Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-02-20
A CAMBLER'SLUCK
w. n. Hardesty. One of the Local
Gang, Ends His Life at
Hotel Harms.
HAD BEEN DEAD THREE DAYS
Evidence Shows He Was One
Who Had Been Operating Here
for Several Months.

II gamblers, whose leduQudTIeTS HdNi
been in Rock Island since last June
| md who have more recently been op
Grating through Billy Cation, proprie
tor of the Mirror buffet, alley saloon
was found dead in his room at the Ho
eel Harms this morning. a 32-calibre
revolver, tightly grasped in his hands
with the blood-stained barrel in his
mouth indicated the cause of his death
He had not been seen since Saturday
morning about $3.50, and the condition
of the body indicated that he killed
himself some time during the day. Sat
urday. No one heard the shot, and as
Hardesty kept irregular hours at the
hotel, the fact that he had not left the
room for several days was not discOv-
cred.
This morning about s o'clock, when
it was reported that the room had not
been attended TO for several days.
John Kraus, the steward, made an in
vestigation, resulting in the discovery
of the suicide. Coroner L. V. Eckhart
was notified and conducted an inquest
at the hotel, in room adjoining that
in which the suicide occurred.
II Cation Does Not Appear.
The jury. composed of Roy A. Sears,
foreman. Phil Miller. C. F. Gazetteer.
Ben Schriver, l.. w. Moffit and James
Brinn. examined John Kraus, the
steward, John Young, the colored poc-
ter, and Miles Odell, bell boy Billy
| Cation, the gambler and proprietor of
the Mirror buffet, was sent for, as he
| was known TO have been intimate with
Hardesty. Mr.. Cation left his home
when summoned by messenger. but
did not appear at the inquest, and af
ter waiting nearly an hour for him, the
jury drew up a verdict that Hardesty
came to his death by a revolver shot
fired by himself on or about Feb. is, at
the Harms hotel.
An examination of the room and the
personal effects in his clothing and
the dresser revealed no letters or
notes, and but S3.25 was found in the
pockets of the deceased's clothing Re
ceipts for dues to the Davenport aerie
of Eagles, and from the Detroit aerie,
together with a mileage book, and nu-
merous railway tickets between Peoria
and Pelin were found A pile of torn
paper on the dresser, when pieced to-
getheT. showed what had apparently
been a valentine 1t was written in
printed letters, and the following word
ing could be made out:
"TeIegram-To My Valentine:
Wire date, be quick
Can't wait; love sick.
No token, heart broken"
The other pieces of paper were so
small that the writing could not be
made out. With these scraps of pa
per was an envelope with a postmark
of Cleveland, Ohio.
John Kraus, the steward, testified
that he had not known Hardesty, but
had seen him about the hotel He said |
Hardesty had first registered the last
of January, and that he had been at
the hotel since Feb. II, occupying a
room on the fourth floor He said that |
Hardesty was one of a crowd of gam
blers freQuenting the Mirror buffet, and
that he was intimate with the man
known as Doc Wellington, who
had been at the hotel until yes
terday morning. He said that Yelling |
ton and Hardesty had not been room
ing together at the hotel.
Find Body.
This morning, when he was told by
the chambermaids that the room had
not been attended to, and that the oc-
cupant was sick, he procured a chair |
and looked over the transom He could |
see Hardesty, lying in bed, apparently |
asleep. The revolver could not be |
seen, as it was covered by the dead |
mans hands and the muZzle showed |
deep into his mouth. He called John |
Young, the porter, who climbed into |
the room through the transom, and |
made the discovery that Hardesty was
dead. He said that a woman register
ing as Mrs. Hardesty had been at the
hotel with Hardesty several times, the |
last time on Feb. s. Hardesty regis
tered from FIT. Wayne, Ind.
John Young testified that he had
on instructions from Mr.. Kraus, enter
ed the room through the transom and
found the occupant dead He did not
disturb the body. Miles Odell the bell
boy, who was examined, said that he
bad answered the bell for Mr.. Har
desty twice Saturday morning about
8: so, taking two bottles of whisky TO
the room, and taking an order to the
cafe Tor grape fruit and toast. The
tray, containing the remains of this
lunch, and part of the whisky, stood
On table near the bed The boy said
hat he had not seen Hardesty since
Saturday morning. Hardesty was in
bed then, but according to the boy was
not intoxicated.
Trend of Bullet.
The body, which was removed to
he Wheelan undertaking establish
nent, was in an advanced state of de- [
The bullet had passed 5
downward through the body, and out I
below the left shoulder. Death seem I
ngly had been instantaneous, for the s
position of the body and the express I
ion of the face gave the appearance |
# natural sleep. The bed was 9