Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-12-27
LIKE A STUCK Pig.
A Bloody Murder in the
City on Christmas
Night.
The Terrible Tragedy, and How
it was Enacted.
George Erbest Plunges a knife
Into James Jackson.
Particulars of the Afair--Capture of
the Murderer.
MURDERED IN THE STREET
MURDERER AND VICTIM.

In the evening there was enacted on Mar>
ket square one Of the most terribly bloody
tragedies ever committed in Rock Island.
The murder grew out of game of cards
in Given & Bells saloon, on the east side
of the square, south of Bengston's drug
store 1t was simple game of euchre,
and not poker as has been currently III
mored, and not over d five cent piece, but
over an alleged misdeaI. Several young
men, among them George Erbst, OF
Edeington township and James Jackson.
OF this city, had visited the saloon
in the afternoon, and engaged III card
playing. 1t was about $50 in the alters
noon that Sonny" Collins, Joe Maxwell,
and James Jackson, all of Rock Island,
and George Erbst. of Edgington. were
PLAYING euchre together. 1t seems dis
pute arose as to the deal. Angry words
ensued between Jackson and Erbst,
when jackson showed Erbst over against
the ice box. Erbst wanted to take off his
coat for fight, but john Bell, who was
behind the bar, came out and prevented
further trouble then. Erbst then set up
the drinks to Collins Jackson, Max well
and man named Jefferson J. Seymour.
Jackson then walked across the room to.
ward the stove, when Erbst who had bis
coat off, put 1t on again with .he remark
now knock it off again" jackson re-
piled, you are not mad are you, to
which Erbst replied, knock it off again, :"
Finally Erbst went out, turning and says
ing as he did so. IN see You
again" jackson followed, What
ensued Immediately afterwards is
not known, as the two men were found
in the position of tistic encounter. when
discovered by Seymour and others, who
went out afterward. Jackson and Erbst
were standing out on the square, some
distance from the sidewalk Erbst was
seen TO strike at Jackson about the neck
jackson rushed To the door of The saloon
and exclaimed, Il am hit with sung
shot;
TAKE Me TO DRUG STORE
before | bleed to death" Seymour led
Jackson TO Bengston's drug store and
word was telephoned for a physician
jackson was led in through the west
door, the blood spouting pIofusely from
UGLY CASH
on the right side of the neck He did
Dot speak after entering the store, but
leaned on the show case few seconds,
when he struggled and fell full length en-
the floor dead. in pool of his life blood.
The murdered man presented a
MOST CHASTITY SIGHT
when DR., PIummer arrived few min
utes later. His eyes were wide open, his
fists clenched, and his whole form bathed
in his own blood. DR.. Plummer made
an examination, and found wound a
little to the right of the center of the
neck above the collar bone, and about
two and half inches long, dividing the
external Iugular vein, the common caro-
It'd artery and sub,clavian artery. Death
had been the result Of the wound and the
dividing of the blood vessels 1t was a
mortal wound, and no medical skill, no
matter how soon it might have been sum-
moned, could have saved the life. The
murder was committed with an unusually
large pocket knife, with blade about
three inches long and sharp as racer
The act was committed so quickly that
jackson hardly knew what had struck him,
his first remark being Il have been struck
with sling" The wound must have been
inflicted with considerable force from the
depth of the cash, which extended in
ward and downward. as far as could be
reached with the finger. Upon examin-
side of the chest. about two inches to the
left of the breast, the cut having been
made through the coat, vest and shirts,
and was about two and half inches in
length. This goes to show that two blows
at least had been inflicted by the murderer
upon his victim e..
Erbst, after stabbng jackson, rushed
across Market square, cut through the
alley to Eighteenth street and ran down
to First avenue and hurried east TO the
First avenue hotel, where he got bun
die. At the hotel he met Geo Minder>
son, OF EdgingtOn, who had been in
Given d Bells saloon during the quarrel
preceding the fight, and who had stood
at the door when the stabbing took place
When Erbst started 10 run he ran too, and
made bis way by a roundabout route to
Trostel's saloon in the First avenue hotel,
getting there only a few minutes in adj
vance of Erbst. The two started imme,
diately for Davenport over the bridges.
CAPTURE OF THE MURDERER.
Deputy Marshal Cary learned of the
murder soon after its occurrence, and
hurried to Bengston's drug store, arriving
there just as Jackson, who had lived
two minutes after receiving the fatal
blow, died. The deputy marshal then
directed his efforts to capture the muir
derer, and soon had Officers Boland and
Wichman on his track The officers went
TO the First avenue hotel, learned that
Erbst and bis friend had started for Da.
venport; learned from the guard at this
end that two men answering the descrips
tion had passed over, and the guard at