Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-04-26
YOUNG MAN DIES
FOLLOWING NIGHT
IN GAMBLING DEN
Walter Cochran, Whose Body Was
Found Yesterday in River, Loses
Heavily at Cards.
VISITS PLACE ABOVE ROSS STORE
IT Is Testified That He Quarreled With
Beeler and Threatened Arrest
Wife Tells Her Story.

That dependency, caused by his los
ing a considerable amount of money in
a gambling game, prompted Walter
Cochran, whose body was taken from
the Mississippi at Second street yes
terday morning, to end his life by
drowning. is a supposition to be gained
from evidence introduced at an inquest
conducted last evening by Coroner R.
c. j. Meyer in the A. v Esterdahl par
lors.
Substance of testimony was that
Cochran spent the night OF March %
and a part of the early morning of
March 30 in gambling den over the
Nose Ross pool room. 1906 Fourth ave-
nue.. Cochran engaged in game OF
chance with a man whose name is said
TO be BeeIer. He lost his money,
wages which had been paid to him at
the Deere & Mansur plant. There was
quarrel in which Cochran threat
ened TO have Beeler arrested if the
latter did not return his money. Beeler
is said to have laughed at the request
and to have declared that he would
pay his fine first. Evidence introduced
AT the inquest tended to show that
Cochran was intoxicated at the time.
Taking of evidence will be continued
this evening by Coroner Meyer.
Gambler viii Testify.
Beeler will be summoned to testify
this evening. According to rumors
abroad today several other witnesses
who can throw light on what happened
over the Ross pool room during the
night of March 20 will be brought be-
fore the coroner's jury. Facts which
have been developed by the inquest are
as follows:
Cochran at the time he left his
home-early in the evening Of March
29-had on his person between $40 and
$40, wages paid him at the Deere &
Mansur plant. He never returned.
He entered the gambling room above
the Ross store and was seen there last
by others than his companions. The
time was a. m, the morning OF
March 80
Threatened to have a man named
Beeler, who had secured all his money
arrested if he (BeelerD did not return
it. Beeler refused. Cochran was in
toxicated
To Probe Foul Play Talk.
Just where Cochran went after he
left the gambling den and whether he
was alone are questions which the cor
Oner hopes to answer with testimony
obtained at the continued hearing this
evening AS yet no suggestion has
been made that Cochran might have
met with foul play. Thoroughness OF
the investigation, however. gives evi-
dence that the county official will sat
isfy himself on that point.
Mrs. Walter Cochran made widow
by the tragic death of her husband
worn out by weeks of watching anC
search for the man who never came
back, was the first principal witness
She testified that her husband lef
home the evening of March % and thai
he had with him at the time nearly
$50. The following Sunday a mar
named Guy Wisher came to her ant
told of having seen her husband in the
pool room
Wisher's story, as told to Mrs. Cock.
ran, was that her husband had be-
come intoxicated and threatened Il
have Beeler arrested as swindler.
Said Game Was Unfair.
The game was played unfair" wa:
Cockran's assertion when he demand
ed his money of Beeler, according t
the account of the affair Mrs. Cochran
said Wisher gave her at the time O
his visit to her home Other witnesse!