The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-12-07

uAU6uOUuV&I
fcsntnusd nm rirst Pseal
\ sding the murder asLincoln car
peen In possessi0n Of he Loom
Yedigo's Hudson car has an
ssxplsined bullet hole In the IA
s1or. II IL said the bullet ran a.
Sz1ieht course through the ear.
Investigators are seeking TO-
Stshlist the correctness Of q the
@rr fiat this bullet mark resulted
/, stray bullet fred by two OF
~ men who waited I'M the shsd-
ne theory that Bill Gabel was
ksied because he Witnessed the al
isesd assault of a girl by Cox which
a helieyed to have resulted in her
1eefh. combined with the fact that
~ was preparing to quit Rock Is
End's underworld by revealing the
eomplexities and intricate work
m of the Looney-COx vice or
mnization, is generally accepted as
~ real motive for the crime. It
snpears, however, that Gabel was
4 marked man even before the
heer bottle attack. Evidence pre-
sented to the grand jury is said to
nave shown that designs against
0abels life we're forming before
Cox is alleged to have figured IN a
n~nrderous attack. The testimony
fhat Gabel quite Inadvertently
Witnessed the supposed, assault and
then openly deied Cox and Looney
to exact any more money from him
has been construed by the inyesti-
eators to mean that Gabel's death
merely was fastened.
In Van Dale Resort.
The alleged murderous assault is
said to have occurred in the place
conducted by Helen Van Dale,
tnovn as the sweetheart Of Cox, at
ssa7 Fourth avenue. Gabel's re-
nrt was located at 2319 Fourth ave-
uue. next door to the Van Dale
plste The attack on the girl, al
legged to have heen precipitated by
her open defiance of the police
chief. is said to have occurred one
night late in the spring. Gabel, ac-
customed to dropping in at the Van
Dale house, is understood to have
walked in at the height of the scene
and to have witnessed the actual
welding of the beer bottle. Gabel
is reported to have revolted at this
method of quelling uprising in the
ranks. He is quoted as having an
nounced to Cox that he was
through with the whole thing, and
that it would be useful henceforth
to demand payment from him.
The Investigators incline to the
theory that Gabel's better nature
;wercame his desire for the easy
money" and that he really re-
solved at that moment to quit. Ha
refused to yield again to Jthe de
mapds Of Cox and Looney. The
girl, according to report, was u
riedly rushed either to Peoria OF
!. Chicago in an automobile. wherf
she is believed to have died in
hospital and Gabel may or may moi
have been cognizant of the serious
consequences of the alleged as
SAINT. AT any rate tits generally
supposed that Bill kept his mouth
closed as to the tragedy and Cox
had nothing to fear on that score
Even had Gabel been inclined e
tell what he. saw, Cox is believed tt
have felt enough confidence in hi
power to hush the matter w. Blu
when it became apparent that Ga
bel was carrying out his plans o
exposure of the immunity ring tina
was another matter, for the Unite'
States government had to be con
sidered. And with the exposure 0
the conspiracy to defeat the PROM
bition laws, the Looney forces ha'
To reckon with the possibility o
some action to punish the guilty II
the girl case.
The national grotto convention
took possession Of Rock ISLAM
June 26, OF and q. Bill Gabel wa
still at his old stand. but his hab
It's had grown perfunctory. 1t wa
eyident to close observers that rel
issh for outlawry had gone from tn
saloonkeeper. In confidential mo
ments Bill confided to friends tina
he was done with the old order an
would soon be out of things. n
charged the ring with stealing nj
girls and various other acts, indi
eating that, a. systematic effort t
put Gabel out of business in Roc
Island was being made.
Death Planned.
The grotto convention was ap
proximately five weeks precedin
Oabel's murder, and it was abou
that time that the plans for hi
death are believed to have take
form. Gabel really knew too muc
shout the beer bottle assault. an
about vice conditions in genera
and it was known that he was |
frequent conferences with pIOhib!
top agents. 49,.
According to the evidence whic
: z sinclair, pTlnteE lVI Tic NV
Island News, is said to have give
the grand jury, Gabel's fate wa
sealed about that time. 1t il be
lieyed that the naming OF the .
legged slayers of Gabel was base
largely upon Sinclair's testimon!
The printer claims to have ovel
heard the death plotters two Q
three times, and to have mote
closely the evident Preparations. |.
few days preceding the killing 3
Gabel target practice in the Loone
cellar was the order Of the day.
In substance Sinflair's story
to the effect that he was able
mar and recognize the plotter
against Gabel by c~oncealing him
self in a room above the death cor
Terence and listening attehtivel
through cracks and holes in tn
scceealing. On Aifferent occaeions b
said to have recognized subdue