg
last Wednesday. This makes the third as
sault for the purpose of robbery within
week At this hour the streets are filled
with excited knots of men discussing the
event. Many urge hanging the assailant
A meeting of the lawabding citizens has
been got together and arrangements have
been made to secure the best takers to
quiet the mob in case one is formed
He gives his name as Bob Harris, and is
over six feet high and very athletic. If
James should die it will be almost impossi-
BILE to keep him from being iynched before
morning. The city has been in tumult
for ten days over many acts of lawlessness
which have been committed. James gro
Gerry, where the tragedy occurred, is on the
outskirts of the city.
A crowd of 10, 900 or 5000 people have
been to the JAIL and. crowding down
through the hall to the room in the
basement where the prisoner was at
first confined, demanded of the sheriff that
he be produced. Sheriff Littleton pledged
his honor to the crowd that the man was
not in the Jail; that he had been taken else
where. The crowd grew more boisterous
at this and the sheriff feared that they
would batter down the doors and let out
the prisoners. A committee of ten appoint
ed by the mob went through the jail and
he was not there. Then the cry
was raised that he had been taken to the
state arsenal. The mob has just gone
there, 1t is said by an official that he will
not be found there, and he asserts that he
has been sent out of the city under a
strong guard. The city is TAmensely ex-
cited. There is little doubt that the man
will be lynched if found. This is the third
assault of the kind in ten days. 1t is now
thought this man committed all of them.
The mob did not find Harris at the arse
nal, and returned to the court house
where it hung about the Jail. They be
lieved the man was there, concealed in
some of the vaults of the county office.
The mob has largely dispersed, although
there are many knots of men about the
streets. 1t is stated new that the sheriff
got Harris out TO the county in carriage.
at o'clock under charge of two men, with
orders to shoot if he should make an at
tempt to escape.
Dies MONIES. Sept. 17--It was found
that the sheriff sent Harris the assailant
of James, in buggy to the Jail at India
nola or Adel in charge of two men at 8
D clock last night with instructions to kill
him if he should attempt to escape or if
confederates should try to rescue him.
The mob remained around the jail here
ill two o'clock this morning and small |
gangs stayed till midnight. Circumstantial |
proof now leaves little doubt that it was |
Harris who killed Scribner and assaulted |
Kastberg both of whom were evidently |
struck as James was, with a fish-plate. or |
ron bludgeon. These deeds were all of |
much brutality, las if the ruffian committing |
hem delighted as much in murder in |
aud were committed with such re |
GOODNESS and daring that the |
)opulace's Indignation and wrath ex- |
leeds anything ever known here, and |
makes it certain that Harris will be lynched |
Is soon as his whereabouts can be found. |
James is still alive, but the discharge of |
Hood from the brain through the fractured |
kull still continues, and the doctors con |
ider bis case hopeless. He is a man of |
trength andvitality and so may possibly |
asst several days.