Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-01-14
THIRD OF GANG
THAT MURDERED
SHERIFF TAKEN
Howard O'Hara, Alias Waiter Moore,
Arrested by Tom Cox at Bur-
IingtOn Yesterday.
WAS EMPLOYED AS LABORER
Apprehension Brought About by
Hot Tip-Arraigned in Court
This Morning.

Howard O'Hara, alias Walter
Moore, said to be the third man of
tae outlaw gang that shot and ia
tally wounded Sheriff Jacob S. Wig
ers on the Coaltown road near Mo-
line, Dec. 80, is in the hands of
Rock Island police.
O'Hara, tall, well built. only 10
years Of age, with an appearance of
extreme youth, was arrested by De-
teCtiVe Tom Cox at Burlington,
Iowa, yesterday at noon.
Although his exact whereabouts
have been noWn, arrest of the fu-
gitive has been expected moment
arily since the apprehension of
Hale O'Riley and James Giblin, his
accOmplices, shortly after the gun
duel in which Wigers lost his life.
All three men are paroled convicts,
being sent to this city on probation
from the state reformatory at Pom
tiac. In the hands of the authori-
ties has been a complete descrip-
ton Of each, with pictures, meas
urements and marks assuring posi-
tive identification. Thus it was
maintained that it was only a mat
ter Of time until O'Hara. missing
member OF the bandit trio, would
be located.
Sunday, the authorities, hot on
the trail of O'Hara, received a tip
that the man sought had fled to
Burlington. So convincing was this
Information that Detective Cox left
Rock Island at o'clock yesterday
morning for that city. where short
" after his arrival he observed
O'Hara, known as Welter Moore,
working with a gang of Iaborers on
the repair of a section of street car
tracks.
Keeping O'Hara we'll under sur
yeillance. Cox followed the unsus-
pPcting youth TO his room and from
thence to his boarding house Be
coming firmly convinced that he
had the right man, Cox notified
Chief Goodwin of the Burlington
police, and after O'Hara had lunch
ed, placed him under arrest.
Prisoner Silent
Immediately afterward Cox left
for this city with his man. O'Hara
said but little and would make no
statement
Where O'Hara has been since the
shooting ARRAY on the Coaltown
road, Monday night, Dec. 80. is I'M
known. 1t was revealed that he
had arrived in Burlington on Friday
of last week, but from where he
came has not been disclosed
With the arrest of O'Hara, the
first two acts of one of the most
sensational tragedy dramas of
crime and killing in the history of
Rock Island county are brought to
a close.
The first act would include the
robbery and gun duel on the Coal
town road. when Sheriff Wigers, to-
gether with Deputies Jesse Hanna
and Wilbur Hepburn. in interfering
with an attempted hOldup alleged
to have been staged by O'Riley,
S. Giblin and O'Hara, engaged in a
pistol duel with the bandits, in
which Sheriff Wigers was fatally
wounded, dying at the Moline city
hospital several hours later.
- Arrest of Hale O'RiIey and James
Giblin, alias George Crane and Joe
Jennings, within a few days after
the preparation of the crime, with
hardly a clue on which to base a
search, aside from faulty descrip-
tons given by the Davenport party
of five who were victims of the
holdup men, might fittingly be
termed the beginning of the compile |
ton of the second act O'RiIey, !
alias Crane. is alleged to have con-
fessed to being the man who fired !
The shot that resulted fatally for |
Wigers.
Prelude for the third act has al |
ready been completed with the ar
raignment of O'Riley. GibIin and |
0'Hara in circuit court to face the |
charges OF murder lodged against !
Them O'Hara was brought into !
court this morning and remanded |.
to Jail without a plea being taken !
or counsel appointed
O'Riley and GibIin were brought |
into court separately last Saturday, !
each in ignorance of the fact that |
OHara, the third member of the
gang, was at that time still at
large.
Gang Mere Youths.
All three are mere yocths, ORiley |
and Giblin being in the early 20's, |
while O'HaTa is only 10 years of I
age. O'Riley, alleged to be the
SLAYER of Wigers. is tall. broad
shOuldered, well set up physically,
carries himself we'll, and is consid
cred good looking. Giblin, smallest
OF the group, is short. round-shoul- !
dered, and has the appearance Of
q degenerate. a criminal through
desire. O'Hara is tall and could
hardly be recognized from the pic
tures furnished of him. He was re-
leased from Pontiac on parole IT.
this city in October. having been
committed there upon conviction
of larceny.
Both O'RiIey and GibIin have
been removed to outside points for
safekeeping until the day of their
trial. II is probable. also, that
OHara will be removed from Rock
Island. Before he was taken away
O'Riley's mother came to this city
to see her son that defense might
be undertaken. All three are ma
ives of Chicago It has been init
mated that one or more of the most
prominent of Chicago criminal law
yers will appear in defense of the
trio when the case is brought to
trial here.