The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-20
SAFES OPENED
BY THE PEORIA
JAIL BREAKERS
Chief Cox Believes That Some Of
f1so Fug3tfves We're In Rock Is
land and Planned R0bberies.

Police Chief Tom Cox said today
his firm belief that the six prison.
Aers who escaped from the Peoria
jail Jan Is, were guilty of the safe
fcracking jobs in Rock Island Tues
n1ay night.
The chief made it known that he
had been searching for these men,
but now considers that they have
got away from this community.
Last Monday Chief Cox knew that
two of the escaped prisoners had
arrived in Rock Island and he had
information to the effect that the
other four escaped men were to ar
rive here to meet their comrades.
He Immediately notified Peoria, and
asked that men be sent here who
knew the prisoners and help round
them up.
Tuesday morning Deputy Sheriff
Frank Lichtwejss and Charles
Schofield, former investigator for
the states attorneys Office at Peo-
ria, arrived, and on their arrival
here the local police told them of
the four safe bTeakings during the
night. The Peoria officers fmmedi-
ately declared that the work was
that of the escaped prisoners, as
they said they were capable of that
kind of work, and it was done
closely in accordance with their
methods. as past records showed.
Although the police here had set
the trap for the capture of the
escaped prisoners the fugitives won
the tilt by striking first, as other
wise they might have tarried in the
city until the authorities could To-
cate them and rout them out. That
they were not taken is considered
as only an unlocked for slip in the
game. The men pulled the safe
jobs and then decided to hit out for
places unknown, according to the
opinions of the police. Had their
work been delayed another "a hours
they would have been under arrest,
the police claim, but once they had
got to work they would naturally
leave the community as soon as
possible.
The deputies from Peoria and the
local police worked on hot trails
Wednesday morning, but it did not
take them long to learn that the
birds had flown" Chief Cox had
given some hint the day after the
safe breakings that he was on the
right trail. but it was not until to-
day that he told of those of whom
he was in search.
The places entered by the yeggs
were the Griswold Manufacturing
company. 500 Fortieth street; Mid
way Oil company, POI Forty-third
street; Carse & Ohlweiler Bottling
works, 425 Eleventh street, and the |
Buick Motor company, 1920 Fourth !
avenue. Approximately S160 was
the loss from money and checks
taken from the Griswold Manufac-
turing company and the Midway
Oil company safes.
Men Who Escaped Jail.
The men who escaped the Peo- !
ria jail are Martin Trent, George |
Comstock, Joe Upper, Richard Vor- :
his, John Peterson and Charles (
They escaped after beating two !
cell mates into Inconsistencies (
with a makeshift blackjack, and 4
then cutting their way through f.
cement and steel with a sharp file.
Trent was held for wholesale |
grocery store robbery. Upper and
Vorhis were held for theft of wines
and merchandise from the home of
Clifford Ireland. Pc
terson was charged with theft of
13 automobiles and Arnold was
with theft of two automo-
biles. The majority of the prison
ers have past records and two of
them or the entire, gang were i'm
plicated in the Rock Island safe
Jobs.