The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-15
POKER PLAYERS
ARE WITNESSES
FIRST ON STAND
Two Men N Game Night Of Swear
ingen Murder Describe Visit
OF the .Holdup Crowd.

Galesburg, one Of the two men who
drove the Ford car containing
Wood, Pruett. and Rubenstein to
Aledo on the night Of the murder
of Swearingen, Thomas E. Pruett.
who pleaded guilty. last Saturday to
the charge of murder. took the wit
ness stand. Tomlinson's story was
similar to the one told by Frank
Bowling yesterday. Motions made
by the defense to prevent Pruett
testifying on the grounds that he
had not yet been sentenced and
thatsa death sentence might influ-
ence him in his testimony were
overruled by Judge Graves. Pruett
told practically the same story OF
the holdup that was given in his
confession and implicated the two
drivers, Bowling and Tomlinson'
as we'll as Sherman and Wood, who
he claimed, planned the holdup
The state finished examination OF
Pruett this morning, the defense
beginning cross-examination at the
opening Of the court this afternoon
At 2 O'Clock yesterday afternoon,
before a court room filled to ca
pacity with spectators, began the
trial of Quentin Sherman and Rus
sell Wood, accused of the murder
OF Robert Swearingen on the night
of Sept. Is, 1920, following the
holdup of a poker game in Swear
ingen's room.
Attorney Edward L. Eagle of
Rock Island. special prosecutor for
the state, stated briefly to the jury
the main facts in connection with
the crime. The theory. said Mr.,
Eagle, is that there was illegal con-
spiracy entered into on the part OF
four men, Sherman, Wood, Ruben
stein and Pruett, to hold up the
poker game and split the proceeds
Attorney Virgil Duvall, who is
one of the lawyers defending Ale
dos participant in the affair, ad-
dressed the jury next and stated
that they could prove beyond doubt
that Sherman was innocent OF any
connection with the crime and that
he did not know that the two men
Pruett ,and Rubenstein. intended tc
stick up the game. Attorney Hart
zell of Carthage, who is defending
Wood, gave in his address to the
jury some indication of the line
that will be followed in their fight
He denied that Wood had any part
in the affair other than that he aid
ed the two men to come to Aledo
He laid special stress on Woods
service to his country during the
late war and to an injury which hi
had received in service as result
Of which he was confined in
sanitarium at Jacksonville.
Dan Laughlin, Aledo farmer ant
stock buyer, who sat in the pokel
game in Swearingen's room. wa
the first witness called. He was
unable to identify Pruett as one o
the holdup men. but said that b
was of the size and build OF thu
! smaller of the two men. He de
scribed the other holdup men al
half a head taller than Pruett. HI
could not recall the number o
shots fred in the room, but say
! the taller of the two men fire sew
eral shots at Swearingen.
E. ]. Kramrar of Dewitt, Iowa
who was also a player in the poke
game, was the second witness call
ed. His story of the nights hap
penings was similar to that told b.
Laughlin. However. he identifies
the Belgian gan as the one carries
by the taller of the two men ant
which is thought to have causes
the death of Swearingen. In hi
confession Pruett stated that h
had carried the gun, but later, un
aware of which bullet had causes
/ death, says that he remembers
changing guns with Rubenstein o.
the way to Aledo. DR.. Mackay. II
whose rooms Swearingen died, wa
the next witness called. He cor
roborated the other two witnesse
as far as he knew of the night
happenings, his first knowledge o
the affair being when he hear
Swearingen call for aid.
Frank F. Bowling. one OF tn
drivers Of the car which brough
Wood. Pruett and Rubenstein t
Aledo on the night of the murder
and who was implicated in tn
holdup by the confession OF Pru
ett, was the last witness on tn
stand during the afternoon. HI
testimony came as surprise to tn
spectators, as it was thought tina
his story would implicate Woo
and Sherman more deeply in tn
crime. He admitted being one o
the men who brought the trio her
on the night of the murder, but de
Tnied that any mention of holdul
was made. He said that Pruett an
Rubenstein were said by Wood t
be in an intoxicated condition an
+, that he picked them up at schoo
house near the OutSkirtS VI Naioo
burg. I Arriving in Aledo, he an
Wood left the car, which they park
ed On the northeast corner at tn
court house, and went to James
restaurant, leaving the other tire
men in the car. At the restauran
they NEE Sherman. No mention
Of a holdup was made, but Sher
man offered to show them a plac
where game was going on, S
they could play il they wished te
They then drove past the room Il
the Wright building and said the
could hear the money rafting
This trip was made in a car drivel
by Speed" Haskins of Galesbure
However, no one wanted to play
81 Sherman left them and Bowllin
and Wood went back to the cal
Pruett and Rubenstein requests
them to drive back to the frui
store on the corner, as they want
ed to purchase some cigarets. Ar
irving at the corner, Wood. Pruet
I and pnhon q fotu cat a,,t ~ xhn M