Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-14


most plausible explanation of their
escape.
Dogs Take Up Scent.
There we're many marks for the
where the holdup occurred. The warn
where the holup occurred. The warn
ing was for every man TO take the
center of the track and leave the dogs
take the outside. When the scene was
reached the animals easily took up
scent. The place where the safe was
blown up was easily seen. The eartn
had been shaken from the ties by the
force of the conclusion, and splinters
of wood and bits OF glass were scatter
ed all along the track.
4 better scent than that at the place
where the robbers waited for the COM
ing of the train could not have been
wished fer, for they had built bon
fire. the very embers of which seemed
still to glow. On the high, precipitOus
bank were the marks of feet, and sew
aral had slid down from the top Of the
cut in order to obtain twigs for the
fire. The marks were plain and could
easily have been a clue.
Inc OOS III inc IIcliAN-S VI lINpbIS
Sheriff Eggers, of Davenport, took the
scent much easier than the other and
led the way down the embankment TO
the other side OF the bluff, into the
hollow where plenty of freshly broken
weeds and bent twigs could be seen.
This scent taken by the dog stretched
along a cornfield and through almost
inaccessible brambleS. a score OF men
Immediately followed and investigated
with careful scrutiny every inch OF
ground before they walked over. They
followed down the path of the creek
and under the arch of the big bridge
which spans the guich-
Rain Kills the Scent.
The work would have been good and
the pursuit fast had not the elements
which stop neither for good and evil
turned against the posse. The Sky had
been darkening and the expected show
er burst forth. The men on the road
looked at the conditions and smiled.
They had been in rain before. and a
little thing like water will not injure
man. But it did, before an hour had
passed. take away all hope of the dogs
getting scent. The very fact that
the scent taken is so slight that only
bloodhOunds can follow it is one of
the reasons that it will not last longer
than an hour or two at the utmost.
The invisible line which formed a con-
nectiOn between the missing fugitiVes
from justice and the band seeking TO
enforce the laws laid down by man
could not withstand the rain.
AT first the dogs wandered around
in circles and started from their path
and returned. The rain was coming
down pretty steadily. Then the dogs
refused TO so on altogether. 1t began
to pour There was nothing to do but
to await the clearing of the skies, and
this was done, although odd groups
were to he seen wandering here and
there along the track in quest of in
formation.
Says Fortune in Taken.
Muscatine, Iowa, Sept. IA man
who is thoroughly conversant with af-
lily for the statement that train No. II
has on board on certain nights enough
money TO make a man independent for
| life. Sometimes it is said that as much
as $4,000 is carried, and opinions
have been expressed by people who
know from other sources than mere
rumOr that there is a possibility that
the bandits secured over that sum.
Given Scare by Posse.
Somebody was given a bad scare by
the posse in pursuit of the train rob,
beers yesterday morning. When the po
! licemen and officers had agreed that
they had been drenched in the rain to
their hearts content the Muscatine
contingent decided to flag the Musca
tine North & South railway and re
turn. a short distance from the scene
of the hOldup the tracks Of the North
& South run parallel with the tracks
of the Rock Island. The officers who
determined to return to Muscatine
tagged the y. & Strain. The formid
able array of bule coated men with
bad looking Winchestcrs would have
been enough TO stop most any train
When the freight was held, a hobo, who
had been making his berth on tho
bumpers. made break for the gulCh
and hid in the brambIcs. Later {
traveller in long Prince Albert anC
bearing heavy grip, was seen making
his way with all possible manner OF
speed back in the direction from
which he came. Possibly he had scent
ed trouble and made haste to get out
Of the way.
Stranger Caught in Barn.
Muscatine. Sept. IA telephone
message was received by the police
about O'Clock last night stating thai
a man had been surrounded in the
barn of Mr.. Shelley. near the end OF
the toll road in Illinois, who was sus
pected of being one OF the train rob
bers. and asking that the police come
over and arrest him. It was said the
stranger was seen 70 come out of the
bottoms and go 10 the barn. As it was
)ut of the jurisdiction of the police
hey were instructed TO get their con