Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-13
GAGGED AND ROBBED.
Tough Experience OF Postmaster
Reede, of Andalusia.
SEVEN HOURS OF INTENSE AGONY.
His Office Entered saturday Night
by Two Strangers. Who sand.
beg and Bind Him and Rob
His safe of $500.

|
The postoffice at Andalusia was en-.
tered by two masked burglars at IL
o'clock Saturday night Postmaster R f.
Reede was knocked down, gagged and
bound hand and foot. The intruders
then opened the safe in the presence of
the postmaster, took $500 in money and
500 in postage stamps and decamped.
The postmaster was found unconscious
early yesterday morning by his wife. He
was still helpless and would soon have
died from exhaustion had his wife not ap-
peared, and with the aid of Others whom
she summoned, applied restoratives. Mr..
Reede was considerably better at last ac
counts, but could not give much of de.
scription of the men. being near.sighted,
though he told in detail the circumstan>
ces of the robbery.
Mr.. Reede had been detained at his
office later than usual Saturday night
having attended G. A. R. meeting in
the evening, and at about II o'clock there
came knock at the door. Unsuspect,
ingly he opened the door and almost
simultaneously he was felled to the floor,
having been struck in the forehead with
something like sandbag. He was not
deprived of consciousness, however, and
struggled to regain his feet, but the in
truders were too much for him, and hay
ing made ample preparations before hand,
they seized him and placing through his
mouth stick which seemed TO have been
designed for the purpose and which held
his tongue close to the roof of his mouth.
they made list by pieces of string
fastened at either end and tied
together at the back of his head.
Then binding his hands and feet
they went to the safe and thoroughly over
hauled its contents. They found two
50-dollar bills and some other money,
amounting in all. to $500 of the persons al
property of Mr.. Reede aud also about
800 in stamps. The scamps then left.
MIR. Reede, in the meantime. suffered
untold agony. He was powerless to
move or to utter sound loud enough to
be heard at any distance and he finally,
he does not known when, became I'M
conscious. He had been seven hours in
his torturous position. when his wife
found him. He lives not far away
and his wife awakening early Sunday
morning and finding that he had not
reached home, went to the postofice and
made the discovery given above.
Two men, strangers TO everybody in
the village, had been in town for day or
two. They arrived in a canoe shaped
boat, and as they have been missing. they
were undoubted y the perpetrators OF the |
outrage. No trace has yet been found, |
but the men probably crossed the river
after the crime to Buffalo, |
and took late train on the Rock Island |
road east. This seems to be the most
plausible theory although the fact that
the boat has not been discovered has led |
some to believe they went on down the |
river. This is hardly likely, though, as it |
would be the easiest way possible to lead |
to capture. There is also a prevailing
impression that they came up the river;
if so they have not yet hove into sight. |
and they will be accorded the proper at,
tention when they do.