Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-18
WOMAN SLAIN AT
ALEDO FAIR;BODY
CARRIEDIN TRUNK
Rert Sapp and Mike Ferguson. Horse
Trainers. Held for the Murder
of Emma Larkin.
LATTER NAMES A CONFESSION
Describes CHASTITY Manner in Which
Remains are Spirited Away and
Thrown From Train!

AiedO Ill.,, sept lN.-SheTiH I.u-
t-eU practically completed the chain
NJ evidence that he has been forging
shout Bert Sapp OF Monmouth. IN.
and Mike Ferguson of Galesburg and
= Louis. race horse trainers who are
charged M Mercer county with the
murder ~ Emma Larkin OF Davenport
on the Aledo fair grounds last Tues
day night
Ferguson was arrested in Gales
burg Saturday afternoon and the po-
lice say he admitted throwing the
woman : body from a moving freight
train on which he had chartered a car
~ carry his racing supplies, a horse
and d trunk in which the body was
hidden
Two Confessions Reported.
LutreIl has two confessions from
Ferguson. These he supplemented
Yesterday with other evidence He took
Sapp from Monmouth 10 BigcsvilIe,
where he was confronted with the
bruised and laoerated face OF the
dead girl Sapp turned away as he
suddenly came into the presence of
The body and few INFO a rage. assert
:ag he should he taken from there. a
ne was innocent and had no Conuec-
ton with the case. Sapp was then
taken by auto TO Aledo and placed in
jail
Deputy Sheriff O'Day arrived soon
after from Monmouth with Fergu-
son IN another car and the men were
placed i'm tar removed parts of the
fail without being permitted to com
municate States Attorney Wilson
said ne has conclusive proof that the
girl was dubbed 10 death by the two
men i'm their horse stall on the AledO
fair grounds
Omjtting The details OF how the girl
suffered all day Tuesday from the
clubbing and finally died Tuesday
night without rcEaining conscious
ness. Ferguson said in his confession:
"Sapp said We must load our out
fl and ship il and the mare out Of
town al once. The woman's body
was covered with a cooling blanket
When daylight came he cleared out
the trunk. | took hold under the
arms with her head toward me and
We carried her to the trunk and when
she was over the trunk let her down
50 most Of her body went into it and
then I ran out of the stall
Took just One Look.
Il took just one look. Good God,
that was enough.
II walked around the fair grounds
barn. Sapp had the trunk and the
rest OF the outfit packed. He hurried
down town TO order a freight car and
hire 4 dray. The dray came right
back and he loaded the trunk and rae
ing bike and rode on the trunk on the
dray. 7 led the mare
"I didn't stay around the station
much. but kept away with the mare.
but Sapp sat on the trunk at the
freight house
We got to the freight house about
a N. Wednesday and loaded awhile
before noon When the car was on
the main line train out of Biggsville
about o'clock that evening l helped
get the woman out OF the trunk and
! helped throw the body out of the
car.
Threw Girls Hat Away.
II didn't look just glanced at it
going and turned away. Sapp took the
hat and umbrella out and tossed then.
OF and packed the harness and
blankets in the trunk. When we got
10 Monmouth he told me to take the
mare 10 a barn.
II am - years old, unmarried. St.
Louis is my home. but | have been
around Galesburg A year or more I
have known Sapp three weeks. We
Legdn racing at Garrison, Ill, sept. D,
and then came 10 AledO."
Every hour brings new evidence 10
States Attorney Wilson. who charac-
terizes the murder as a crude job and
predicts a plea Of guilty from both
men.
Recall Grand Jury.
Judge " T Church this morning or
dered the members Of the grand jury
TO convene in special session next Fri
day States Attorney John Wilson
stated 10 q representative of The Argus
this afternoon that while Ferguson had
made q confession duplicating Sapp,
the latter. although he talked inces-
sanity Of the deed. would not admit his
part in the crime.
Both men are now being held in the
Mercer county jail without bond. They
will be given no preliminary hearing,
but their cases viii be presented direct
10 the grand jury. Sapp Is 81 years Of
age and the SON n former Monmouth