Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-05
A DEED OF DEMONS.
Masked Burglars Enter the House Of
DIR. ). N. AnsIey Mt swedona and
Commit Brutal Assault.

Commit Brutal Assault.
A deviish and well planned crime and
outrage was committed at Swedona night
before last. The Moline Dispatch learns
the particulars to be that late at night,
probably about 10 O'Clock, a man rushed
into the door yard of DR.. j. M. Ansley,
and getting directly under the window Of
the room in which the doctor and his
wife were sleeping on the first floor.
called out, John Banks is sick; 60 al
once" The doctor supposing. of course,
that John Banks was in desperate way.
arose without ceremony, and hitching up
his horse, started with all possible speed
for the home of Mr.. Banks, about two
miles northeast of Swedona. Mrs. Ans
ley had in the meantime arisen to render
her husband what assistance she could in
getting away and had lighted lamp in
the sitting room.
The doctor had not been gone probably
more than five minutes before three
masked men suddenly opened the door
through which Mr. Ansley had passed
out, and confronted Mrs. Ansley, who
was standing near the table in her night
clothes and was in the act of blowing out
the light. The foremost of the robbers
aiming a cooked revolver at Mrs. ANS
leys head, ordered her to deliver over
what money there was in the house or he
would blow her brains out. The poor
woman was, as one would naturally sur
mise, completely overcome with terror OF
the situation.
The next thing Mrs. Ansley remembers
is that she was grasped by the throat and
struck four terrific blows with the butt o.
, the large revolver which the robber held
IN his hand. three of the blows taking eff
, feet on the skull and one on the arm
{ The insensible woman was then pushed
? over against the wall, where she lay in
r heap on the floor. The robbers then ex
1 pected to pillage the house without op
position, no noise having been made lout
h enough to awaken the neighb ors. Blu
/. they were mistaken, for at this junctur
e Clark Ansley. the only son, who hal
h been out in Nebraska but had just re
h turned home on a visit, being awakene
v by the scuffie and the jar occasioned b
# bis wother's fall appeared at the head o
the stairway and demanded What's tn
4 matter down theref"
a This was some wat unlocked for by tn
q robbers, and they Immediately skedad
# died And well it was for them that the
,e left when they did, for the doctor o
lie Mr.. Banks and family in good health. b.
Is gan to suspect q conspiracy, and drov
4. home even faster than he left. The mil
A creauts had barely left the yard when b
If drove up. A few minutes later Ii
n
a stituted. But although tracks were four
Of leading from the house, no further CT,
re could be found the trail being lost sho
| distance from the premises.
or An active search, however, has be-
tie kept up but with indifferent success {
far The belief of the citizens of Swed
ma is that the would. be murderers q
none other than the gang which sor
e- years ago infested that locality, murde
ay ing and plundering the people until tn
to were sent to the penitentiary, from whit
les they were recently released, owing to t
e. expiration of their respective terms.
he reward of 5000 is offered for the appl
oh hension of the guilty parties.