Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-08
MEXICAN WOULD
BEHEAD ANOTHER
bert Nunez in Moline Street and
Almost Finishes Him.
ECHO OF CRACRAFT MURDER
Victim of Cutting Said to Have Ac-
cused His Assailant of Being I'M
plicated in Case.


plicated in Case.
In an attempt made last evening in
Moline by Jim Fernandez to deCapitate
Gilbert Nunez with a razor lies a sec
ond sequel to the murder several
months ago in the Silvis yards of
Nicholas CraCraft, an American, by
gang of Mexicans.
Nunez is in the city hospital with
his throat cut, two gashes across his
face and two shocking wounds on his
head. DIR. H. A. Beam. attending ply
stefan, believes he Will recover, how
ever.
The attack on Nunez occurred or
Third avenue and Twenty-third street
Moline, at 5:55 last evening. A few
minutes after the cutting, Fernandez
was in the hands of the police.
An old and dull razor. with no
handle, was the weapon used. Had it
been sharp Nunez's head would nearly
have been cut from his body.
Fernandez created a sensation at
the hearing before Magistrate Frank
Gustafson this morning when he said
he knew who killed Cracraft He re-
fused to name the murderers, but said
lone of them is in Jail now"
Fernandez was himself named by
certain other Mexicans, among them
Nunez, as the murderer of the Ameri-
can He was held in Jail by county
authorities for nearly a month, but
was released when no evidence was
uncovered that would definitely con-
meet him with the murder
Since his release he has been await
ing an opportunity to revenge him
self upon Nunez, who had caused his
arrest by declaring he was the muir
derer of the American.
Not Sorry for Act.
His opportunity came last evening
when he met Nunez in Moline. A mo-
ment after they met Nunez was on the
way to the hospital. 1t was at first
reported he had been murdered, for
his wounds presented such shocking
sight that witnesses supposed he had
no chance to live. Fernandez, ar
raigned in court this morning with
his shirt more red than white from
his compatriot's blood, was not sorry.
Did you cut NuneZ?" questioned
Magistrate Frank Gustafson.
Sure | did" grinned Jim, or Juan,
said TO be his real name.
What did you do it for?"
He said I killed the American in
SiIvis"
Did you kill the American"
DO you know who did?"
NO"
Sure, I know. They all know in
Silvis."
Who killed him?"
They have one in Jail now"
Jim refused to give any name, how
ever
Did you try to kill Nunez?"
Sure, | did. l wanted to kill the
-greaser!"
Fernandez claims to be pure Next
can, while he says Nunez is a mixture
to Spanish and Mexican That ac-
counts for his epithet tgreaser," in
referring to his compatriot.
Charged with assault with a deadly
weapon, Fernandez was held to the
grand jury under bonds of $4,000.
Can you furnish $4,000 bail?"
queried the magistrate
Who, me-" Jim roared with laugh
ter. Il should say not. l haven't got
any money"
Is Sent to Jail
He was sent to the county Jail to
await action of the next grand jury.
The Cracraft case, which led to
the cutting last evening, is well re-
membered throughout the quad-cities.
Cracraft, an Iowan, stopped in Sill
Wis on his way to Detroit via a freight
train, and was entertained by a gang
or MeXIcans in one of their shacks
near the Silvis yards. Later he was
shot TO death and robbed by members
of this gang.
County authorities arrested half the
Mextcans in this end of the county
ana II was given out that one of them
mad "squawked" and disclosed the
name of the murderers
A few days later Domingo Castro
was murdered in East Moline. 1t de-
yeloped that he had been beaten to |
death with a spiked club, or some sim |
liar weapon, and had then been
thrown on the street car tracks to be |
run over by street car, the murder |
ers evidently hoping to conceal the |
TACT that crime had been committed !
Immediately after the murder of |
Castro it was given out that he was |
the man who had "squawked" in the |
Cracraft case. This was later denied
hatly by States Attorney Thompson.
however
fernandez, who did the cutting last
night, was one of the Mexicans arrest
ed IN connection with the Cracraft
case, and at one time il was believed
ne was the actual murderer.
That Nunez had "squawked" did not
eak out until today when Fernando
candidly admitted to Moline police |
hat he had tried to kill Nunez because
Eunez had tried TO implicate him in
he Cracraft murder.
NTTyTY rarn-