Rock Island Argus., 1911-11-04
MASKED ROBBERS
IN BATTLE WITH
POLICE AT DEPOT
Three Bandits Plan Holdup of
Twentieth Street Rock
Island Station.
ONE OF THEM CAPTURED
Other Two Flee in Darkness and
Make Safe Getaway-LOaded
With Bombs.

Three masked robbers failed in an
attempt to gain entrance to the
money boxes of the Rock Island
depot Office on Twentieth street
and First avenue at an early
rCGT this morning and one Of hem,
set to guard against the con- dE OF
police officers, was taken captive
when the police broke in on the
scene. The other two fellows, heed
ing the call of the lookout hurried
from the depot and running into the
dark ness which enshroUded the rail-
road yards, made good their escape.
They fired at the officers several
times and the shots were returned
None took effect as far as could be
learned today.
CARRIED EXPLOSIVES.
Jerry Mccarthy, the captured rob
ber, stood guard in one of the dark
spots near the station, and when he
saw the officers approaching on the
run, he gave the signal. He himself
did not dare to run for he was too
close and a shot might have hit him.
Another reason for his remaining
still was found when his pockets
were searched at the station. Dyna-
mite caps, nitro-glycerine. fuses,
soap and other articles used for
blowing open strong boxes were
found in addition to a six-shoOter
and cartridges. Had he run, dan
ger of falling would have been great
and any contact with an object hard
er than feathers would have spelled
destruction for him. He had enough
material on hand to blow up a
house and he preferred imprisOn-
ment to chances of death.
LITTLE IN THE SAFE.
What motive the men had in pick
ing cut the Rock Island depot, used
principally for the handling Of
freight and scarcely at all for money
transactions, is as matter for conjec-
ture. Road authorities state that
there was but $50 in the safe and
seldom is there an amount so large.
The station is ont Of the way of the
usual path of pedestrians and so the
danger of detection was nearly OBJ
sOlete.
1t was shortly before o'clock
.hat o. F. Smedley, bagga geman at
the station during the night hours,
heard a noise which came from the
lower floor Of the office. He was up
stairs and without hesitating as to
plan of campaign, called the police
station. The response was a ready
one and Officers Pearson and Kinney
were there almost Immediately.
Had they taken a little more time.
chances are that the other pair Of
the trio would have been captured.
They were just prying al the bars
used for the protection of the win
dow in the ticket Office and had the
workers been given time 10 get into
the office, they would have had a
hard time TO get away in a hurry.
Mccarthy is being held at the po-
lice station a. d a preliminary hear
ing will be held this afternoon.
This morning Mccarthy was taken
from his cell 10 be 'mugged." but ne
refused to remain quiet during the eH-
posure of the plate. Therefore. II was
necessary for another sitting this af-
iernoon. The man appeared anxious TO
spoil the pictures. and also tried 10
disguise himself by pulling a heavy
,ock of hair over his forehead. He was
identified as the man who has been
loitering around saloons for the last
three days