Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-02-09
INVESTIGATE THE
OYINGSTATEMENT
OF j. SCHOESSEL
ur,at Did Wounded Man Mean
when He Said -Four Men
Foot of Stairs.
MD He MEAN BACK PORCH?
u-n Superstition That Shot Was Fired
on Sidewalk In Front Of Rest
denee Might Be Mistake.

Who killed ]. B. SchOessel?
What was the motive?
Rrobbery was the purpose, why
As schoesseTs money and watch
untouched?
WV was a revolver planted"
q, the ward OF Eugene Field school
across the street from the Schoes-
sci home and who planted II?
what did Schoessel mean in his
sviug statement 70 his wife. -Four
rsn AZ the foot OF the stairs?'
-Four men at the foot OF the stairs"
,sis vas the dying statement OF J. y.
scboessel as he lay IN his wife's arms
,eer being shot at his home, 2S2S
Seve.th avenue, on that fatal night
,,s. November This was the only eX-
,r,,aiion which the wounded man
as able 70 give regarding the attack
vbIeh cost him his life and resulted in
are Of the most atrociOus crimes in
the history Of Rock Island
What Stairs?
what STAIRS did the dying man
rsfe- 10 The general supposition at
the tine % the murder was that he
tss been shot as he walked on the
.ssevaik in front OF his home, and
hat he meant the nine stone steps
which lead from the walk into the
yard. yet those who have been study
ing the crime carefully are wondering
Il there Is a possibility that he might
e..
porch
Would Il have been possible for a
nan suffering with internal hemor-
rhaEe and fatally wounded. as was
schoessel. 20 have summoned up suffi-
Gent strength % have walked up the
fight Of nine steps. which were with
OFT q railing. into the ward and q dis
tance OF 80 feet or more 10 the back
porch az the rear OF the house. up
several steps "a the porch and across 7
Il 70 the door before falling Uncou- B
scious2 There are those who think
this e physical improbability ara they .
therefore. are inclined 10 believe that .
SehOessel might have meant the steps #.
a. the hack porch. Should this have .
been the case the crime takes on
posed. for Il would mean that the
murderers had followed SchOessel in
70 his own yard. reserving the fatal
bullet until he was about 10 enter the .
back door Of his home
Objects to crowding.
Another dying statement OF Mr..
schoesseFs IS also called 70 mind.
Affar r-wsfarf-- 80 HE If. ssU-o,,r
men al the foot OF the stairs" he
tuned 70 IFS son. Arthur. and eau
toned him not 10 come too close. Was
L possible he thought his assailants
we're stin around hin2 Did he. In
what evidently was delirium as he
a2proaehed death. imagine that some
ore vas croHdinE against him max
i1g Il dimcult for him 10 breathe Of
heials would have given a good deal
70 have had Schoessel lived a few
moments longer. IN order that he
night have been able 10 have given
some slight clew as 20 the identity OF
ne gang that shot him down. Schoes-
SCI who evidently fought off his muir
dersrs for several minutes before he
4as shot. Judging from the torn and
--r- NtAAAatADA u IFS 4llAuF EAAsts
Aaieh be probably used I'm HIS defense,
aust have had a better opportunity
nan any one else TO have sized up the
Ennmen. One little statement from
I'm might have cleared the entire
aystery and the guilty parties might
ave been brought to justice. AS it
3 tangible clews have not been found
M the officials are all in the dark.
oping against hope each day some
.eE evidence may be secured which
MI lead 20 the detection OF the muir {
srers. Z
Posters Are Out. {
Big printed posters have been sent I
y al over the country by Chief OF {
once J. ". Brinn containing notice 2
the reward OF $1,000 offered for Z
e arrest and conviction OF the ,
eAoessei murderers. or this sum. 2
~ Is promised by the county board a
supervisors and $500 by the city OF 2
oek Island. Il IS still hoped that Z
oFeTnor z +. Dunno VIII offer at
1st $500 on behalf Of the people OF
= state Of Illinois in the present at
np being made 20 run 10 earth this ?
ayers Of this exemplary citizen. 4
u