Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-04-16
BY SAD SEA WAVES
w. n. LANCE and Abe RosenfieId
Have Unpleasant Experience
at Atlantic City.
MISTAKEN FOR SAFE BLOWERS
But Readily Establish Their limo
cense and Proceed TO do
Few Social Stunts.

Few Social Stunts.
The following written on "A postal
card bearing Iikenesses Of W. H. LANCE
ana Abe Rosenfieid was received the
other day a. Rock Island police head
quarters:
Atlantic City. y. j.. April 12-Ar-
rest these two safe blow ers, and re-
port to me. $500 reward
II. q. PHINDER. CHER of Police
Growing alarmed over the prospect
II the pair having become the victims
of mistaken identity friends wired
them forthwith to go 10 the police
and make explanations. and Il letter
came today from Mr.. LANCE. 1t is
given here in full:.
Atlantic City. y. j.. April 14.-Dear
Friend: We have had close call from
confinement in the DO ,by hatch. When
we blowed in here the latter part Of
the week we met 50 many friends that
we were obliged 10 do our sleeping
days. When farewelIs were said and
we were leaving for Il side trip into
the mountains. where we are estab-
fishing headquarters, and expect TO
remain for two months or more. in
order that Abe can get rid of some CT
his surplus ayoir!upois. there were re-
quests for photcgrap We each had
taken dozen fresh ones before leay-
NJ home. and we passed them out
among uur friends.
The night We left the city there was
4 safe blowing job pulled off. and il is
said to have been one of the finest
that the natives here have read about
in u century. The robbers got away
with $l1 600 ana left without anyone
getting Il glimpse of them. Next day
the detectives were hot on the trail
and our friends at the hotel, to whom
sc neglected to reveal the stories Of
our past lives. ! suppose Immediately
grew wise and advanced the theory
that We were the parties the authori-
ties were after.
PIker Turns Up Photos.
They produced our photographs.
CUES we must have looked suS piciouS.
for word flew around the city that the
red haired tall man and his fat friend
who had cut such Il wide Swath at
the hotel. were the safe blowers. A.
it happens we had been at the bank
that WAS robbed the day of the rob
berry. Abe cashed a check fer S9j and
got a draft-through the east win
dow. The telegram yCu sent Us was
intercepted by the police. and they
came on ana got us. We were taken
back to Atlantic City. and after an
hours conference with the chief we
convinced him we were innocent.
But the Jail here * Il lovely place
and we would not have been real an
CRY if they had locked MS up for Il day
or two. 1t would have saved lis our
board bill and then we would have
had Il chance 10 rest up. We have
been searching for the piker that
gave the detectives the bum steer
about us. but we have not found him
yet. But were on the trail. If we
locate him-we'Il do the right thing by
him. for his little move made us the
most popular fellows in town.
All the newspapers have printed
columns about us accompanied by
photographs. We were known as
couple of San Francisco mine owners
until today, when | 50 far forgot my
self as to let the hotel barber know
that | was proprietor OF a shop back
in Rock Island, and Abe tried to sell
an order OF white vests to the pro-
prietor of one Of the restaurants. We
have made all arrangements to go
into the mountain. If we could have
kept up the trent we might have re
manned here until the bathing sea
live on our shapes after that.
Make Hit in Society.
BY the way, we have proven regular
pests socially down here. Last night
we were members of a select party en-
tertained at cinch by Mrs. Robert Fitz-
simmons and Mrs. Jack Gardner. of
Boston. During a game at table
with pair of southern heiresses. |
believe one OF them said she was the
daughter of the governor of North
Carolina, Abes foot slipped and he
asked who had opened the pot. The
remark shocked the whole party and l
thought for moment that the bounc-
er would be summoned.
We met Sully today. not John l.,
You know. but his iiggerS of cotton
fame. ana | was almost choked to
find that he and l are old friends, hav-
ing punched cattle together years
ago in TeXns-t.own On the Rio
Grande. The daughters of the resolu-
ton gave very pleasant affair our
first night here when we met Ella
Wheeler Wilcox. We would have en-
i"ycd charming chat with her. but
she is having some dental work which
# course iuterfered.
You know there Is plenty of water
here. / Cont mean drinking wafer hut