Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-05
4 POSSIBLE CLUE.
Association Of Barn Burnins
With Murder.
TWO GRIMES IN BLACK HAWK.


Farm Nay Have Been Rsspeosibis fer
Yoang Kuschnanns Dssth.
Out in Black Hawk township where
the people hold their own views Is to
the cause Of the tragic death of Fred
erick Kuschmann. and who perpe-
trated the deed, there are . great
number who when approached Is to
who is suspected will merely look
wise and say nothing direct. IF
that is . case of MURDER" said one
last night who was . little more
communicative than the rest, "the
authorities ought to have NO trouble
in putting their hands on the guilty
party, and furthermore let me say
this much-you find the man who
burned Bill McLaughlin's barn a
week ago. and you'll find who knows
about young Kuschmann's death"
The Barn Barnlny Incident.
The circumstances concerning the
burning of the barn on the Nc
Laughlin farm . week ago this even
ing were given in THE ARGUS the
day following. 1t happened in the
early evening, about the same time OF
day that young Kushmann met his
fate. The Mclaughlin farm is about
the same distance from Milan that
the Bastian place is. and is q little
south and west of the latter farm.
Since the death of Mrs. Mclaughlin,
MIR. Mclaughlin and his two sons.
Joseph and William, Jr., have been
keeping house together, the boys
working the farm. 1t has never
been their custom to show any fear
of burglars. They are happy among
themselves, well to-do and with
plenty of this worlds goods, and
they have had an unusual amount Of
confidence in humanity on general
principles. 1t has been their prac-
tice to leave . purse filed with the
tempting lucre on q table in the din
ing room or in q bureau drawer for
months at q time. They are liberal
hearted, wholesouled people, who
looking the world square in the face,
had no reason, they thought, to
doubt the motives Of other people
| toward them.
A week ago the barn on their
premises, well stocked with straw
and grain, was fired. OF course, nat.
urally the efforts of the household
were directed at subduing the
| flames, and it was on returning to
the house during the evening that
William Mclaughlin found that the
light, which had been left burning,
had been extinguished, and a stranger
in the dwelling. The latter on Mr..
McLaughlin's approach rushed on,
and disappeared through the tim Der.
While he secured nothing. the Nc
Laughlins have been convinced since
that his crime was not only arson,
but burglary. his plan in firing the
barn being to draw the attention oil
the three men in the house to the
scene and knowing that they were
| the only ones there, the house would
be empty for.his ransacking. He had
probably just begun his marauding
when Mr.. Mclaughlin interrupted
him.
Pointing OF Suspicion.
Ever since then the people in the
community have had their own suspi.
cions as to who set fire to the Nc.
Laughlin barn. and attempted to rob
the house while the men were out
putting down the flames. 1t must
have been someone, they say. who
knew the ways of the family and ali
their circumstances. Now the pub.
lie mind naturally applies the same
conditions to young Kuschmann's sad
case. He would not have been muir.
dered without q motive. That mo.
tive, il he was the victim of foul
play, was robbery. as no trace has
yet been found Of the money he had.
Both Mr.. Bastian and Mr.. Kusch.
mann had previously spoken in
Rock Island of the prospect OF
his being paid off that night,
and it is not improbable that
the fact became known in the imme-
mediate neighborhood. A man who
would fire a mans barn to rob his
house would be alert to other situa-
tions that would aid him in commit
ting crime. and the general opinion
is, would not hesitate to murder,
especially il he had grown desperate
by the miscarrying Of other well laid
plans.
These are the reasons there is an
effort being made now to ascertain
the whereabouts of an individual
known in that part of the county. be-
tween Thursday morning and Sun
day morning last.
A petition was presented to the
county board this afternoon asking
that a reward be offered for the APP
prehension of the murderer. but was
laid over pending further investiga-
ton. States Attorney Ssarle and
Constable Eckhart are out in Black
Hawk today.
Frosh Rumors.
Fresh rumors Of . more sensational
nature than anything else developed
are rife this afternoon, and while
The ARGUS is not prepared to speak
as yet. there may be arrests made in
the next "a hours that will be of an
exceedingly startling effect
Take Simmons Liver Regulator
a