Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-01-07
FIND BODY OF
R. E. LITTLE IN
STORE CELLAR
Remains Decomposed and Almost
Impossible of Identification
Missing About Month.


A bottle, supposed to have con-
tained carbolic acid, a glass and
the body of r. E. Little, missing
since Dec. s, 1919, tells the final
story Of a tragedy started in the
divorce court last summer. Tho
spectre was found in the cellar OF
the Macklin millinery store on East
Seventh street about 4 o'clock yes
terday afternoon by John Stead,
an employee of the city water de-
partment, who entered the cellar
for the purpose of reading the wa
ter meter.
Stead entered the cellar through
a door in the back room OF the
store building. Upon descending
the stair he saw what appeared to
him to be the body Of negro ly-
ing about fiNe feet from the foot OF
the steps. Without further investi-
CATION Stead notified the sheriff
office and went for the coroner.
Sheriff John P. Fleming took pos
session of the place, pending the
arrival of Coroner A. y. Mackey.
When DR.. Mackey appeared he I'M
summoned a jury and
started the investigation. The
body was found to be in such bad
condition that removal in casket
was necessary. After allowing the
members of the jury to thoroughly
examine the position and location
of the corpse, the coroner ordered
the Morrison undertaking estab-
lishment to remove the body to
their parlors. 1t was in the under
taking parlors that the examination
and inquest was started.
The body was found to be that
of R. E. Little. former business man
Of this city. H. R. Morgan was the
chief witness. He, at the time OF
Titles disappearance, was bonds
man for the dead man, who had
been arrested for failure to pay ali
mony to his divorced wife. Nor
gan testified that Little was mar
ried a second time, a Davenport
girl being the bride. Her name
was Maud Lemmer. They were
married on last Thanksgiving day.
He secured a divorce from his first
wife on June IS, 1919. His present
wife has been communicated with
at Davenport and spe will arrive in
the city this afternoon. Mr. Nor
gan identified Little by the clothes
that he was wearing the day of his
disappearance.
Indicates Suicide.
After the body was removed to
the undertaking parlors. a thor
ough examination was made and
the theory Of suicide was made
stronger by the odor issuing from
the bottle. The jurors and Dr.
Mackey are convinced that the bot
tie had contained carbolic acid. A
slight odor of the same description
chung to the glass which was found
with the bottle.
The glass and bottle were found
in such a position as to indicate
that they had fallen from the hand
Of the man. He was lying with
his legs up under him, as if he hat
fallen from crouching position
which would be necessary because
Of the low ceiling. 1t was eviden
that the man, after taking the con
tepts Of the bottle, listed forward
and the glass and bottle rolled {
/ few inches from his left hand
/ which was stuck out towards tn,
two objects.
The clothes in which the corps
was dressed indicate that Little wa.
careful dresser. He was clothed
| in blue serge suit, black overcoat
black shoes, brown felt hat an,
black socks. A watch chain wa
suspended from one pocket in hi
vest across the chest into anothe
pocket, but no sign of a watcl
could be- found. 1t was though
/ that the man had pawned the watcl
a short time before taking his life
An effort will be made to find tn
watch, if it is true that he had one
J Some cigars, knife. a ring o.
the second finger of his left hant
a key ring, holding several keys
and two dollars and some odd cent
were found in the possession Of tn
dead man. 1t is said that he i
known to have had S. bill on tn
day OF his disappearance.
In Piano Business.
| Little for sometime previous
his disappearance was in the plan
business and made the Mackli
millinery his headquarters. 1t i
thought that one Of the keys foun
in his possession will prove to hay
been the same with which he game
entrance to the building. The col
weather al the time he is suppose
to have committed the deed /
thought responsible for the late dis
covery OF the body. Persons in III
room over where the body wa
found have detected no odor or otf
er circumstances to make them bf
lieve that they were living aboy
such an apparition. All the fies
was eaten off the head to the ri,
OF the hat, which was pulled we
down over the skull. Both arms [
the elbows and down into the ches
had been eaten by the rats.
4 Besides his wife. Little is sui
} vived by four children BY divorce