Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-03
MURDER MEXICAN
IN VICINITY OF
THE BLACK BELT
Dead Body of Louis Rodriguez
Found by Laborer in an
Alley.
BULLET HOLE THROUGH SIDE
Victim Came to City From Denrock
With Big Roll Of Money
Robbery Motive.

The dead body of Mexican with a
bullet hole through the right side was
found lying in an alley between Twen-
ty-second and Twenty-third streets and
Second and Third avenues, at
O'Clock this morning by a negro en-
ployed by the Empire Coal company.
The Mexican had been murdered
and robbed. great bruises about the
mouth, nose and forehead and ugly
abrasions on the back of the head, at
testing TO a struggle. A bullet hole
through the rim of the mans hat bore
silent testimony of two shots having
been fired The police received a
hurry-up call at $40 and Officers
Kirsch and Ginnane rushed to the
scene where the negro directed them
TO the gruesome find. The body was
taken to the O'Malley undertaking par
lors and Coroner Meyers announced
that the inquest had been indefinite
ly postponed.
FOUR ARE HELD.
The police Immediately threw out
drag net and two Mexicans, com
panions of the murdered man, were
placed in cells. Two negresses from
the notorious black belt were also
taken into custody, and are being held
by the police. The theory is that the
man was murdered in a negro dive.
The bullet wound was inflicted by
a 3S-calibre revolver. Drs. A. T. Lei
pold of Moline and \. y. Mueller Of
this city this morning conducted an
. l.1
right side. entering at the arm pit,
passing through the upper right lung,
seyering arteries back Of the heart.
penetrating the left lung and plough
ing through the muscles of the back.
The bullet was found just under the
left arm.
When the police arrived they found
the body lying on the right side, the
right arm behind the back From
all appearance il had been carried
some little distance and deposited in
the deserted alley. The coat, which
was punctured by bullet, had been
removed after death. and had been
placed over the mans lower limbs.
There was no blood on the ground
beside the body. leading To the sup
position that after the shooting, the
Mexican had been carried to that par.
ticular spot. The body was cold and
stif, and death had evidently come
some FIVE or six hours previous
Blood had oozed from the nose and
mouth The latter was badly swollen
md bruised, indicating that the dead
man had been siugged.
ROBBERY MOTIVE.
That robbery was the motive fol
the killing Is the belief Of the police
This was substantiated after detec
tiyes had busted themselves on th'
case. IL was learned by the authori
ties that the dead man. Louis Rodi
gruez aged %. together with two Mex
lean companions, came to Rock lslanC
from DenrOck, ILL.,. last evening, leav
ing the latter place at o'clock il
the afternoon. All three were en-
ployed on the railroad section at tina
point and had just drawn their pa,
checks.
After arriving in Rock Island, Rod
gruez cashed his check, which amount
ed to a considerable sum, and tn
three men then made a tour of tn
dives and saloons in the vicinity O
Twenty-second street. All of ther
drank considerable. The dead man
companions we're arrested this morn
ing near Spencer square. They thre'
hut little light on the mystery. The
told of Rodigruez cashing his chez
and Of making the rounds of Tn
saloons. They said they became sci
arated from their companion in som
manner. although they were rattle
hazy as TO the exact time. They kne
that the dead man had a considerable
sum OF money on his person. Whe
the police found the body they foun
only SIPS in silver and this was in
vest pocket. probably being overlool
I'd. This. Il is believed, establisht
the robbery theory.
The Mexican companions, when a
rested had no fire arms on their pc
sons. They are being held as accOr
plioes 10 the crime. Two negresse
arrested as suspects, were placed G
the grill this morning and the que
tioning was continued this afternoo
The exact nature Of their revelation
las not been made public by the polio
The supposition is that the MeXics
dashed his roll in the presence
those who afterward attacked hiI
he was then murdered and the boo
carried out into the alley.