Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-14
A VILLAGE SENSATION.
Further Details of the Andalusia
Burglary.
Postmaster Reede's Peril and Re
markable Escape not Over-Es.
tima;ed-N0 Clue TO the
scamps

0NDALOoih, LII, April lO.-Our Town
was thrown into high pitch of excite.
ment Sunday morning. by the news of
one OF the boldest and most outrageous
robberies. which came near resulting in
murder, that was ever committed in this
part of the country, and was perpetrated
at the postoffice. R. E. Reede, the post
master. was the victim of the assault.
Mr.. Reede, aside. from being post
master, is village clerk, justice of peace,
agent Tor farm machinery, and a regular
correspondent for one of our county pa
pers, and necessarily has great of
amount OF writing to do. which ne
generally does after night, and
consequently was at the Office about
ii O'Clock Saturday night. when he heard
distinct knock at the back door, and
supposing it to be his wife, as they gen.
orally come from his dwelling through the
back door to the Office, he took his Ian
tern, went to the door, opened it and was
saying Were you getting uneasy about
me?" when he was rendered insensible
with sandbag IN the hands of some I'M
known person or persons, and while In
an unconscious condition one end of q
rope was wrapped several times around
his neck, the other end being fastened in
the door in the southeast corner of the
room. The end of another rope was Sc.
curely fastened to his feet, with the other
end to harrow in the opposite part of
the room. Hs hands were then fastened
behind him with pair of hand
cuffs that were IN the office A gag
about two inches by three inches
with one end triangular shaped.
with notch cut in it, was
wrapped with piece of cloth torn from
the lining of his overcoat and placed in
his mouth, with string in the notch in
the gag and tied to the beck part of his
lead. Then by placing sack over his
face and darkening the windows they
proceeded to ransack the office at their
pleasure. taking about $40 worth of
stamps, between So and 81 of postoffice
money, and two $50 and one 500 bills
which Mr.. Reede had recently collected
for machinery sold. After searching the
office closely for any more valusbles that
it might contain, they left, leaving Mr..
Reede IN the condition as stated above,
where he was found by his wife IN the
morning.
Mrs. Reede was somewhat surprised
upon awakening in the morning to find
tAoI hC Aau AOt SOL1C III hight.
and said TO her mother, Robert did not
come in last night; must go TO the Office
and see about him, her mother telling
her 10 wait moment and she
would 20 with her. Upon ar
irving at the office they could but
partially open the door. His wife then
called TO him several times and received
no reply. She then forced her way into
the room, and seeing him. she at first sup
posed him to be dead. She Immediately
and with great presence of mind got the
rope from about his neck and took out
the gag. She then notified Seth Leeman,
a neighbor, who filed the cuffs apart and
got him up, but found he was unable TO
stand. They then got George Britton
and Jake Birket and helped him to his
home where he was in great pain all the
day caused by the position in which he
had laid during the night, as he was tied
IN such a way that the least move would
cause the rope to tighten about his neck
when he would again become uncon-
scious. AS it is, Mr.. Reede was quite
lucky to get out of the hands of such
tiends with his life, and should they be
caught we hope the first thing did with
them will be to place them in the same
condition and for the same length of time
Mr.. Reede was. JEFF.