Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-02-23
LOONEY -WILMERTON SHOOTING
AFFAIR ON Third AVENUE

N IHInU HvENUI|
gan an attack on the city officers, talk
ing about graft, declaring that he was
not being treated justly, and claiming
that he had been shot in the back,
and protesting that the man who shot
him was allowed comparative liberty,
while he was placed under the charge
of several officers. He declared that if
he had done what he should have, he
would have plugged them ALL" and
would not have allowed the officers to
take him. He talked about this affair
not being the finish, and said some
thing about the cemetery as being the
only end. But they'll have to get
closer than that to me-, He got awful
close, though he added.
AS Chief L. v. Eckhart of the police
department emerged from one of the
private Offices, Looney turned on him,
and protested that he was not being
properly treated. and then for the first
time declared that he needed the SER
vices of a physician-that he had been
wounded. The chief said he had not
been aware that either of the men had
been shot, and inquired about Looney's
wound, at the same time ordering one
of the officers to call a physician i'm
mediately. Looney raised his coat,
and exhibited blood ON his shirt.
L0Oney's Wound
DR. B. J. Lachner was the first ply
stefan the officer could locate, and he
was at the station in few minutes.
Looney, however, refused to permit
DR.. Lachner to attend him, and called
Dr. G. G. Craig, Sr.. who soon arrived.
wound, Looney protested against Chief
Eckhart remaining in the room to
see to what extent he had been in
jured. Later he resisted when the
chief was about to examine his cloth
ing to see whether it had been pene-
trated by bullet. The chief did not
urge the matterin either case.
DR.. G. G. Craig! who attended Loo
ney, made the following statement this
noon regarding the injury:
Il can not tell from the nature oil
the wounds whether Looney was shot
in the back or not There are two pen.
, CITATIONS, the bullet entering one and
passing out the other The bullet,
believe, did not penetrate any vital
organ. 1t passed out about three
inches from the point it entered.
+, do not regard the wound as serious"
DR.. Craig stated that he had not
examined the wounds closely with a
| view to determining whether the bull
let entered from the back or not, bu
that he would make a more particular
examination this afternoon, and en-
deavor to form a definite opinion OF
this question.
| Tracing the Circumstances.
1t has proved difficult to obtain the
real facts Regarding the manner il
which the duel on Third avenue wa:
started--it was over so quickly VIII
merton claims that Looney opened fire
first, while Looney declares that h,
vas SnOI Ill TIE DdCh ny w ulleTlOIl
From the stories gathered from differ
Ient witnesses who were attracted t.
the scene, or were on the street whel
the shooting occurred. Looney wa
first seen rushing up the alley between
Eighteenth and Nineteenth street
from Second avenue toward Third ay
enue, directly toward Wilmertons Of
flee. Wilmerton was in the vestibul
entrance of his office, and, it appears
turned back into his Office, raised tn
roll top of his desk, and then lowere
it again, and rushed out in the stree
So far as can be learned no shot
were fired before Wilmerton went t
his desk. and it is supposed that h
procured his revolver at that time
Wilmerton started across the stree
toward Looney, and when both wer
in the street, and about 20 or 25 fee