Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-04-23
SHOOTING NEAR JOY GIVES
POSSE new HOPE OF EARLY
ARREST OF GIRLS SLAYER
Man Uses Revolver From
Under Cover of Pile Of
Straw in Barn.
Especial to The Argus.)

AledO, Ill, April 23.-ShOtS from
a man concealed under straw in a
corner of a barn west of Joy last
night spurred a posse of u deputy
sherifs 10 renewed vigor today in
the search for Lee Landers, dis
charged soldier, accused of the
murder Of Miss Maude Sanders Of
New Boston.
BOYD Gaines, hired man. went
into the barn of Walter Tomlinson.
two and one-half miles west of JOY,
after dark last night for the pur-
pose of feeding the horses and
stock. He stepped on a pile of
straw and felt a human form be
meath his feet. He dashed from
the barn.
AS he passed out the door shot
rent the air. It came from a revol-
yer in the hands of the man con-
caaIed under the straw. Search was
INN ed !ately taken up, but the man
had disappeared. No trace Of him
could be found. It was not possible
to identify his footprints in the
We have every reason to believe
that the man in Tomlinson's barn
last night is Landers," Sheriff
Fleming of Mercer county said to-
day. We nave a posse of II men
in thai neighbOrh0Od searching
every barn and house and they will
continue their hunt through the
night II would appear that Ian
degs is desperate and is armed.
>fnere is no reason for anyone else
hiding in a barn and shooting, as
was the case last night
Has No Doubts.
I'm my mind there is no question
but LandeTs is the murderer Of
Miss Sanders. He was seen with
her at II o'clock Sunday night.
That was the last seen of him. He
did not return home that night. His
family does not know of his where
abouts"
The remains of Miss Sanders
were to be removed over the Bur
lington from Galesburg to New
Boston tonight 1t was expected
today that the inquest will be held
tomorrow.
The victim of the tragedy who.
as related in The Argus yesterday,
died in a Galesburg hospital al 2:30
O'Clock yesterday afternoon, is a
native of New Boston, the daughter
>.of Mr. and Mrs. Orlando Sanders.
she was 23 years old. born Jan. %.
1896. She is survived by her par
ents, three sisters, Mrs. Bella Res
ner. Mrs. Clara Gilmore and Mrs.
Minnie Allison. and six brothers,
Clyde, Walter, George, Melford,
Earl and Clifford
Lee Landers, a former artillery
man who came home from France
three weeks ago. is a great hulk of
a man He is 8 feet > inches tall,
broad as a door, they say, strong
rs a man can be He was in love
with Maude He haunted her pres
ence. He would not let her alone !
He swore she must marry him. II /
made no difference that she was in /
love with Carl Cooper of Muscatine, !
Iowa
Letters Are Returned.
Maude was working al the home /
of her sister. There is a baby there /
md she was taking care of him. !
Landers went into the house sew |
cral times a day and if she happen /
cd TO be out he waited till she /
came in.
She was forced to accept his COM
pany. She had received dozens of
letters from him while he was in
r IduOS. d oOla PAAlON LOps anu many
souvenirs She had written him
once. but returned all his letters.
and had destroyed the picture his
mother gave her. But the fact that
she had once answered one of his
letters made her his girl"
He shouted it IN the cigar store
only a few days ago." said Mrs.
Minnie Allison, Maude's twin sis
.er, that If he didn't marry her no.
o0dy else would What could
.STaude do? She finally agreed to
90 to the picture show with him
sunday night They were seen
walking together late that night to-
ward the r.ver, and the next morn ,
ng we found her left TO die"
Bearen with Army Gun.
she had fought him. fought him
lard. ana without the slightest [
chance OF success. She was just 1
girl and he is a giant He beat her :
with his army gun, we think The I
sheriff thinks so. too. u
There s little Goubt that he did |
his The marks of his shoes were '
ound in the mud neaTby-big foot I
prints. that only one man in all $
Mercer county could have made.