Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-01-29
Man Who Surrenders to
Sheriff Ran Down Jo-
sephine Mcdonald.

81 am convinced that Monroe
the man who drove the black ca
which struck and killed Miss Nc
Donald" declared Detective Ser
geant Thomas Mcfarland of tn
Chicago police force, following al
interview with James r. Monroe
alias James r. Darling, who walk
ed into the office of Sheriff JOhl
G. Miller yesterday and gave him
self up as the man who ran dow
and killed Miss Josephine McDon
aid in Chicago, last Thursda.
night. The broken body of the wo
man was found in a patch of weed
along lower Lake Shore drive. Th'
tragedy furnishes a mystery tina
has had the police baffled.
Unshaven, distraut, Monrot
could not talk connectedIy of event!
which transpired when the acci
<dent occurred Thursday night. 4
SUparative stranger to Chicago
the conscience haunted man wa.
unable to give the exact route Of
the car Just prior and subsequent
to striking the woman.
Eases His Mind.
Last night for the first time
since the occurrence Thursday
Monroe enjoyed his rest. He is g
well kept man, neatly dressed, Sc
years of age and has the appear
ance of a prosperous business man
He stated his occupation to be thai
Of a silk-cuttsr, and his address tC
be 3027 Easton avenue, St Louis
Mo.
When he walked into the sher-
ifs office yesterday and told his
story, he was thought by Deputy
Frank Schrader to be a crank, OF
somewhat unbalanced. This opin-
ion was also entertained by Chief
Deputy Jesse Hanna, following an
interview with Monroe.
After a severe grilIing Assistant
States Attorney E. l.. Eagle also
decided thataMonroe was mentally
unsound aFu secuted the veracity
'of the mass story.
Today However. Monroe corrob-
GRATED hE. tale of events as told
yesterday,t and in a calmer mood
said that he was perfectly Sound
and telling the truth.
You're crazy, aren't your ask
ed Deputy Hanna
Nothing doing. I'm as sane as
yoE~are< 1 am giving you the
<Sdght goods" asserted Monroe.
Gives Whole Story.
In a confession to Deputy Hanna,
who seemed to have gained his con-
fidence, Monroe told the following
story of the accident which result
ed fatally for Miss Mcdonald:
my name is James R. Monroe,
but I go under the name of James
R. Darling. I am a silk cutter by
trade and live at 1927 Easton ave
nue., ST. Louis, Mo. I am the man
who ran down and killed Miss Nc
Donald. I was driving a black
Dodge limousine which I bought
from ]. c. Bollinger, a student at
the Valparaiso law school at VAL
paraiso, Ind. for $3.50. This was
on Dec. IT, 1918
After buying the machine l
drove to Chicago and there left the
car. I went to my home in ST.
Louis and about Dec. 26 returned
to Chicago with a couple of women
$pr a good time.
~Sn the night Of the accident I
had been drinking. 1t was foggy,
and the first I saw the woman was
when I struck her. Her body fell
upon the fender of the car. It
was about 7 O'Clock Thursday night
when my car hit the woman. the ac-
cident occurring in front Of 721
Belmont avenue. I was going east
on Belmont at the time.
The woman was evidently run
ming across tae street toward a
street car. She was crossing the
street about the middle of the block.
lodged a taxicab and before I
could stop l struck her. Her body
dropped on the fender of my ma
chine. Almost at once I stopped
and picked her up. intending 10
take her to hospital. Then l
found she was dead
My condition prevented me from
clearly and I became
1 placed the body in
the tonneau of the machine and
drove, I think. 80 or 40 blocks. /
finally pulled into Lake Shore drive
and stopped my car beside the curb
Lifting the body from the machine,
l carried it about so or 40 feet from
the road and deposited it in a weed
patch. Then l proceeded to the
Hotel LaSalle, where l had an ap-
pointment with two women and 4
man at 10 O'Clock.
"As I recollect it, the woman ap-
peared to be about 45 or so years
old, and Of slight build I should |
judge it was about o'clock when |
ytook the body from the car"
Before going to fill his engage |
ment at the hotel, Monroe states |
that he drove west on Adams street |
and stopped at garage. There he |
got a hammer and Strengthened out |
his fender, which had been bent |
somewhat when the machine struck |
he woman.
Il met man and two women at
he hotel" stated Monroe. THE
our Of US got into the car and
1rove to EIgin, where I sold
he machine TO the man I was