Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-04-26
SHOWS EFFECTS
OF REALIZATION
Murderer Of Cecil Nesbift and Ida
Woods Worries Over Deed and
Future Consequence.
FACED BY WIFE OF VICTIM
Young and Pretty Widow Cries That
Sic Wal Xii Him Ii Law Fails
to Take Its Course.

Worry and fear of what the Tu-
ture holds is beginning to grip Rob
ort Cook, accused slayer of Cecil
Nezbitt and Mrs. Ida Woods.
AS the days wear on full conse-
-qrence of what he has done ap-
breaches with terrifying realiZa-
ton. bringing a pallor to his face
and & haunted, obsessed look to his
eyes. His nerves, at first apparently
calm and in control, have begun to
crack under the terrible strain and
Cook has taken to pacing his cell
seemingly thinking highways think
ing of the two lives which he had
wantonly taken, and of the penalty
which. ne must pay.
Driven to the depths of despair he
spends many OF the long hours
thumbing a small testament which
his jailers had given him upon sc
quest. Dreadfuuy fascinating to the
slayer are the lines of scripture AN
eye for an eye, and a tooth for a
tooth" He seems to grasp its sig
nifcance Does it become for him,
"A life for a life" with the accom-
panyIng sense of awful certainty
acted by a condemning world.
Especially downcast has Cook ap-
peared since being faced by Mrs.
Cecil Nesbitt, wife of the murder
er's innocent victim He has not
rested we'll and his former hearty
appetite is lost. He eats little, ner-
vously and with an ar of abstract
indifference.
lyon shall pay for all the. suffer
ing and despair you have caused
me-" cried pretty Mrs. Nesbitt,
clencning the Intervening bars
frenziedly in a paroxysm of grief.
pittful to behold. IF you don't pay,
II the Law doesn't take it's course
and exact the punishment you de-
serve, mind you if it does not, 1 will
kill you" she cried Historically. -
Cock RemorsefuL
Throughout. the torrent of invec-
tive the slayer stood with hanging
head, apparently struck anew with
the enormity of what he said. why
did do it. why did I do it," he kept
mumbling half aloud-dully, dazed-
~.
4 Were you bitter against my hus-
band?" demanded Mrs. Nesbitt. her
voice catching at the reference to
her mate. And as the quailing prIs-
oner Who stood before her slowly
shook his head. she cried, Then
why did YOU kill him, oh, why did
you do it?"
Nesbift a Stranger.
1T had never seen him before"
Cook said haltingly, without raising
his head. 81 was drunk, 1 can't yet
realize that have shot and killed
her-and your-husband." his low
pitched voice trailing off into a
silence broken only by an oc-
casional sound from fellow prison
ers and the sobs of the grief
stricken woman. Mrs. Nesbitt broke
down utterly and had to be assisted
from the Jail to - waiting automO-
bile.
Father Quiet.
William Nesbitt, aged years since
the sudden tragedy which deprived
him of an only son, attended his
daughter-in-law. Il just want to
have a hook at him" he told Sheriff
John G. Miller A big tcar-rolled
down a wrinkled cheek as he con-
tinued quietly, You know if I
should ever chance to meet him on
the street. / want to know it for I
think I might like to give him a
right good thrashing" Mr.. Nesbitt,
with the slain mans mother. lives
at LeClaire, Iowa He stood silently
before the slayer of his son. at
times, when self control weakened,
giving just a glimpse OF great
suffering and an aching heart.