Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-02

An atrocious crime was attempted in
the outskirts of Davenport last evening,
one so villainous and so outrageous that
the details of it strike terror and indigna>
ton to one becoming acquainted with
them. The GRIN was premeditated, and
If the villain failed in his pur-
pose to murder he succeeded in
robbing his victi IN ~after he had cruelty
and 5rutally beaten him almost to death,
and leaving him helpless by the country
roadside on a cold night and without a
farm house within half mile. took his
victims team and gained his freedom
with it,
About midnight last night as two hacks
men we're returning to the city, after
driving some country folks who had been
attending party in town, to their homes.
they discovered u man lying by the roads
side unconscious and moaning and fairly
weltering in his own blood. Examina,
ton showed the man to be Carl Schmidt.
former milk man of Davenport, but of
late cattle buyer, who has been in the
habit of making weekly trips to the
country in search of stock.
The hackmen picked the man up and
brought him to the police station in Dav-
export. where DR.. Cantwell examined
his wounds and found the scalp fright
fully bruised and cut as if it had received
the full force of heavy blow from some
blunt instrument. The scalp hung down
over the eye brows while the blood
flowed copiously from the gaping and
CHASTITY wounds all oyer the head. AT
$50 this morning the sufferer recovered
consciousness long enough to be taken to
his home, Ninth and Warren streets. and
to relate to Capt. Martens the circum>
stances connected with his assault and
condition as best he could remember them
He stated thai on last Wednesday in
company with stock buyer named Henry
HOFFMAN, he went into the country sev-
eral miles back OF Davenport to purchase
cattle. Last evening the two men
started home. At saloon owned by
Henry Minert about two miles out of
Davenport on the Harrison street road,
they stopped and got drink and
then returned to the wagon and re-
sumed the journey home. After driving
a half mile, Hoffman arose and went
back into the wagon to stand up and
stamp his feet, so he said, in order to
keep warm. The next thing and the last
thing Mr.. Schmidt knew, he was dealt a
terrific blow in the back of the head from
behind. 1t was then found upon investi-
cation of Mr.. Schmidt's pockets that he
had been robbed of $40 in cash and $40
in railroad mems checks The condition
OF Mr.. SIS. head showed that be had re-
ceived more thar one vicious blow and
that the act on the part of HOFFMAN
was a deliberate and premeditated at
tempt to murder his companion for mon
ey. After ransacking his pockets, Hoof-
man threw his victim out of the wagon
and left him dead, or dying. he cared not
which, by the wayside, while he took the
team. drove rapidly to Davenport and
hitching it to telegraph pole in remote
part of the city, where the police discov
cred it this morning, continued his
flight.
The robber and would>be murderer was
about twenty six years of age His name
as stated. is Henry HOFFMAN, and he as
comparative stranger In Davenport,
having gone there as "a cattle buyer few
months ago. He Is of medium height,
dark complexion and wears a small dark
mustache. His dialect is German and he
speaks only broken English.
Chief of Police Kessler informed
an ARGUS representative this morn>
ing, that he was pushing forth every
effort to intercept the fight of the scoun-
drel, and that he already had clews which
he thought would aid IN bringing
him to justice.
The nature Of Mr.. Schmidt's injuries
are such as to cause grave anxiety. for
while his skull is probably not fractured,
the wounds are likely to induce blood
poisoning which would prove fatal. if in
deed he does not die yet from the loss of
blood and shock.
About eight years ago a musician
named Schoor was murdered in similar
manner. on the Brady street road about a
quarter OF mile east of last nights
crime, and robbed of his purse containing
the proceeds of q dance he had been
playing for out in the country. The muir
derer of Scboor has never been caught.
Eplcurean.
The Grill club was most royally en-