Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-09-29
William Lyons, With $225 Worth
of valuables on Person, Caught
After Exciting Chase.
HARPER HOUSE ROOMS RANsAoKED
Thief, Whose Home is in City, Held
70 Grand Jury in 900
Bond.

ceny. The crime for which he is he'll
is the stealing of a variety of valua-
bles from the Harper house, and the
story involves about half the people
who were in the business part of
town at o'clock yesterday after
noon.
Somewhere between and o'clock
Lyons entered the hotel and without
arousing suspicion made his way to
the upper corridors. How many
rooms he entered is not known, but
a few minutes before Mrs. Richard
S. Pearce, the housekeeper, passing
the door of her room that she had
left locked only a short time before.
noticed that it was ajar. On entering
she at once saw that thief had been
about. She gave the
alarm down stairs and Lyons, who
had been noted leaving the place on
Iy a few seconds before, was instant
ly suspected of being the guilty
party.
Chase is Begun.
John King, the colored porter, who
had noted the direction that Lyons
had taken, Immediately started in
pursuit and shortly saw his man GO
ing up Nineteenth street at rapid
walk. Seeing that he was pursued
he broke into run near the y. NJ. c.
\. building and lodged into the alley
back of that building. King arrived
at the corner in time to see him 60
out at the Eighteenth street end of
the alley and turn south. The race
continued south to Fifth avenue and
west across Seventeenth street and
the fugitive was seen to turn into the
alley south of Fifth avenue at the
west of Sixteenth street. BY this
time the alarm had been spread and
hundreds of men and boys were fol-
lowing close behind King. Office
Henry Thode, who saw the chase
from the police station, jumped on
his bicycle and arrived on the scene
in a iiffy. For some time all trace
of the hunted man was lost. John
Sullivan reported having seen him
dodge into n woodshed, but n hasty
search of the place failed to reveal
him. \ short time later a cuff was
found lying near and the pursuers
knew they were on the right track
It OIICtE HOue saw TIC reg Oh
a man protruding from the attic of
the shed and upon being commanded
to come down or be shot, Lyons, for
it was he, came down and submitted
to be handcuffed.
Difficulty I'm Locating Articles.
At the station the prisoner was
found to have very little of the miss
inu oon6c IN, his rarcoD lint Nuhan
search of the attic in which he had
secreted himself was made about a
hatfull of miscellaneous articles were
found. They were scattered about in
the wood and hay and considerable
trouble was experienced in getting it
all together. The entire lot, which
is valued at 1925 and belongs for the
most part to Mr.. and Mrs. Pearce, iu-
cludes the following:
Diamond ring, turquoise ring, dia
mond pin, two sets for rings, ladies'
gold watch, watch chain, two revol-
vers, three raZors, seven stick pins.
breast pins, cuff buttons, pocketbook,
a dozen or more silk handkerchiefs.
and number of articles of less
value.
az llC AT
J Johnson this morning Lyons admit
ted that he had taken the articles
found in the attic and told something
of his past life. He said he is 81
years of age and was born in Gin
ton, Iowa. He has resided in Daven.
port the greater part of his life, blu
for the past year has lived i'm this
city with his mother. lie is n cooper
by trade, but recently he has been
employed on the farm, working foI
George Roberts on the Rock river
bottoms. He was bound oyer under
81 900 bonds and went to Jail.
other Police News.
III. Rafter, a stranger, was found
sleeping in a merchandise car, the
seal of which had been broken, Sat
urday night. At the hearing this
morning it appeared that he had not
entered the car with the intention of
doing any harm and he was let of
with a fine of $25.
William Berger was drunk Satur-
day night and made trouble at his
home The result was that he was
arrested and this morning he was
to jail to serve out fin
of $25. He promised to remain away
from home hereafter.
Harry Wilbur, who is under indict
ment for stealing a package of shoe
soles belonging to the Rock Island
Shoe company and is confined in the
county Jail, is DESTROYS of pleading
guilty in order to secure sentence at
once and avoid remaining in prison
till the meeting of the grand jury in
January. He insists, however. that
he is innocent and States ATTORNEY
Weld refuses to extend him any mer-
cies with the evidence there IS.
against him. Wilbur insists that the
soles were left. in his room by his
roommate. and although he admit >
irving to sell them, he does not feel
hat he is a thief