Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-06-21

his person and $500 from his safe and
made their escape. Thomas Jefferson
was caught in Moline within three
hours after the murder while riding
on street car. He had 500 on his
person. Jefferson refused TO give any
information about the crime until
along in May when a Clyde Stratton,
notorious criminal. was arrested at
Pekin for the burglary and larceny of
a shoe store at Mackinaw, Tazeweu
county. He was taken to Pekin and
indicted and his case continued until
the September term.
ESCAPED FROM PRISON.
Stratton previous 10 this had blown
up a postofice at McCool, Ind, the
first of the year and had been sent to
the federal penitentiary at Fort Leav-
enworth, Kan, from which institution
he escaped through q sewer, a quar-
ter of mile long. Several of his pals
attempted to go the same route but
could not endure the long strain and
turned back. Stratton is alleged to
have broken his ankle in his daring
feat, but he crawled TO liberty as he
had done on numerous instances be-
fore. The apartments of Stratton in
Chicago were raided after this and a
letter from Jefferson to Stratton was
found which showed a connection be-
tween the two.
When Stratton was arrested in
nTorlyfn,vr.
son became frightened and confessed
TO States Attorney Floyd E. Thomp-
son all of the details of the crime at
Silvis, naming Clyde Stratton. Smithy.
alias Harry Hampton, and a man by
the name Of Callahan as the other
members Of the party. He declared
Stratton. alias Clyde Darlington. plan
ned the assault on Crowder and dealt
him the blows which resulted in his
death on March Il, 1918.
THOMPSON GETS BUSY.
Acting on his own initiative, States
Attorney Thompson went to Pekin
and got the authorities TO agree to al
low the prisoner TO be tried here on a
charge Of murder and if conviction
failed to return him TO Pekin. He was
brought here and startled the natives
by pulling off a jail delivery here.
Using several benches, he managed
TO crawl TO the new skylight which
the board Of supervisors recently had
installed and unbolting the iron
CRATES, crawled to the TOP of the roof
and made another break for liberty,
. fn1lnV~ad hv- I
com and Harry Dillon. Turnkey Hugo
Alvin, in attempting to stop the escap-
ing prisoners, was knocked down by
Stratton who searched him for a
weapon while Kleinau hit him with a
brick. Stratton is alleged TO have
cried to Kleinau, Kill him if he don't
give you his gun"
A posse was rapidly formed and
Stratton was caught in the west end
Of town in a cellar by the city police
force; Kleinau was brought from the
| river, where he had jumped, by Turn
key Alvin Malcolm was arrested hid
ing in the Jail yard under a barrel, but
Dillon is still enjoying his liberty.
! STEWART HELPS STATE.
Attorney Henry Nowlan appeared for
Stratton at Pekin and also here. The
prosecution depended largely on the
confession of Thomas jefferson, whose
story was given additional weight by
the testimony OF Henry Stewart, a
young farmer east Of Davenport, who
testified that he found two men in his
barn on the night of Dec. s, the day
. Fn1lnpinU Tho /
identified as Stratton IN court and the
other he identified as Smithy or Hamp-
ton from a picture. The fact that
Stratton was found in a barn across
the river corrObOrated jefferson who
said the plan was 10 cross the river,
but that he was intoxicated and fell
down and could not keep up with his
pals and therefore he took a street
car to Moline in an effort to reach the
other members of the party at Daven-
/ port before leaving for Chicago TO d.
/ vide the spoils.
THOMPSON PLEASED.
States Attorney Thompson is nat
urally much pleased over the outcome
/ Of the suit and today stated, Il am
.
was one of the most heinous crimes
/ in the history of Rock Island county.
/ II We are not TO prosecute a case like
I this, We might as well quit attempting
} TO enforce the laws. The counsel for
the defense and got along nicely
/ in the case and tried it without many
/ bitches. The case has been big ex-
pense to the county but / would have
been derelict in my duty il / had not
1 prosecuted Stratton."
GOES To JOLIET.
Sentence will not be pronounced
upon Stratton until the first of the
week. 1t is presumed the usual mo-
ton for a new trial will be made and
/ If overruled, the prisoner will be
taken 10 Joliet TO begin HIS sentence.
The statutes provide that a sentence
Of II years may be cut down TO eight
| years and three months il the defend.
ant takes advantages Of all the time