Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-12-31
COUNTY HANGING
FIRST IN YEARS
Execution VI VIII Carter Only Case
If Capital Punishment Since
1852.
PROSECUTOR MAKES REPORT.
Handles Four Murder Cases With
Success and Earns More Than
Expenses of Office.

murder cases, one of which. how
ever. was obtained near the close
Of The year preceding, marks the
annual report of States Attorney
Floyd E. Thompson for Rock Is
land county. His record shows
that 25 convictions for felonles
were secured by him during the
year 1918.
In the last u months the states
attorney collected and paid into the
county treasury $2.347.90 in fees,
$8,473.25 in fines and forfeitures
amounting to $1,000, bringing up
the grand total of earnings accrued
TO his office to s11,821.15.
over and above his approximate
expenses States Attorney ThoHp-
son turned over to the county
/ treasurer 81 ,921.15. This falls con
| siderably below the total in 1917
when a record was established. In
that year he secured &c felony con-
I Yictions and earned S6,610.75 above
all disbursements.
In 1916 States Attorney Thomp-
son had 20 convictions to his cred
it, a total slightly above that
reached this year, but the earnings
of his office above the amount paid
out fell slightly below with total
of s1,S30.25.
The year 1918 is marked especial
/ Iy by the hanging of Will Carter,
negro, convicted Dec. 5, 1917 OF the
murder of Peter Jelvik Nov. 4, 1917.
announcement of the death penal
( ty upon Carter and his execution
upoA a scaffOld erected just out
| side the county Jail was the first
/ in Rock Island county since the
! Heilwagon case in 1882. A list of
! the years convictions is appended:
! Will Carter, murder, convicted
| Dec. 5, 1917, sentenced Jan. IS, 1918,
| to be hanged Feb. Is, 1918; hanged
March Is, 1918.
About o'clock in the morning
| of Nov. A. 1917, Carter, a negro,
! shot and killed Peter JeIvik. Car
ter was prowIing a roooming house
on Fourth avenue in Rock Island,
and entered the room where Jelvik
/ together with Heelvard Bangstod
was sleeping. Jelvik and Bangstod
ordered Carter out of the room and
as they raised themselves up in
/ their bed. Carter fired at Jelvik cad
killed him. Carter disappeared but
was apprehended about twenty
minutes after the shooting. Later
/ he confessed, and was identified by
Bangstod as the man who had ap-
/ peared in the room. While Carter
was on trial, he denied his guilt
and claimed that the confessio
had been forced from him. The
/ jury brought in a verdict of guilty
of murder and fixed his punishment
at death.
Oden Jackson, attempt to com
nit arson, convicted Jan. l6, 1918,
fined 800 and sentenced Jan. Is,
1918. to penitentiary for 80 days.
Carl Samuelson, larceny, con
yicted Jan. Is, 1918, probated Jan.
49, 1918
Frank Dunning, burglary, CON
yicted Jan. Is, 1918, sentenced Jan.
16, 1918 to penitentiary, ! to 90
years.
Ruhc-ta Lopez. alias Ruberta
Topaz, assault with intent to muir
der Convicted Jan. IA, 1918. sen
fenced Jan. Is, 1918. to penitentiary
to IA years.
Edward Hill, assault with intent
to murder Convicted Jan. Is,
1918, sentenced Jan. 10, 1918. TO
penitentiary, l to IA years. Jan
,. 1918, Hill went on a tear.
hired a taxi-cab and drove to Port
Byron, where he terrorized the
citizens by Furnishing an automa-
tic pistol and threatened TO shoot up
the town. He was indicted and F.
pleaded guilty.
Harry Cordell and Sardius Smith
Holland, burglary and larceny
Jan. II. 1918, 10 penitentiary, ! To
30 years.
Frank Jones, burglary and lar .
ceny Convicted Jan, IL, 1918, sen
fenced Jan. II, 1918, to penitentiary .
1 TO 20 years.
Will White, grand larceny. Con- +
victed Jan. II. 1918, sentenced Feb. .
81, 1918, to penitentiary, l to 10
years.
John A Holmes, murder Feb
ruary :, 1918, after fifty hours OF .
elaboration. the jury returned
verdict finding the defendant in
sane at the time he committed the
crime and still insane Commit
led February IS. 1918, to Chester
state hospital for the criminal in
sane. AT Meuard. Ill, for treatment
for insanity,
On May rs. 1917. Holmes shot
and killed Emma Ghys in the city
OF East Moline. Holmes had been
separated from his wife and family
for more than 20 years and for a
lumber OF years lived as a re-
cluse. During the last five years
he lived with one Alice Garrison.
whom he claimed TO be a prostitute
and that he had taken her into his
home to reform her. Holmes
claimed 10 have lived with her four
years during which time she
showed Improvement She was
thirty years younger than he.
Holmes claimed that Mrs Ghys was
a bad woman and leading Mrs. Gar
rison back to her life OF shame.
About midnight on May Is Hoimes
entered the flat of Mrs Ghys and
with scarcely word shot her
down. Arthur Ingels and Alice
Garrison were present and saw the
events Immediately preceding and
the shooting, The shoot
Ing took place just out OF their
sight but within a few feet OF them. +
Mrs Ghys fell dead in the bath