Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-02-24
FORCERS WORKING
ON LARGE SCALE.
soon OF -. c. LAYTON AND W..
c COURTNEY RAioEo AND
MONEY ORDERS FOUND.
nc Nc oi-ieGity IN Passing One %
THsu a. Adams Express Office
-EF5eri-neea Creeks

Taa- the Rock Island police let slip
mra4a their fingers two % the elev-
srwt crooks Who have operated here
"a reeert years. when the men VINO
ss-rss Southern Express eomDany's
-erer order Cor $50 al the Office %
49, Adams Express company IN this
e-v a.F tael escaped after q failure
- repaa. che same trick ia Moline. be-
sare evident today when more o. n.
H~rtI.. % the p1ir became known
r learned that the men Who vent
sg f.a names % Harry G. LAYTON and
Vi O. Courtney. are experienced
-r5ola and the latter o. confirmed
tsse Send After the attempt 20 pass
4 ber. money order iu Moline failed.
Eart and police raided the rooms
~ ffe r1.r at the Colonial hotel and
s5arI eight forged express money or
fers garFtuE iu amounts from SIS TO
g. bearing the following serial num-
be-4 s-ss15. 1857. 1s9s25. Iss63I.
1880 1864. 1882 and 1855
rfase arc part % 40 blank money or
ts-s recently stolen from the once
q ft- southern Express company at
CHATTANOOGA Tenn. The officers laid
m ra.r 80 Che hotel through the night
q fse hope that the men would return
saf ...r did not
Here Once Before.
T.. men came 20 Rock Island first
a1crf l month ago. T.awton g. 10 years
OF ago and weighs about 100 pounds
while Courtney s. 90 years % age. 3
fee. .aeles iu lcirhth and weighs
Il- pounds Both are slender. smooth
shaver and light compIezioued and
F5- blue serge suits. They stopped
nr tra Colonial Tor q day or two and
ulr appeared Whether any deals
were pulled on ~ that time is I'M
Erraa. Last sunday they reapreared
ar fHe Colonial and the next day
started operations
fr o'clock Oral the afternoon. Law
.1n entered the Office OF the Wells Far
r1 Express company on Second avenue
while courtney waited on the out
sar Lawtou presented a b0sus ex-
pres money order for $50 and the
fsaHs would have paid tar same. exc
.ras f1r the fact that there vas not
tsas much money lu che safe 90 the
lrIr when the matter uas explain
sf r1 Lawtou. be- asked where the
Adams once vac located and Do im-
mrtiatefv crossed the street and had
mo- order cashsd without Question.
Fails IN Msurs.
Then a agicE "trip was made % No
Ia- and about q O'Clock tre same
smooth Individual appeared at che
Wells Fargo once there. and pre-
ssas-d aagther bosrus order The
ascent becomiur suspicious invests. .
n1-t the serial number 90 see h DO .
IN. et vita any OF che Else 90 those .
Recently stofen and fading thar 20 tid- .
started t1 step around ire c11utcr .
q. rr tawtou made a break fgr the /
door and escaped
Immediately the Moline agent tcie- /
raaard so the ADAMS company warn. .
ias .a- aEs1t here noe Co cash any or .
Gers presented BY tnwtGu Bet the .
Esca ISLANDER. who had not received /
le Dec o. stolen blanks. mad already .
scraa1aate1 the strange
TGF Rock Island police searched the 4
rs6r 90 the ralr az the Colonial and I.
f1gef .Ie blanks which had been .
ga payable 90 various parties. the /.
aanre used Including J. - Thomas
HarrH Wright. TO- @ Lawtou. Harry
Wanar and sam Iawtou. while the
rrpa-.f seuders signed Themselves