Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-03-23
AGED COUPLE CHOKED BY MASKED
men IN THEIR HOME IN EVENING

uUteae. |" EVEtSusU
held her responded that if she was no.
quiet he would kin her.
But every time he loosened his hOla
on my face" she said, Il cried our
and tried to free myself" Mrs. Eide
was bruised and scratched about the
face. neck and chest by her assailant
While she was recounting her cXpe:l
ence this morning. she was still very
nervous, and could scarcely proceed
with the story.
Demand for Money.
When the robber had caught Mrs
Fider, her husband was taken into
the living room by the other mcmb2'
of the gang who was flOurishing n re
vOlver. Though a small woman, Mrs
Elder was able to drag herself AMI
her assailant who clung to her into tn
room also. The men demanded money
and when informed that there was moi
a dollar in the house. searched tn
drawers of the sidebOard, and made q
| hurried search Of the room. At the
| point of the revolver, one of the roo
bers went through Mr.. Elders pocke,s
| While the search of the room was be
! ing made, Mrs. Elder informed the men
again that there was no money in tn
house. as they had just paid their take,
! that day. She then remembered tina
! in small dish on the sidcboard Their,
was Il little change. and she pointed
| this out to the robbers. One of the
men turned the contents of the dish
out and put the money in his pocket
| There was less than 50 cents II
change. a part of the money being IL
OnCcent pieces. \ gold watch was Is
ing on the sidcbOard, and Mr.. Eide:
offered this to the men, and when they
replied that they wanted no jewelry
Mr. Fidcr told them to take it, ans
bring it back later and he would give
them a couple of dollars for it if il
got the money.
Search * UnrcWarIcd.
The robbers soon satisfied them
selves that there was no money i'll tn,
house. and after warning the COUP.
to make no cutlery and not 10 max,
any effort to have them arrested, the
men left as they had entered. through
the front door. which is but a few
steps from the sidewalk Mrs. Eide
first thought to dress herself and fu:
low the men, but she was NATURALLY
quite nervous over the affair. and he
injuries required attention.
Men Were Masked.
Mrs. FidCr says the three men wOr
loose black masks. completely hiding
their faces. She tried to pull on
mans mask from his face, but failc,
She describes the man who attackC
her as being about 6 feet tall, and d
good build Both of the men who eJ
tered the lighted room were well drCs
ed and Mrs. Elder says that their la
guage was not coarse, as might haY
been expected. Their manner con
WINGED both of their victims that the
were desperate characters. and that
necessary they would carry out the
threats to commit murder.
On the carpet in the hall are greas
, spots where the oil from the lam
which Mr. Fider held when he Opene
the door was spilled. The chime
and burner were broken, and the lam
, overturned. The carpet had been lal
: but Il few days before.
Mr. Fider has considerable proper;
AMI it is believed the scoundrels Ia
information chat he had money in I'll
} house from rentals or otherwise.
5. So with no fear of apprehension the
9 went down at o'clock at night an
" held the aged people up-and Outras
! ously treated them in the bargain.