Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-04-22
Davenport Barber and
Proprietress Victims
of Tragedy.

Jealousy .nfamed by liquor caus-
ed a double murder in Rock Island
last night.
Robert Cook. aged 81, entered
the cafe, one known as the Hole
in the Wall" and as the cafe OF
All Nations" at Third avenue and
Twenty-second street, at $3.50 last
night, and, leveling a revolver at
Mrs. Ida Woods, the proprietress,
and Cecil j. Nesbit, a Davenport
barber. patron, emptied the gun
of its shells.
Nesbit, with bullet holes through
his head and abdomen, ran from
the cafe and stumbled dead TO the
ground just outside the GoOr. Mrs,
Woods was rushed to st. Anthony
hospital, where DR.. Joseph DeSilva
probed for a bullet that had enter
ed her side after passing through
an arm: She died as 1850 this
morning.
Fred Wells, an employe in the
cafe, was also shot at by Cook, but
the bullet missed and Wells manag-
ed to make his escape upstairs be-
fore a m ss.le struck him.
Immediately after he had fred
the fatal shots Cook left the cafe
Police were notified and began a
systematic search Of the neighbor-
hood about the place. What made
Cook return TO the cafe after he
once made his getaway probably
never will be known, but Patrol
men Harry Miller and William Ep-
person arrested him there while he
was fourish.ng his revolver, evi-
IDENTIFY in the search OF more prey.
InDrHRkeR StapOr.
At the police station Cook began
to feel the effects of the liquor that
be had consumed before the shoot
ing affair. His revolver, a 3S cal
iber Iver Johnson, was taken from
him, as were other yaluables.
The greater part Of the night he
was in a stupor and was entirely
unconscious of what he had done.
He fell into a deep sleep after he
had been removed 10 a cell He
even had slight smile on his face
when an Argus representative saw
him at midnight
Not long ago, according to the
story Wells, the witness to the
shooting, told the police, Mrs
Wood told Cook that he was not to
hang around her place any more.
The story goes that Cook had been
an admirer of Mrs. Wood from the
time when he first saw her when
she and her husband. the late
Whitley" Wood, ran a restaurant
in Muscat.ne. Wells said that Cook
had been with Mrs Wood n Musca-
tine, and later in Davenport, where
she operated a cafe for a time, and
finally in Rock Island
When Cook saw Nesbit and Mrs.
Wood sitting at a table together
he probably took the man for a
rival and his jealousy was aroused,
police say. The liquor only helped
to make his lust for revenge keenar.
II is sad that it was Nesbtts
first visit to the cafe and that he
was a stEanger TO Mrs Wood She
was sitting at the table with him
while he ate, only as she would do
with any patron Who CHANGED TO
visit her pace Of bus ness.
COrOner's Case.
When brought before Magistrate
{. j. Smith IN police court this
over to the disposition OF Coroner
John r, Maborry. An inquest over
the remains OF Mrs. Wood and Nes-
bit is expected TO be held ton ght
at the Knox undertaking establish
meLt. NDsbit was removed there
last night Mrs Wood was taken
to the establishment tbs morning
Cook tod the police that he hal
been working Tor the Mccarthy
improvement company of Davea-
polt last he also worked tor the
Lewis Roofing company OF this tty
and for a time was employed a.
a chauffeur for Bert DupieL. UwAur
of taxi business
Nesbit was born in IoClaire,
Iowa, June ~, 1892. lie is the son
OF Mr.. and Mrs William Nesut OF