The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-21
court RECORDS
TAKEN BY STATE.
FOR GRAND JURY
Continued from First Page.)

attorney, noted Tor his ability to
draw up a nOnimpeachable indict-
ments, went Immediately into the
Gabel murder case. This was evil
denced by the fact that one Of the
flrst witnesses summoned before
the grand jury was Mrs. William
Gabel. wife of the murdered sa-
loonkeeper. Other witnesses known
to be considered useful in routing
out the full story OF the murder OF
Gabel, were also present, awaiting
call to the jury room.
PedigO Is drilled.
Lawrence Pedigo, right hand
man OF Looney, fugitive from JUS
tice, and who is himself now in
Jail facing arraignment and indict-
ment on charge of being one of
the murderers of Gabel, was sub
1ected to an intense grilling by H.
S. MOsher, state investigator, and
member Of his staff this morning
in an attempt to break down his
claims that he is the victim of a
frameup.
Pedigo was closeted in a small.
unoccupied office room, adjoining
the board of supervisors hall, in
the courthouse, at 1880 O'Clock,
and at a late hour this afternoon
the questioning process was still
going on. The utmost secrecy was
observed in the attempt to gain a
confession of guilt from Pedigo
which would prove convincing evil
dence not only against himself, but
against four or five other occu-
pants of the Gabel death car. No
one but the officers was permitted
to approach the supervisors room.
The avenue was carefully guarded
by Patroimen William Epperson
and John Kinney of the Rock Is
land police force, both officers
having been detailed to the court
house this morning in plain clothes
to act upon orders of Mr.. Mosher
to bring in any witnesses or make
arrests which he might order at
this time.
The first of the witnesses heard
in the Gabel case was Frank Eek
strom, formerly proprietor of the
l-2-3-4 bar on Second avenue and
Fifteenth street, which was owned
by Louis Ortell, Looney. henchman.
The supposition is that Eckstrom.
having been on the inside of the
Looney vice operations, has certain
well formed ideas of who killed
Gabel, and that in the face of the
downfall of the king and the ar
rest OF Pedigo, is anxious to tell
what he knows.
Among the other witnesses who
will be heard today is R. C. Gosse,
prohibition agent, who was operat-
ing in Rock Island at the time
Gabel was murdered, and who is
said to have received important
evidence from Gabel bearing on
the method by which liquor viola
tions were protected in Rock Is
land.
No Clue to Looney.
In the meantime federal authori-
ties have redoubled their efforts to
find John Looney, who it is anticl-
pated will not only have to stand
trial on Q federal charge for the in
terstate transportation Of q stolen
automobile, but who will also be
indicted BY the Rock Island county
grand jury.
Investigator Mosher, who yester-
day gave q Tip" to the federal Of
ficers as to Looney's Whereabouts
and which it was said would mate
rialize IN Looney's arrest within "a
hours, today professed to have dis
missed the subject OF his capture
from his mind. It Was intimated by
Federal Marshal John Murray that
the apprehension OF Looney TODAY
was - far removed from possibility
As at any time since the chase be-
gan.
Tho raid Of Looney's home last
night II said to have produced writ
ten evidence having important bear
Ing upon the investigation as 1t
reaches out and draws him in. One
OF the state investigators who had
the opportunity Of giving the car
celed checks. letters and other writ
ten matter Z cursory examination,
Is authority for the statement much
Of 1t l. Of an discriminating nature.
In addition there were hundreds CT
letters carrying requests to the edi-