Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-25
REAL COMEDY OF
ERRORS ENACTED
Rock Island Police Have To Go To
Waterloo To Get Man To Find Ont
ii He Is Charles or Homer.
HIS BROTHER IS IN JAIL HERE
Orebaugh, Wanted on a Supreme Court
Indictment, Puzzles Local and
Federal Authorities,

Like Shakespeare's Comedy of En-
rors," so is the situation which is con-
fronting Rock Island police and fed
eral authorities over the identity of
Charles Orebaugh and Homer S. Ore
baugh, brothers who are dead ring
ers'' of each other, in the vernacular of
the police.
| For four days Charles has posed as
Homer, or maybe he didn't Police
think so, but they are going to find
out for sure. Detective Tom Cox and
Deputy United States Marshal Will
liams today are in Waterloo, Iowa, to
bring Homer, or Charles, which ever
he is, back to Rock Island
Police here last week received a su-
preme court bench warrant and copy
of an Indictment returned in the high
est tribunal in the country asking for
| the arrest of Homer S. Orebaugh on
charge Of failing to support his chill
dren
Tuesday Officer Ginnane arrested
man who resembled the picture and
description of Homer Orebaugh which
accompanied the warrant and indict-
ment The man admitted that he was
| Orebaugh, but that he was Charles in
stead of Homer. He was locked up and
held
! Questioned after that he gave the
police little satisfaction in his answers
and while at first they believed they
had Homer, the actions of the pris,
oner later caused them to doubt their
original belief. Yesterday when Dep
uty United States Marshal Williams
arrived, Chief Miller advised that au-
| thorities have talk with Orebaugh
Answers Cautiously.
| Orebaugh was cautious in his an
swers. He asked the officials if he was
taken to Washington and it developed
that he was not Homer Orebaugh if
anything could be done to him. Au-
thorities replied that there was some
doubt as to what action could be taken
! They began to believe from the an
swers he gave that he was trying to
shield his brother.
Are you Homer or are you
Charles?" Chief Miller asked him.
| He hesitated.
"C'mon. Which,
I'm Charles he said.
Are you sure?"
| Positive
| Then if you are Charles you are the
| brother of Homer, the man we WANT"
YES"
Where is he?"
Il don't know"
Are you sure you don't?"
| Again he hesitated in reply.
You're the uncle of those deserted
children, aren't you?'
| Yes"
And you love them, don't you?"
Yes"
| Then tell US where your brother is
so that these youngsters can be taken
care Of"
viii you let me out now if I tell
your" he asked eagerly.
Well let you out when we find out
who's who
Arrest Other.
| Finally the prisoner said that his
! brother was In Waterloo and gave the
police the street address. Waterloo
police were wired and an hour later
had the brother arrested
! Detective Cox and Deputy Williams
| left last night for the Iowa city and
will bring him back today The two
! brothers will be brought face to face
and the police will question each.
When it is definitely determined which
/ is Homer. the man wanted, the other
will be released.
! Both Homer and Charles sell harps
The brother arrested here arrived
from Washington Monday to work at
/ the Mark Manufacturing company, 315
Safety building. Information from
Washington stated that Homer was to
take up employment with the local
concern
| The charge on which Homer is want
ed is refusal to provide for the sup
port and maintenance of his three
children, Joseph, aged 7, Genevieve, 5,
and Margaret, 2.
I 1t developed later today that the
/ brother arrested in Waterloo was
Homer, the man wanted for deserving
his children. He arrived this AFTER
noon from Waterloo in charge of the
| two officers.