Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-07-26
BIG KNIFE THIEVERY .

Twenty Dozen stolen From }. T.
Noftsker's store Last Night..-A Pc
culiar Case.
That there are two distinct classes of
thieves in successful operation in Rock
Island at present is demonstrated by the
different classes of crime of that sort that
has been committed in the past week.
The professional clever scheming burg
lars who entered two saloons here and
one at Milan in succession, constitute one
class, and the sneak thieves who entered
entered J. T. Noftsker's hardware and
cutlery store on Twentieth street last
night form another. The last named
thievery was of peculiar nature and
could hardly be cassed as a burglary.
When the time for opening the store
came this morning, the front door was
found slightly aiar and the bolt turned,
but not in the keeper. The other one of
the double doors WAS solidly holted. The
front show case had been relieved of for
ty boxes-twenty doZen--of knives, in
Guiding pearl handles, tortoise shell ham
dies and common jack> knives, the entire
lot being valued by MIR. Noftsker at
800. The money drawer was jerked
out, but found empty. The safe
was not disturbed and it was with
pleasant surprise that Mr.. Noftsker
found no stoves or grindstones had been
carried off. There are two theories as to
how the thieves effected an entrance, as
nothing was mutisted. One is, and the
one Mr.. N. thinks most likely is, that
they slipped in the back door during the
evening, hid and were locked in, and
then opened the front door from the in
side by pulling the cham bolts; the
other, and the more plausible explana-
ton is. that the door was not properly
locked, that the bolt did not 60 into the
keeper last night, that it was accidentally
found open and ROBBED. Had the police
man on that beat cone his duty in obey
ance to Marshal Miller's orders, and tried
the door, as all Others. several times dur
ing the night, he might have prevented
the robbery. But as some of the knives
had Mr.. Kroftskers name etched on the
blade. the perpetrators of the deed may
yet be apprehended.
POLICE POINTS.
1t was the saloon of John Hinderer a,
Milan that was burglarized Wednesday
night.
James Ray was run in as a tramp by
Marsha! Miller and fined 50 and costs
and fired.
NJ. W. Lester was arrested by Officer
Sexton for intoxcatiOn. and fined s.
and costs.
A serious distur oance in the family oil
James Cox, 2106 Fourth avenue, got ar
unfortunate and unnecessary ventilation
! in Justice Cookies court, through the ar
; rest by Officer CARY of Thomas Cox, ar
industrious young man, on warran
sworn out by lis father, James Cox
charging him with assault The fathe
was under the influence of liquor when hi
preferred the charge and when he ar
rived at his proper senses withdrew it
and the case was dismissed. Cox while
drunk, had attempted to strike his LITTLE
; son with a plaster cast. Thomas. TIT
older brother interfered and Selling hi
father held him, his mother telling hin
to do so until he had realized that h'
could be prevented from using violence
toward his younger children. In thu
struggle the old man fell and enraged a
his sons just interference, swore out tn
warrant that he was ashamed of when h
recovered his natural senses again.