The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-12-03
MELEE AT MILAN.
Trouble In the Wagon Company.
James First Arrested on Seri.
Ous Charge.
TROUBLE AT MILAN.

TROUBLE AT MILAN.
There was no little amount of excite
ment at Milan last night over an imbrog>
Ito the Milan Wagon company has gotten
itself into. Readers Of the ARGUS will dis
tinctly recall the failure of James First,
then proprietor of the Milan Wagon com
pany last summer. Following the fail ure,
the stock and all personal property of the
defunct institution was transferred at exc
cution sale to N. G. Odds & Co, of Fort
Wayne, Ind, who have been OF late OPP
Grating it under the local agency of j E.
Bia kemore s. Co. Subsequently the In
diana firm-N. G. Odds & Co-sold out
to syndicate composed of j. Z. Blake.
more, Ii. ID. Blakemore, j. J. Parks,
Adair Peasants and others, who formed
stock company. In the meantime, how
ever. receiver was appointed for the
real estate in the person of G. Ii. Stod>
dard, upon the strength of mortgage
held by the Milan Watch company, and
this receiver unknown to the company
owning and operating the concern, it is
claimed made a lease of the premises to
Henry First, brother of James First, and
the two Frsts demanded possession of
the place and real estate. Thus the prop
erty was in joint possession of the press
ent company and the Firsts. First now
| sought to seize entire control of the
works, and after putting new locks on
the doors armed himself and two com.
panions with revolvers, and locking
themselves in, determined upon
HOLDING THE FORT.
This was yesterday afternoon. Learn
| ing of the capcrs out at Milan, Messrs,
j. E. Blakemore and Adair Peasants
hurried out and demanded possession of
the property From within First refused
to accedc to the demand. Warrants had
previously been issued for Firs,'s arrest
on the charge of grand larceny and en-
bezzlement at the instance of Information
| furnished by Captain J. j. Parks. who had
purchased span of horses at the exccu-
| ton sale, heretofore alluded tn, and had
loaned the team to Mr.. FIRST on condition
that he would take care of 1t. When
Captain Parks requested FIRST to turn over
his property. he refused either to give it
up or divulge anything as to where it
was. The team was valued at 5000 and
hence the warrant for
| GRAND LARCENY AND EMBtZzLEMENT
knowing this, Mr.. Peasants tclephoned
to Marshal Eckhart, who as was mcnllon>
ed in last evenings ANGUS, had the war
rant for First's arrest, and that official
repaired to the scene of the disturbance.
In the irst place Mr.. First and his col
leagues offered resistance and even VIC
lence, threatening to send a deadly mes
scnger through anyone coming near the
building.
REvoLvERs WE'RE FURNISHED
by the First gang but those outside would
not scare worth cent. They finally
induced First to surrender and then eff
| fected an entrance and Marshal Eckhart
took him in charge and brought him TO
this city and took him before Squire
Cooke on the charge of grand larceny.
Justice Cook held him in bonds of 5000
to appear next Friday afternoon at
o'clock. Rev. Henry First, of tbs south
ern part of the state. u brother of the ac-
oused, furnished the bail and James
First was released
UNDER THE COVER OF NIGHT,
while these proceedings were going on in
Davenport, Mcssrs. Peasants and Blakc-
more, representing the wagon company
were not idle Having gained possession
of the institution in which their material
was stored they hired several wagons
and gang. and in the still hours of the
night, while but few of the natives
of that usually quiet peaceful village
were wrapped in their SAUNDERS. the!
cleaned out the establishment and con
Quoted the property to another part OF
town to place of storage. Today every
thing is quiet at Milan.
|