The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-03-13

edged instrument of some sort.
HATCHET
would answer the description better than
anything else. The most plausible theory
is that the murderers were thoroughly &C
quainted with the car and its makeup, and
the habits of train men, and that while
one was on the roof the other, knowing
the signals of communication between
the baggageman and expressman, tapped
on the door, and the latter, thinking it
was the former, opened the door; that the
express messenger was demanded to give
up the KEYS of the safe, and refusing,
was struck in the face with the Ratchet
and then pounded until life was extinct.
BLOODY POKER
was found upon the floor of the car and
cavities in the body of the murdered man
showed that it had been thrust into him.
The floor and walls of the car were be
spattered with blood and bits of flesh,
and near the air brake rope were the
marks of bloody fingers, showing appar
emily that the victim had attempted TO
bring the train to halt. Everywhere
there were evidences of
FEARFUL STRUGGLE
and the opinion of those who knew
Nichols is that he would, and probably
did, defend his trust TO the last The car
was to have been switched off at Bureau
Junction and the through express bust
ness transferred with the money to the
baggage car. 1t was car which was put
on to accommodate the local business be-
tween Chicago and Bureau, and the
Peoria express matter, which is always
heavy on Friday night. All this leads
one to believe that the demons were ia
miliar with what they were doing.
THE STOLEN MONEY.
The exact amount of the money stolen
is not definitely known at present. The
Peoria run out of Chicago Friday night is
usually large and averages from $3.50
to $50, 900 in cash.
There was no witness to the tragedy
and the only man who would be apt to
know anything rs to the appearance of
the bandits is Watt. Knowing this, an
ARGUS reporter called at his place OF
abode in Davenport this morning, but he
had gone back to Morris with Conductor
Wagner to testify before the cor>
oner's jury today. Schwartz, the
other brakeman was found, however, and
Intercepted. The truth of the matter
is said he, very few of us know
anything of the actual occurrence.
| don't believe Watt does himself. lie
was so excited when he told us of the DC,
currence that he could not control him
self. lie did not know that the
express messenger was killed until our
conductor found him murdered. He was
too much excited to know much of any
thing.
CLEwS TO THE MUKDERERS
There is little doubt but that the m ur-
derers boarded the train at the Joliet coal
chutes, while the locomotive was taking
fuel The train left there at 12:45, it be-
ing tifty-one and one-fourth miles this
side of Chicago. and arrived at Morris at
l 80. The murder must have been com
mitted about / O'Clock, but Watt has no
idea as to tue length OF time he sat in ter
ror under cover of the revolver p0ked
through the skylight in the baggage car
He thinks it was a good while. Previous
to the time the train left Joliet, the con-
ductor visited resident Of this CITY IN the
sleeper: i have just put two men off,
lie said, "fOr attempting to beat their
way. See this ticket, he said. display
ing card, which read
Pass J. j. Martin and one, of Kansas
City, for season of 1885
What is the matter with it2' said the
Rock Island passenger.
why, it has expired; see this piece of
paper pasted over the dateY II is an AL
tered last years pass, and put the bear
ers off the train, but | did not like their
actions They asked me where was the
nearest hotel and | directed them. and in
a moment they were gone"
Conductor Wagner now believes that
these were the men who committed the
murder, and as be remembers their ap.
pearance sufficiently to recognize them,
should he meet them again, this may an
swer as a step towards their Identified
ton.
Some think, however, especially the
people of Joliet, that the murderer is a
noted penitentiary convict, desperate
villain who was discharged from Joliet
yesterday. Inquiry at his home in Joliet
Immediately after the discovery of the
crime, revealed The fact that he had not
been there during the night.
EXCITEMENT AT MORRIS.
Had the entire place been on fire the
news could not have flown with greater
rapidity than did the report of this
murder Excitement ran wild and
threats of vigilant proceedings with
the demons should they be
found, were freely uttered Chicago
and Joliet and ncighboring towns were
wired as soon as possible and Chief
Ebersole, of the Chicago police force, dis
patched a detachment of detectives TO
Morris by special train, and everything
was done to intercept the escape of the
murderers.