Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-07-21

| VI
near the bank.
Waterman Frank Pressed, of the Tn
ion Malleable works, a half blocl
| southwest, also heard the explosion
and saw the fash made by the bur
glars dark lantern. JuhI went to the
| Malleable works and with Pressed the
| two aroused the neighborhood. anC
notified the sheriff of Rock Island and
| the police department Of Moline
PRESSED awakened c. C. Head, super
| intendent of the Union MalleablC
| works. and Electrician w. II. Ammer
man, who were sleeping in the shop
The two latter men went immediately
| over to tn ewrecked bank, and stayed
| there until officers came to the scene
but were unable to find a clue to the
burglars. The men We're seen by Juhl
| as they hastily climbed into a buggy
and drove east.
Officers ScOur the Country.
Sheriff Heider's posse from here
went out in the neighborhood of Bar
stow and when near the town they
Jaw d buggy going up the road, and
upon catching up with the driver
they stopped him, and questioned him,
but the man. who was with lady,
proved his innocence readily. The
Moline police department went out
in the surrounding country near
Hampton, but were unable to find a
clue. This morning about O'CLOCK
a man giving his name as Joseph
Elliott, of Elgin, H., was locked up on
suspicion. He was seen by a merchant
gr Wv hn11r rhiG NHbi Ia
wandering back of his store and act
ing suspiciously. Being of a guilty
appearing character the man was ap
pretended by the police. On giving
an account of himself he first sale
that he had come into Moline on a
freight train and was on his way to
Mercy hospital in Davenport. to un
dergO treatment. On being asked
where he had been in Moline he re
piled he had not left the railroad track
entering tn etown, but later he said
that he had been up town to get a
drink. The Moline police do not think
that the man is implicated in the at
tempted burglary.
Men Expert Safe Blowers.
Bank officials think that the men
were experts at safe blowing, and
that they were well acquainted with
the surroundings 1t is thought that
the men were not aware of the fact
that the old safe, formerly used in the
bank, had been replaced by the new
one yesterday. and they were under
the impression that the safe contain
ed a gOOdly sum of moGey which could
be easily gotten in such Il small town
The officials of the bank say that
they invariably sent their money into
Rock Island when the sum had
accumulated to any large amount. The
loss TO the building and safe caused
by the explosion is covered by insuT-
ance. The old safe which the com
pany was preparing to return to the
house. has been installed and the
wrecked one sent back for repairs.
The bottom of the new safe is badly
bent in addition to the double doors
being torn from their hinges. The
ceiling of the building was raised by
the explosion and the fixtures hurled
about the place. The partitions were
blown from their foundations and
stand ont of shape. LOcksmith Fei-
big. OF Rock Island, opened the safe
this morning and found everything in
side To be intact. The safe cost $l,40O
Rifle All Rooms of Building.
The burglars rifled the desks in all
four rooms of the building, but it is
thought that all they got was a revol-
yer They were heard cursing loudly
by Juhl while they were looking at tn,
wrecked safe. and being angry, doubt
less. at their failure To crack it open
After scrutiniZing the safe hastily the
men took their departure east in a
buggy and drove rapidly. BY some il
it thought that they will yet be caught
and that they are in hiding nearby.
The train for which the burglars wait
ed is due i'm Rock Island shortly after
u O'Clock. but was one hour late in
East Moline Charles Fiebig. the safe
expect. said:
Doubtless the men were frightened
away Immediately after the explosion.
as they would have found that they
could have dislodged the second chest
with another explosion, and, possibly,
gained entrance to where the money is
kept. | found a 15-pound piece of the
upper jamb of the safe lying on the
north side of the building which had
been blown through one side of the
structure. All that is left of the safe
that is burglar proof is the chest on
the inside. The time lock was run
ming and working in good ORDER at the
time the men discharged the nitro
glycerin.'
Thousand in Safe.
The building was entered by n west
window. II is reported that the safe
contained something like $1,000. but
the bank officials deny this report.
The bank was established in East
Moline last January. The officers are:
Phil Mitchell. Rock Island, president;
Daniel McNeal. WATERFOWL. vice pres
ident; Benjamin J. Mitchell. Rock ISL
and. cashier. The directors are: Phil
Mitchell. L. II. Guyer. II. L. Curtis,
Rock Island; Daniel McNeal. Wate2