Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-14
'cRAzED BY DRUG,
NAN SHOOTS UP
lOCALpnARMACY
0OOsss
wuliam B, Smith Holds Police ut Bay
for Over An Hour With Pair
Of Revolvers.
~ THE RED CROSS DRUG STORE
yr,uk Manchester. S21 First Avenue,
IS Shot Through Leg-Store is
Badly Wrecked.

vssteru style last night at IL O'CLOCK,
rounding Frank Manchester. 92l
FIRST avenue. In the leg.
After holding seven police officers,
number OF soldiers and civilians at
nav for nearly an hour, Smith was |
dnally captured when he emerged |
from the rear door of the drug store !
on the south side.
Carl Carlson, 1888 Thirty-trst ave-
nue.. Moline, who seized Smith as he
vas walking up the sidewalk and
threw him to the ground. Prior to this
time Smith had terrorized the entire
neighborhcod for more than two hours,
firing at least 20 shots and using two
rerolvers on his rampage. Smith not
only fred his revolvers at random, but
hurled bottles and packages Of drugs
a, the. crowd that surrounded the
building, through the two wrecked
doors In the rear.
So much confusion attended his cap
ture that only a disconnected story
was given out by the police today.
As near as can be learned Smith
closed the store at 10 o'clock and went
to the Empire rink. Here he is said
10 have insulted girl and for his
pains he was forcibly elected from the
rink by one of the attendants.
In an ugly mood Smith started back
to the drug store. Frank Manchester
and another man. whose name has not
been learned, going back with him.
Smith entered the drug store aud
went behind the partition in the rear,
the other two remaining in the front.
Soon he came out and ordered both
out of the store, bringing revolver
into play and hurrying them out with
bullets. 1t is thought Smith drank a
considerable amount of whisky be-
hind the partition.
The first shots attracted pedestrians
passing at the time and soon crowd
collected. The police were notified
and all available Officers-seven o!
them-were~s to the scene.
From then on until Smith finally
emerged from the store, near mid
night, it was simply game Of hide
and seek. AS quickly as an officer
would approach either the front OF
back door, zip a bullet would CLIP
close to his head. The patrolmen ap'
preached as close to the store as they
dared and kept watch, hiding behind
trees, telephone poles or any other OBJ
ject that afforded protection from the
shots of the craZed clerk.
Drugs Thrown Out Door.
Soon Smith started on real ram
page in the rear end of. the store
shooting the glass out Of both win
dows in the rear Behind the shots
came a shower of bottles and drug!
we're soon strewn over the sidewalk
One pedestrian was struck on th'
shoulder with a bottle of poison, bu
was not injured.
Prior to the time the officers ar
rived, William Evans walked limo
Gently into the store and asked TO
bar of soap. Get out OF here,
shouted Smith, and he sent bulle
after Evans when the latter starte
running toward the front. PAM
stricken, Evans dived through tn
plate glass door, but luckily escape
with a few minor cuts.
The police had great difficulty i
keeping the crowd away from tn
building.
This state of siege continued unit
nearly midnight, when Smith cam
forth fron the wreckage OF the BAG
doors. Immediately the crowd seal
tered in all directions, jumping fence
and running in the yards nearby. Til
oficers stood their ground benin
trees and posts.
Smith upon coming out, ran up
one of the onlookers, who was not abb
to get away quickly, and pressing tn
gun he had in his hand agar!
the stomach of the man, pulled tn
T trigger several times, but the car
ridges failed to explode.
Smith continued walking east o
Fourth avenue, flashing his gun +,
and fro. Carl Carlson was walkin
slowly about four feet ahead OF hill
Seeing the gun pointed the other wa
FOR an instant, Carlson whirled ar
leabed upon Smith. Pinning the arm
Of the clerk to his sides. he BOZ
Smith to the sidewalk and held hir
Patrolman Shannon then <pounct
upon Smith and took the revolver aw;
from him. Smith was placed under q
rest and taken to the police station.
All the way to the station Sml
kept muttering, I'm a hood fellO
femme 60"
Smith presented sorry sight whit
ne was arraigned before the desk sc
seant. His clothing was smear
With dirt and various colored drul
and some blood, which came from
wound In his scalp. He was We
peaceable throughout the night, ho'
ever.
Smith was arraigned in police cou
Today before Acting Magistrate D.
eieland on charge Of assault wi
intent to commit murder. He
formed the court that he was We
sorry for his actions. Il don't knt
*hat could have been the matter wi
me. did not mean to hurt anybod!
he concluded.
Smith denied that he was a do
mend. 81 had plenty Of whisky in
.aoush, he said When asked whe
ne had secured the whisky he stat
nat he got 1t in the drug sto
smith sleeps in the rear Of the dr.
.tore He came to Rock Island abt
mfee years ago from Bridgeport,
Believed Drug Fiend.
However, the police firmly belle
Ast Smith Is drug fiend. About
year ago he was arrested at the Or
store On a disorderly conduct char
that time he raised a disturbar
y me store. and when the police
lssted him at 3 O'Clock in the morni
was dressed only in q bathrobe
Inc wound In Manchester's ri