Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-02
HAND CAR NOT
DISCOVERED
Most important CIew to, Method OF
Escape Of Port Byron Bank Rob-
bers is Still Missing.
UMBRELLA MEMBERS WANTED
Believed to Have Made Themselves
Familiar With Lay of Land
While in Disguise.

No traces have as yet been discov-
cred of the Port Byron bank robbers
and even the handcar on which they
are supposed to have made their es-
cape it still missing. 1t seems queer
that a vehicle the size of a handcar
could be hidden away so that it would
not be foun.i for any length of time,
but such seems to be the case. About
the same thing happened when the
postoffice at Reynolds was entered
some time ago and the burglars made
their getaway on handcar. The
handcar used in that case has never
been found, although six months have
elapsed and the railroad men all over
the state have been on the lookout for
it. Whoever the craftsmen were who
made the haul at Port Byron they have
succeeded in getting away without
leaving a single satisfactory clue for
the police to work on.
Suspicion points strongly towards
the two umbrella members who spent
Sunday and part of Monday in the
that if these men are found they will
be able to solve the mystery.
Slept Near Bank.
The two umbrella men showed up in
Port Byron Sunday evening and asked
for lodging Tor the night 1t was IN
ally decided to let them sleep In the
little place which serves the village as
;,;I g,
hind the bank which was robbed. The
next morning when ]. w. Simonson,
president of the bank, came to the
bank he noticed the two men standing
across the street. but they seemed to
be busy and he thought nothing of the
incident. Both men were shabby and
had about two weeks growth of beard.
They looked somewhat alike and
might have teen brothers. The taller
of them was known by sight merely to
one of the business men of the town
named John LetSon, who said that he
had formerly served as deck hand on
the steamer Winona which operated
between here and Clinton some six
years ago. Mr.. Letson spoke to the
former deck tand and was recognized
by him but the name of the stranger
had never been known to Mr.. Letson
Met Two Others.
Monday evening the strangers left
Port Byron CT freight train bound
north, but they were seen the same
evening. in company with two other
strangers whom they met in Hampton
1t is evident that the umbrella mer
did not 60 very far north of Port
Bryon on the freight train before
doubling back and meeting with con
federates. From this point their &C
tons are not known but it is possible
that they were the we'll dressed, clear
shaver men who appeared in thu
neighborhood some time later in az
evening and asked at several houses
for something to eat. A shave ant
haircut and change of clothes woul'
have served as a secure disguise 70
the men and it is supposed that thi
i is what they did.
If these were the men who commit
ted the daring burglary and suspicion
points strongly in that direction, the
went to Port Byron in the dead of tn
night and, having learned the lay c
the land perfectly while they were i
the place. were able to break into tn
blacksmith shop and the section hous
and get what they needed and the
leave on the handcar. The police {
the three cities and this vicinity ar
on the lookout for the umbrella memo
ers of whom they have fair descril
tion
Bank Protected by Insurance.
The board of directors of the ban
held meeting this morning but d.
cided to adjourn until the work of tn
insurance adjusters is concluded an
the loss to the bank is definitel
known. The adjusters are at work no