Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-10-29
Makes Raid on Twenty
third Street-..Sets Fire
to One Residence.
ARE SEEN EARLY TODAY
While Attempting to Gain an
Entrance on Seventeenth
Street.

That gang of burglars. possibl. !;
young men, judging from the methods
used and from a description given 10
an Argus reporter. is growing more
desperate. and in their Saturday night
and Sunday morning campaign set fire
TO the residence OF G. \. Speidel, j2i
Twenty-third street The burglars en-
tered Mr.. Speidefs residence in the
course of their operations at five
homes ON Twenty-third street Sunday
morning. Last evening an attempt
was made 10 enter another residence.
this time on Seventeenth street The
burglars are growing bolder on ac-
count OF the long period during which
they have operated without interfer-
ence. and the incident at Mr. SpeideFs
home is the boldest and most outrage
Gus of the large number which has
been reported IL the last few months.
Floor Was Burned.
The residences OF G. c. BlaksIee
y. III. Head and H. w Crawford. all
adjoining each other on Twenty-third
street near Fifth avenue. were entered
by the thieves Sunday morning. but
nothing of any great value secured.
The robbers set fire to the residence of
c. \. Speidel in the same block and
that the house was no. entirely de
strOyed is miraculous. according TO Il
statement made by Mr.. Speidel this
morning The window sill. curtains
and portion of the hard wUJd noor
were burned considerably How the
fire was extinguishcJ is a question that
Mr. aI ic. INr
unsuccessful attempt was made TO en-
ter the home of Hen. William McEniry
ON the east side of Twenty-third street
Discover small Footprints.
The footprints under the windows Of
several OF the residences entered by
the burglars resemble those of d wo-
mans shoe This adds mystery to the
case and no little additional interest
The residents disturbed by the unmO-
Tested gang are highly indignant be
cause of the lack of police protection.
&. Yaeger. who resides at 1907 Seven
teenth street. stated that he was arous-
ed this morning about l o'clock by the
barking of d dog. and looking out of
his bedroom window he saw two
young men about q years CT age.
tempting to enter his house by the
dining room window. One of the young
men was standing-on the window sill i'll
an endeavor to open the window. while
the other was standing under a tree.
When Mr.. Ycager turned on the lights
they escaped
Entered Through window
Sunday morning about 3:45 c. y.
Speidel heard noise in the house. but
after investigating he found that moth
ing had been disturbed 1t is thought
that the burglars retreated into the
kitchen when Mr.. Speidel investigated
as he did not look into that room. He
retired and thought nothing more Of
the affair. He noticed that il was
very cold in the dining room but did
not turn on the lights. thus failing TO
discover that the window was open.
Upon arising yesterday morning he
was Mortified TO see the window cur
taIns. the window sill, and portion
Of the floor had been burned. Further
investigation showed that the house
had been entered, evidence of the burg
lars visit being visible on the floor in
the way of tallow spots caused by the
candles used They had entered the
residence through the dining room
window All of the drawers contain
ing the siIverware were searched but
nothing stolen though valuable silver
ware was in plain sight.
Took Eatables Only.
the residence of George c. BlaksleeI
was entered Sunday morning and purs-
es and drawers containing silverwaTs
were Tansacked Every room in theI
house. with the exception of Mr. and
rrs Blakslee's bedroom was seaiched.
The burglars secured large piece of
Toast peer and other eatables. but left
these in the basement of 4. II. Heads
residence, the next stop on their route.
Mr.. and Mrs. Head were in Chicago.
Their Efforts 10 gain entrance 10 the
upper part of the house were futile.
Pass by sIIverwarc.
VI. w. Crawford's home was appar
entity the next on the list and the burg
lars entered through the Kitchen win
dow. The girl who is employed at the
home OF Mr.. Crawford thought that
she heard someone in the house. but
did not Investigate 8 ,oat s1.25 in
money was taken. but e silverware