Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-10-27
Claude ~Radech First Wit
ness in States Case
Against O'Riley.

The circumstances which led up
10 and resulted in the shooting OF
Sheriff Jake Wigers on the night OF
Dec. 80. 1918, on the Coaltown
road south of Moline. were told to
the jury this morning in the trial
Of Hale ORiley by Claude RadeCh
of Davenport
Radech was the first important
witness summoned by the state to
testify. He was a member Of the
party of five that was held up by
bandit gang about $50 that night
at the point where the murder &C
Cured In the shooting, a stray
bgnlet struck him in the fleshy pOr-
ton of an ankle.
Radech named Herbert Parker,
Laura Willis, Clara Stanley, him
self and Walter Snyder. the latter
4 taxi driver, as members of the
party that was held up. He stated
that they left Davenport about @
o'clock or shortly after. on the
night of Dec. 30. and Travelled
through Moline. reaching the Coal
town road by way OF Fifteenth
street
According to the testimony, Ra-
deCh and his friends had reached a
point about one mile to a mile and
a half east of Prospect park when
n man was discovered on the south
side of the road in the act of wav-
: ing his hands in a motion indicat-
ing he desired them to stop. AS
the taxi was stopped. RadeCh no
tiCed another machine drawn up
on the north side of the road and
man examining tire.
1t was then that the intentions of
the man who halted the taxi be-
came known for he made a demand
for valuables. and emphasized the
same at the point of a revolver,
according to Radech. The witness
said that Parker and he were or
dered out Of the car while the girls
were allowed to remain inside. The
bandit searched him and appropri-
ated a pocketboek containing $44,
a registration card and a draft
classification card
Describes Man With Gun.
In response to a question put by
States Attorney Bell, Redach de-
scribed the bandit was wearing
either a gray sweater or coat and
a cap He said he was OF medium
stature and feet 9 inches to feet
10 inches in height. The revolver
was described as being nickelplat-
ed and small, apparently of 80 cal
iber.
He further testified that the man
who took his money was the only
one he saw with a gun. He said he
saw this same man fire three shots
when the sheriff and deputies
drove up In anothermachine but
did not see the other bandit fire.
He said that he was so excited at
the time that he could see no one
east on the road at whom the
shots were being directed. Feel
ing the shot strike him. he climbed
into the taxi for protection.
~He stated that he could not iden-
'Tify either of the two bandits that
he saw. He paid no attention to
the surroundings. The shooting
started. he said, as the bandit with
the revolver was in the act of get
ting into the taxi where the two
girls were. He could not state
from which point the first shot was
fired.
The identity of the sheriff's force
was not learned by the taxi party,
Radech said, until after the band
It's had disappeared and the Off
GERS came forward with orders to
keep hands up. The wounded sher
If was placed in the taxi and rush
ed to the Moline city hospital.
RadeCh identified a poCketbOok
exhibited by the state as that which
was taken from him on the night
Of the shooting by the bandits.
- Driver Testifies.
Walter Snyder was next called
10 the witness stand. He was the
driver of the taxi He added to the
story told by Radech by stating ne
saw three as members of the
bandit party.
Il asked the man that stopped
us what. he wanted" said Snyder.
and he replied. I want every
thing you've got He secured s6
from me at the point of a gun.
renamed IN my QTINeF seat the
whole time and two fellows from
the bandits car stopped on the 9TH
pr side Of the road and entered the
taxi from the north side l watch
I'd them go through the boys peck
cts. While this was going on. I
noticed another car come from the
east: saw two men get out and
start running down the road. one
on each side of the approaching
machine. l was ordered by the
bandit with the gun to put my
hands down.
Then the shooting started I