Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-06
COLORED PORTER
GUIDE FOR A COUP
Hotel Employe Recognizes Men in Con.
nectfOn With Robbery and Causes
Their Arrest.
CITIZEN is VICTIM
Frank w. Alderman Dragged In Alley
and Relieved of Yaluables-Watch
Found on Pair Held.

With a Colored porter acting as the
guiding hand the Rock Island police
captured and are holding two men who
are alleged to have dragged Frank W.
Alderman of Muscatine into an alley
and then robbed him of all that he had
save one dollar in change. They gave
their names as Frank and Thomas
Henderson at the police station and
their home at Magnolia, Ill.
Monday night the Hendersons put up
at the Elliott hotel, 1902 Fourth ave-
nue. They had not been there long
when Alderman paid for his lodging,
secured his baggage and started out.
AS he reached the front door the pro-
prietOr signaled to the porter and told
him TO help Alderman to the station
with his baggage. 1t was here that the
HendersOns displayed their gallantry.
They stepped forward with the remark
that they would assist Alderman to the
train. as they were going down that
way, rather than have the hotel incon-
venienced by the absence of it's lone
porter. Alderman, the porter and pro-
prietor all acQuiesced. They started
out with the two gallant strangers car
rying the grips. AS they neared the
entrance to the first alley they had to
pass the Muscatine man felt himself
suddenly seized and dragged into the
dark, away from the street. One
choked him while the other went
through his pockets. Then they fed.
Returns to Hotel.
Alderman promptly went back to the
hotel and told the proprietor and por-
ter of his plight. Then he went out on
the street in hopes of getting a glimpse
of the two men, but he did not call a po-
liceman nor notify the station. He had
not searched long when he was sud-
denly confronted by the pair he was
looking for Surprised at seeing him
again, they are said to have asked,
Haven't you left town YETI" And on
his reply that he had not they remark
ed that they ought to drag him in the
alley and kill him. But they didn't. In
stead they walked away. He went
back to the hotel There the porter
told Alderman to LAY low" as he could
identify the two fellows and he would
take care of them.
Last night the Hendersons walked
into the Elliott hotel and the porter
skipped out He hurried to the near
est telephone and called the police sta
ton Captain Kittilsen and officer
Smith were soon on the scene and the
two men placed under arrest and TAX
en- to headquarters. Whey they were
searched a silver watch, claimed to be
identical to the one stolen from Alder
man, was found on them, along with
$11 Other things the Muscatine man
charges were taken from him by the
man were $40 bill, two S. bills. 81 in
silver, bunch of keys and quart of
whisky. Today Mr.. Alderman identified
the watch as his own, but the police
, held it while getting the number of the
watch from MuSCatine, where it was
purchased.
The hearing of the two men was set
for late this afternoon. When Frank
was asked if they were brothers he
said they were, while Thomas when
Questioned about the relationship said
they were cousins. In view of their
conflicting statements and as the men
do not resemble each other the police
believe they are no relation whatever
and that the names given by them are
only aliases.