The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-16
TELLS
Of MURDER AS
S.IATEMIINESS
Youthful Chicagoan Takes Stand
Against Former Pals In
AIedo Murder Trial.

Against Former Pals In
Aledo Murder Trial.
The story Of the Aledo holdup
and murder of Robert Swearingen
On the morning of Sept. 16, 1920,
was told yesterday from the Wit
ness stand by Thomas E. Pruett,
c0-year-old Chicago youth. who has
pleaded guilty to the charge OF
murder. Pruett answered the Ques-
tons put to him by the state In a
firm, clear voice, seeming to tell 9
straight story and one that differed
little, if at all, from the confession
given by him some time aop.
In his story Pruett, implicated
both the drivers of the car, and
says that Wood and Sherman were
the brains of the gang and that
Sherman was to go ahead and lay
out the game then they were to
stick 'em up" and Woods was to
keep watch" On the night Of the
murder, Pruett says, he left Gales
burg in company with Boiling and
Tomlinson, drivers of the car. and
Wood and Rubenstein. None OF them
had any guns when they started,
but Wood and Tomlins0n each pro-
cured a gun and gave them to Ru-
bernstein and himself, he having the
Belgian gun at this time. Before
they arrived in Aledo, however. he
stated that they changed guns, upon
the request of Tomlinson, who said
that he (Pruett) should take the
army automatic, as he had been in
the army and knew how to use it.
They then changed guns, Ruben
stein getting out Of the car, which
they had stopped to put the bullets
in. Pruett said that he loaded his
gun in the car. Arriving at Aledo,
they stopped the car at the north
east corner of some building, which
looked like factory. (This loca-
ton was on the northeast corner
Of the court house.)
Wood and Boiling went to James
restaurant to get something to eat.
pruett said that he would have
liked to have gone, but that he had
no money and they did not ask
him. Finally Wood and Boiling
came back, and they all got in the
car and drove over near a fruit
store, where Wood, Rubenstein and
Pruett got out and walked one
block west and one block north
and came back to the car again
Then Wood went away, remaining
about ten minutes, and came back
and said, Il can hear the money
rafting. It's a good time to stick
'em up" He had told the two men,
Rubenstein and Pruett, previous to
this that the room to enter was the
second from the hallway. up the
fight of stairs. When Rubenstein
and he (PruetD left the car to hold
up the game, Woods was standing
near the car, and that was the last
they saw of him. Entering the room
they ordered the occupants te
stick 'em up" and proceeded tc
search them, first taking up the
money lying on the table in the
center of the room. Pruett had
searched one man and had started
on another, when he heard Ruben.
stein say, with an oath. Put ZEN
up!" and turning partly around
saw Swearfngen move his hand tt
his hip pocket, and then shot
rang out in the room. Several
shots followed in rapid succession
and Pruett says he fired twice al
the radiator. Seeing Rubensteir
making for the door. he followed
and they dashed down the stairs
and climbed on the car, which had
been turned around in the street
and was headed partly south.
Cross examination by the defense
failed to shake any part Of Pruett's
story concerning the story of the
nights events. He said that HI
had never seen either Tomlinsor
or Boiling until the night Of tn
crime, but that they were in on ths
game from the first and only asked
for part of the loot. which was t.
be divided six ways. Wood, hi
said, he met about the 4th or 5tt
of September, 1920. Sherman hi
knew in the army.
Following the testimony Of Pru
EFT, Frank o. Johnson, clerk in Z
hardware store in Macomb, where
the Belgian gun was purchased
prior to the murder, took the stand
He testified that he had sold thu
gun to Wood. He did not ther
know his name. Wood, he said
gave the name of Robert Kaufman
paid for the gun and received il
from him. Pruett was with Wood
Mr.. Johnson testified, and said tha
they wanted the gun to shoot rab
bits. He could not tell the mum
| Der of bullets that were sold will
the gun, estimating about four Of
five, and could not remember who
carried the gun from the store, bu
was certain that Wood had pait
for it. Frank White. another clerl
in the Macomb hardware store
also testified, corroborating John
sons story.
The next witness called wa!
Dennis Bennett. the defctive0ron
Rock Island, who was with Sheriff
Fleming at the time Wood was ar
rested in Chicago. He testified tina
Wood had said to him on the wa,
from Chicago that he knew Of thu
game, but was afraid to tell any
thing, but finally told him that h,
had been with the men, but had lef
them when Rubenstein and Pruet
went up into the room to sit in tn,
game.
Tom Cox, chief Of police Of Rocl
Island, who was in Aledo and pres
ent at the time Quenten Sherman
made his confession was next can