Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-12-12
SUSPECT MURDER
Relatives of Charles Colson Be-
lieve him Victim of
Foul Play.
INVESTIGATION IS CALLED FOR
Theory That Train Strikes Him is
Oisproven-His Skull is
Fractured.

| That Charles Colson. who died from
a fracture of the skull at the Moline
city hospital two weeks ago today,
wa; victim OF foul play is the belief
of his family and relatives, and they
have requested that an investigation
be conducted through the office of
| States Attorney j. X Scott. Mr..
Scott has the testimony adduced at
the coroner's inquest at his office, and
today probably will have a conference
with Chief of Police Ed Kittilsen of
Moline
Colson, il will be recalled, was found
in gutter under a railroad culyert
100 feet east of Sixth street, in Moline.
1t 1890 o'clock Saturday night He
vas lying face downward in a pool
of mud and water. He was uncon-
scious and remained in that condition
until his death, "a hours subsequent.
At intervals he would open his eyes
n response to inquiries of his wife and
wave his hand in an effort apparently
to indicate that he had been assaulted.
Not Struck by Train.
But this important point was not de-
yeloped at the inquest, the theory at
hat time having been that he was
struck by train. Mr.. Scott has since
learned that this could not have been
possible, as no train or car had passed
IN either track on the sides of the
opening where Colson was found after
O'Clock on the night in question. 1t
was fully half an hour after that Col
son was seen in Mueller's saloon,
block away, where he drank one glass
Of beer. aud left. going in the direc-
ton of his home. He was perfectly
sober, as he was known as a man who
never imbibed liquor TO excess. He
and his wife had left their home early
in the evening to view a fire that had
broken out in the neighborhood. but
they became separated in the crowd.
Familiar With Surroundings.
ColsOn was familiar with the rail-
road yards in the vicinity of Sixth
street, as he passed through them
twice day on going and returning to
his place of employment at the Mo-
line Wagon company's factory AS
The gutter is not more than three feet
below the railroad tracks, it is hardly
possible that a fall would have caused
the ugly fracture that he suffered on
the left side of his head, even though
he had struck the culvert or a rail-
road track. The wound appears as
though it were inflicted by some blunt
instrument, rock probably.
The witnesses who were summoned
by the coroner testified that Colson
did not have any enemies that they
knew of. The states attorney through
Moline channels, has ascertained diff
ferently, and this information will be
a strong factor in determining how far
an investigation. if one is fully enter
ed into, is to be carried. Colson was
30 years of age and leaves his widow
and two small children.
II Murder, Cruel One.
''If the death of Colson turns out
to have been a murder" Mr.. Scott
said, the features, as they present
themselves. will show to have been
one of the mostly cruel in the history
of the county. 1t is a certainty that
he was not hit by a train. Then he
must have either fallen, or was way
laid and then dragged to the gutter
and thrown in there for dead"