Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-20

these valiscs was ever used Everything
but money and jcwelry was burned. If
there was any jcwclry, the geld was melt
ell and sold; if watches. the works We're
thrown away and the cases melted down.
Sometimes a haul of this kind was a rich
one. Once or twice jcwelry drummer was
slyly drugged by drink out of bottle
and his cases obtained.
But that sort of thievery finally became
too risky. Once he was confronted by a
man whose valise he had grabbed. and no
amount of excuses or protestations of in
nocence would avail. The conductor was
appealed to, and upon an offer to prove his
identity by the baggage master the three
men started forward. As they crossed the
second platform the thief suddenly sprang
from the train. Before pursuit was posi-,
bic he was lost sight OF. This was at
night The jump from the car sent him
tumbling into u ravine and gave him Il
badly sprained shoulder and several minor
bruises, which laid him up for Il week or SO.
Up to this time no hold up had been
attempted and no depredatons on freight
cars had been made. Tho pals got togcth-
er and considered the question of what
next. The one in town who had disposed
of old gold and had sold what diamonds
had been stolen was called into consrlta-
ton. 1t was resolved to make Il move in
the way of robbing freight cars and the
leaders first thought was to get some
farmers boy to join the gang. After some
browsing around they found "a boy of about
80 who had n deep grudgo against railroads
generally. He had lost a brother at a rail
road crossing accident, and the failure to
collect anything by law from the COM
pany had left him in n frame of mind
where Il chance to get even would not be
too closely scrutiniZed
The gang took him TO the city and spent
money on him until they had gained his
confidence. and when they unfolded their
plans he was ready to join them. y steep
grade three miles from his farm was util
lied 10y the gang mounting freight trains
Mt or near n watering tank below it and
breaking into the cars as the trains went
up the grade. Boxes of boots shoes and
clothing and miscellaneous merchandise
were dumped by the side of the track The
farmer boy loaded the stuff into an ortii
nary farm wagon and took it 70 his barn.
Here the merchandise was wrapped in
canvas and put into gunny sacks and aft.
crward hailed up in hay. with the hay on
the sides. top and bottom, concealing the
contents. This hay was shipped into town
and a hay store started by one Of the CON
spirators. He sold some hay. but he ship
ped stuff south and west. and large lots OF
merchandise We're disposed of with profit
to the conspirators. The boards of the
boxes and all evidences of the coverings of
the goods were thrown down an old dry
well in n field not far FROM the farmhouse
Once in the tolls Of the gang the Young
farmer showed a shrewine>s which won
him the admiration Of his associates He
insisted on rainy nights for the depreda-
tons. so that the storm would oblitera,e
the wheel tracks and because fewer people
We're abroad on such nights He also
changed the places of breaking into tine
cars to distant points, hid the plumber in
the woods and got il home in the daytime
by covering it with wood or hay
One night two members of the gang
I, boarded n freight and broke into a car and
| were surprised in the act by detectives
| The stuff was thrown ont before they dis
covered the officers, and sharp pistol fight
| Immediately began One of the thieves
| was shot through the right shoulder and
| fell from the car, badly bruising himself
| as he fell, and the osher escaped with a
bullet in his leg. The one who fell from
the car was captured. prosecuted and sent
to the penitertiary. The farmer boy, vino