Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-02-16
Officers Bergsten and voss En-
gage in Man Hunting
Expedition.
SOME GUN PLAY INDUCED IN
Real Burglars Break Into Two Resi-
dences, But Get
Little.

"uis az IpIAtn avenue anu L WeNlN-
third street, noticed Something close
~ resembling man on the kitchen
roof. He paused for an instant TO
make sure and saw that the object
moved. Evidently the party was try
ing to raise a window that led into
the second story 'of the house.
The citizen slipped quietly away to
avoid being seen and at the nearest
telephone called the police, in
forming them that the burglar could
be caught if the campaign were man
aged properly.
Accordingly Desk Sergeant Berg
stem and Patrol Driver Voss slipped
into their armor and manned the
wagon. Nearing the place they tied
the team and crept quietly up the
lalley. ~ number of citizens had been
notified Of what was going on and
when the officers approached they
were stealthily hailed and the burglar
pointed out to them. There he was,
his body swaying to and fro as he
balanced unsteadily on the slippery
side of thereof Either he had not
been able to break open the window
or he was casting about for con-
venient way to get down after having
ransacked the house.
Burn Some Powder
Cooking their guns the officers
marched out from behind the barn.
Come off that roof" roared Officer
Bergsten. The fellow pretended not
to hear.
Come down or Wen shoot" was
the next command.
The burglar made a move. Appar-
emily he was about to unlimber his
artillery. and without further ado the
policemen opened up on him.
Several rounds were fired, but it
was no. use. He wouldn't come down.
The crowd was growing and decisive
action was highly desirable.
IF you don't come down I'll come
up after YOU Officer Bergsten said,
and with sublime courage he rushed
forward under cover of fusillade of
shots from his companion.
AS he neared the house he was seen
to stop and stare. us he dead?"
someone asked. But the officer did
not reply, and after moment he and
Patrol Driver Noss slipped away and
returned to the station.
| Then it was learned that the scare
had been caused by the sheet iron top
of the chimney which bad been blown
off by the wind and hung dangling by
the wire that had braced it. An ex-
animation of the pipe today revealed
the fact that there were no holes in
If. Hence it is presumed that the Off
GERS were firing blanks.
/ Txvo
The residence of j. W. Sweeney.
1922 Twenty-first street was burglar
lied Saturday evening while Mr.. and
Mrs. Sweeney were making a call
The thief entered the house through
rear window which he pried open.
The entire place was ransacked and a
Smith d Wesson hammerless revol-
yer, about So in change, Il box of CT
gars and Masonic pin were taken.
The same party who entered the
Sweeney residence is believed to have
been the one who effected an
entrance into the home of Mrs. Ella
Higgins. $50 Twenty-frst street earli-
err in the evening. He climbed porch
and was heard proving around on
the upper floor The police were call
ed, but before the patrol wagon ar
rived the fellow escaped. Nothing was
missed.
One Hobo RObs Another.
A couple of hoboes were allowed to
sleep by the furnace at the water
works last night and one of them
took advantage of the opportunity. to
rise early and depart with the cap
and shoes belonging to the other.
Of h. n hn6
way and the police were called to
search for the man with the missing
wearables. Officer Bergsten went out
ON the case. but did not get results.
Instead of finding what he was
looking for the officer found a man
wandering about in the cold with
what appeared to be a bad case of
delirium tremens. He said he wanted
to go to Davenport, but that there
were parties after him trying to drug
him. He asked the officer to accom-
panv him. The bluecoat did so, but
steered him into the station.
There the man continued his raw
ings. He appears to be mechanic
and is dressed in the ordinary garb of
machinist or railroad man when on
duty He tore up a portion of the
floor of the cell that was loose and
built barricade for protection
against his supposed pursuers. He
gave his name at George Bittner and
says his home is at New Sharon
Iowa.
Police Points.
Night Capt. B. J. McCabe was taken
i'll Saturday night and was removed
from the station to his home, S1S
Twenty-fourth street.
Godfrey Soderstrom reported last
evening that light overcoat had
been taken by sneak thief from his
room in the Rooster flats at Fifth av-
enue and Thirty-first street.
A letter has been received address,