Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-04
CRUEL CRIME.
That by Which Young
Kuschmann Died.
MURDERED FOR MONEY.
Circumstantial Evidence is
Strengthened.
Important Discovery Concern
ing the Horse.
CAME CLEAR INTO MILAN.
Clues That Trace the Perpe
traitors Near to Home.
Foul Play the Only Theory
Held in the Vicinity.
CAME CLEAR INTO MILAN.
Clues That Trace the PerpH
traitors Near to Home.
Foul Play the Only Theory
Held in the Vicinity.

One by one the links in the chain
Of circumstances connecting to the
tragic death of Frederick Kuschmann
on the lonely highway in Black Hawk
township Saturday night. the theory
of murder are being put together.
An ARGUS representative, who went
out into Black Hawk last night,
found but one opinion prevailing. and
that that most diabolical crime had
been committed. Added to this. a
number Of new facts throwing light
on this supposition were disposed Of.
There was q dance that night at the
Weigle farm, northwest of where tho
young man met his terrible death, the
festivities being interrupted by the
bringing in the body, and the jury
was for the most part selected from
among the attendants at the dance.
The coroner's inquest held the next
morning seems to have confined
itself to the theory originally, and at
once advanced when the body was
found, that death was due to acct
dent. The circumstances, which were
not probed beyond the point that
warranted this supposition, were
given in Mondays ARGUS, although
at the same time and in the same
connection the suspicion of foul play
was first mentioned. The result of
the examination by Drs. Barth and
Hollowbush Of the skull of the de-
ceased yesterday established reason
able ground for the belief that q
crime had been committed-in fact,
the surgeons, as heretofore stated,
were emphatic in their assertions
that the wounds causing death could
not have been inflicted in any other
way than by vicious blows.
Left With HIS Coat On.
One OF the facts developed by THE
ARGUS investigation last night is
that when young Kuschmann left
the Bastian farm at O'Clock for
South Rock Island he had his over
coat on. He had put it on before
starting. This coat, as is known, was
found about one-fourth the distance
| AAouA sh0 ce"A eiuS Poiues "HCIC VIC
jury thought the body had been
dragged from. The coat did not
have the appearance of having been
hurriedly removed by the unfortu-
nate man in his efforts to unburjen
himself in order to gain better con-
troll of fractions horse. 1t bore
no evidence Of having been dragged
in the clay with which the road
abounds, and with the exception OF
blood clots on the sleeve and back
there was nothing unnatural in its
appearance. This, with the missing
cap, and above all the missing
money. are strong enough evidences
of murderous deed. The money
paid Kuschmann was 1915, OF
which $14.75 was in silver and the
remainder in bills, and two of the
silver dollars constitute all that has
SO far been recovered. According to
the view of the coroner's Jury the
body was dragged a short distance
north with the road after the horse
and rider had left the gate to the
Bastian farm, across and back south
to the spot where it fell or was
thrown from the horse. and then the
horse having freed itself dashed
back through the open gate and
through the lane leading to the Bas.
tian farm house.