Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-09-10
YOUTHS FIGURE IN
WILD ESCAPADE
Two Boys From Moline and one From
SilYis Make on With Auto
Taken After Chase.

TWO 17-yeaf-old youths are sitting
III Moline city Jail today wondering
what will Be their fate and wishing
that the thrilling chapter in their
lives. enacted Saturday and evening
and Sunday morning, might be torn
from the hook A third I7-year-oId
youth sits with them and wonders al
though he lived only q page or two Of
that thrilling chapter.
The two youths are Merle Santo Of
Silvis and Harry s. Simpson, l806
Fifth avenue, Moline. The third youth
Is ArvId 5amueisou, 1914 Fifth ave
nue.. Moline
The adventure began near 5SiEth
avenue and Sixteenth street, Moline.
about Saturday evening i ended
near Blue Grass. Iowa. Sunday morn
ing Eandwfchad In between those
two dates are a thrilling Joy ride Of
so or 100 miles. a night spent in a
damp Iowa eornfsld, q collision, hoI@s
Of hunger and an arrest
The boys are charged with driving
an automobile away without the own
ers consent They will be arraiEned
IN Moline police court at 9 tomorrow
morning The principal witness for
the prosecution rs c. " Tounts. 2405
Seventh avenue. Rock Island Nr.
Eount5 is also the owner of the seven
passenger Overland automobile, the
kernel around which the thrilling
chapter is written
The story according 10 Nr Tounfs
and a garage owner at Long Grove.
Iowa, and the police of the tri-cities, IS
about as follows
Between 8 and Q Saturday evening
one OF the boys removed tire car which
mr. Eounta had parked at 1926 sixth
avenue, Moline. Tt is thought the BOY
was Merle Santo a few moments
later he picked up the other boys. The
j0y ride commenced then ATvid sam
nelson claims ne left the automobile
as soon as they reached Rock Island
de was not with the other two when
ehey were arrested
SaHto and Simpson drove on alone
They drove Tor many miles. towards
midnight they became tired Their
ewes no longer were as wide and as
diad with the light Of adventure
ehav were three hours earlier.
The boys wanted TO sleep There
was nor a lodging house around. for II
was ON country road in Iowa they
we're driving when overcome with
a+-E T. % Egk u NelA dIC8E the ROAD
beckoned inTiuugly The boys slept
Early in the morning they arose s
glance az the gasoline tank told them
that a considerable quantity of gas
mad been consumed Al $50 they
stopped at garage at Long Grove
The proprietor was asleep. But the
hoys needed the gas lie was aroused
Ten gallons OF gas, said the boys
They got i've And then the pre-
priet0r looked them over The boys
we're unkempt their clothes were
dirty. they themselves were q little
nervous. In short their appearance
and their actions aroused the suspic-
ions Of the garage man.
He noticed che number of the license
on the car. went inside and -elephoned
10 the Davenport police Ills suspic-
ions We're correct The Davenport Pc
lice had been notified that a car with
that number had been stolen.
When the garage man returned
from MS telephCnirs 1he boys were
some But the garage man had a
Ford. Ana il Was good Ford He
gave chase. And the farmers for 40
miles along shat road if they were
awake witnessed one of the prettiest
auto races seen in Iowa in many
months
The race and the chase ended in .
collision No one was injured Both
cars were slightly damaged.