Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-02-26

In Which . Deputy Sheriff Receives What
Looks Like n Mortal Wound and Ono
Robbcr Is shot in the Groin-Another Of
the Bancits Arrested, hut q Third Gets
Away-Sequel to the Robbery Of o Bank
at Griswoid, Ia.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Ia, Feb Ga spiri-
ted fight between bank robbers and the
local authorities occurred here late yester-
day afternoon. in which several persons
We're shot ami much powder burned. Of
fcers had been notified to watch for the
men who robbed the Griswold, Ia, bank.
Just after dusk, as one of the officers was
patroliing his beat, he noticed a man sit
ting in the office of the Kiel hotel who
answered the description telegraphed
from Griswold. Deputy Sheriff O'Brien
was notified and concluded that he was
one of the men wanted, called to his as
sistance Deputy Sheriff Hooker, and in
company with Officers Peterson and Ware
the party entered the Office and invited
the suspect TO Jail.
Attempted Rescue Brings on a Fight.
As the five men left the hotel two other
hotel guests rose and followed, keeping
several yards behind. Just as they
reached the court house OBrien dropped
behind, telling his prisoner to walk in
front. As he did this the two men who
had followed the party commenced firing
at the officers. Presenting their guns the
officers returned the fire, the prisoner
and the two strangers separating from
the officers, and shooting as they ran. For
mir Z l, ft1si i,fl. l-ny,f
citizens and other officers joining in the
battle, which had become general all
along the line until the desperadoes We're
overcome and two of them placed under
arrest and taken to Jail, where they gave
their names as John Reilly and James
Wilson.
Deputy Sheriff and q Robber Shot.
As soon as they were secure behind the
bars the officers started to look for the
wounded and in the search they discov-
cred o Brien severely wounded, bullet
having struck him in the abdomen, enter
ing the body and lodging near the spine.
Reilly was his in the groin, the bullet
penetrating some two inches. The third
man escaped and fled toward the river
pursued by n posse of citizens, but he
managed to elude them. 1t is thought
that he is now in Omaha, and the po-
lice Cf that city have been notified to be
OH the lookout for the man.
Pockets Full of Postage Stamps.
In searching the men at the jail their
pockets yielded a large number of postage
stamps and n quantity of small change,
which fact convinccs the officers that the
two parties now under arrest are MEM
bers of the gang that robbed the Griswold
bank. While the shooting was going on
Motorman Sculien met with peculiar
accident. His train was in the vicinity of
the battle, and just as he was about 10
| seek the seclusion of the inside of his car
"a bullet struck the building nearby and
| glancing 1cw back and struck him be.
tween the oyes, cutting the flesh to the
bone.
Prisoners say They Are Farm Hands.
| At the Jail the men who are under ar
rest refused to talk upon the subject OF
the robbery. They say that they are farm
| hands. In regard to the shooting they
ate that they were scared and did not
know that the men with whom they were
fighting were officers, and that they shot,
as they supposed. to defend their lives.
| Wrecked the Bank Vault.
Tho robbery of the Griswold bank wa:
done about midnight. The bandits blew
| open the vault with such q heavy charge
that they blew the vault to pieces, wrecked
! the room and made such noise that they
had to clear ont in a hurry. The onl,
valuables they are known to have oh
tanned were 500 in stamps and SEQ il
| nickels