Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-04-01
A HOLMES IN OUR MIDST.
Fr:Ghtful Series of Crimes Committed by
Eastiap.

Eastiap.
| The account of the death OF Kusch-
mann is of too recent date to neei
repetition here. The public is like
wise familiar with the developments
made with reference to the other
men, but the following chronological
summary will afford brief idea OF
| the crimes attributed to this Rock
Island county butcher, whose record
rivals that of the notorious Holmes.
the revel tticns of whose bloody deeds
have startled the world in the past
year:
February 80 - Frederick Kusch
mann meets death on the highway in
Black hawk township.
| March 2-THE ARGUS after careful
investigation, advances the first
theory of murder.
March 5-Hurniug of Mclaughlin
barn associated by The ARGUS with
the kUschmann murder.
March 6-Board of supervisors Of
fers a reward OF $500 for the appre-
hension of the criminal. Henry Bas-
tian visits THE ARGUS to contradict
certain statements.
March 9-TuE ARGUS discovers
the disappearance Of John Lauder
bach, and calls on Henry Bas,ian
with reference thereto.
March j3-Henry Bastian hangs
himself. Blood previously found on
the Bastian premises proves to be
human.
March 1.-THE ARGUS tells of the
disappearance of Henry Kriensen,
another of Bastian's hired men.
March 20-THE ARGUS veriiles its
story about the disappearance of
John Lauderbach through Peter
Grampp, his old time frieud.
| March 2i-CiOches supposed to be
those OF John Lauderbach found at
the Bastian sale
| March 25-THE ARGUS tells OF an
other man named Lewis. who worked
| for Bastian, aud who cannot be ac-
counted for.
March 27-Henry Reiher, who
claimed to have seen Bastian buryiug
a man on his farm, located ia Chi
cago; but refused to come to Rock
Island.
| sheriff Camps on the Ground.
Sheriff Hemenway, who was given
charge of the premises last week by
the real estate firm of Gordon & Bow
man. who have it for sale and for
rent and who were as anxious as any
to have the mysteries ferreted out.
has now pitched tent on the ground.
He has put up sign, ..no trespass'
AMI will keep men on watch dav and
| night. This morning an examine
ton was made of the Il Dor in the
shed where Bastiau hung himself,
but nothing was found there. A few
rods east OF the place where the
body was found this morning is what
| appears to be grave. This is near a
tree and answers the description of
the locality where Reiher is said to
have seen Bastian burying a man a
year before Lauderbach disappeared
and since which time Kreinseu has
been unheard Of. From the appear
ance of Lauderbach's head ne must
have been killed just "a Kuschmann
was. by being struck on the head
! win either an AK or club, and the
probabilities are that Kreinsen and
perhaps others met fate in the same
way.
The surroundings about the place
where the body was found today in
dicate former vaul. of some kind
which had been probably filled into
which the body was evidently placed
and then covered.
The sheriff proposes now to give
the premises the most thorough in
vestigation. and further develop
ments are anticipated a, any time.
Now that so much has been shown.
there are other Investigations to be
made, and they NAV lead to bring
ing under the law one at least who
NAV know not only something of
Bastian's career, but whether or not
he wrote the final message attributed
| to him. and if he did not, who did.
That Rock Island county has for
the past four years hart ored one Of
the most heinous and most heartless
criminals known to the annals of
crime in the state is now established.
and the duplicity OF tn. life he has
led. until bounded down be DESTROYED
himself rather than face his many