Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-03
TRACING A CRIME.
An Arrest m the Diamonda!e
Murder Case.
IDENTIFICATION OF TIE VICTIM

A Friendiess Girl Taken from state In
stitution to Her Death-Ru ssell A.
Garfield Held by Strong Chain of Evil
/ dence az the Grim inal-Close Call for q
Lynching-A Desperate in Mi ssissippi
Stands on Mob.
DIAMoEDALE Mich, Feb 3.-Last night
Russell c. Garfield was arrested for the
murder of the young girl found in the
river here on Friday night. Last Tuesday
night Garfield went to the state public
school. an institution for the care of indi-
gent children at Coldwater, and secured
permission from its superintendent to take
young girl named Nellie Griffn away
with him On Wednesday Canfield
arrived here with the girl
4 and started on for his home
i about three miles from hera Sus.
\ picion was aroused when the b )dy was
! found, and an inquiry that was begun re-
suited in the arrested of Garfield Super
intendent Sewkirk, of the Coldwater
school, arrived here last night and fully
\ identified the corpse as that of Nellie Crit
fin. Garfield was taken to the county
jail at Charlotte to avoid an angry crowd
that would probably have lynched him.
Facts About Garfield.
Russell c. Garfield appears to lie about
20 years old. He has an honest looking
face, and Ia known in this vicinity as a
plain, unassuming farmer There is a
mystery IN his past history. of which it is
only known that he once had a wife. but
that now ne has none. 1t is belle we'd that
she obtained a divorce from him Garfield
owns farm near here, but has only lived
here for couple of years. He is said to
have come from Ohio. Soon after he came
up here he rented his farm and hired ont
to drive milk wagon that delivers milk
daily in Lansing. He is slender man.
with full beard just turning frora brown
to gray.
Little Known of the Girl.
Up to the time that he was hustled into
the carriage and started off for the Eaton
county jail at Charlotte, he protested his
innocence. OF the girls history nothing
seems To be known. That she was of more
than average comeiiness is apparent,
That her name was Nellie Griffin appears
from the official records, as does
also the fact that she was re-
ceived at this institution as a
resident OF Mason, Ingham county.
Who she was is as yet unknown, but
from the post norton examination made
by the physicians it appears although
she was barely beyond the dividing line
between girlhOod and womanhoDd, her
life had not been lived in accordance with
the mandates of morality. Why the crime
was committed and by what means the
girl was killed are yet unknown.
Evidence Against Garfield
Inc evidence against Garfield is very
strong. In the first place Mr.. Newkirk,
superintendent of the Coldwater school.
identified the corpse and also identi-
fed Garfield the man who took
the girl away from the school The train
men on the railway by which Garfield
Travelled also identify him and the girl,
and 1t seems certain that he was the last
person the girl was seen with alive. The
ticket agent at Jon.sville said thai man
and girl answering to the description were
at Jonesville Wednesday, and that they
came from the direction of Coldwater and
left in the direction of Diamondale.