The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-20
IS SLAM
LEAVING CAR N
FRONT OF PLACE


E
William c. Gabel was shot and
killed in front OF his saloon, ISIS
Fourth avenue, shortly after mid
night on the morning Of Aug. 1.
He had Just driven mp in his car.
AFTER making several calls down.
town. and got ont Of the car ON
the left side and crossed around the
rear Of the vehicle. according to his
usual custom. As he was stepping
onto the curb . volley OF pistol
shots rang out from the west end of
the saloon building.
Gabel fell dead, with four bullet
wounds in his body. He lay
sprawled in the gutter, his feet in
the roadway and his head and
shoulders on the curb. The gun
men fled in a powerful big automo-
bile, which was waiting at the curb
a few yards west on the avenue.
Said 1t Was an .~Outside Job"
The police declared that they had
absolutely no clues the morning
after the murder No arrests were
made, although the neighborhood in
the vicinity of the Gabel saloon
was combed for suspects an hour
after the shooting. Chief OF Police
Tom Cox stated that in his opinion
it was an outside job and the DO
lice investigation proceeded on this
theory.
A large, powerful car, closely an
swering the description of the
death machine, was reported to
have been seen in Monmouth the
morning of the murder, and Chief
Cox gave out statement in which
he said that the gunner apparently
had made their escape through the
city to the south. He sent de-
scription of the car to police au-
thorities throughout the state.
Planned to Quit Business.
Gabel was preparing to quit the
saloon business. He had been i'm
plicated in the operations of ring
OF hootleggers. according to author
itative statements from persons
close to him. but had separated
from them. He was in communica-
ton with members OF the squad of
government prohibition agents
which was then in the city. He had
been to see them during his trip
about the city prior to his death.
Neighbors saw the large new auto
mobile stop near the saloon that
night. and saw two Of its six male
passengers emerge. fire shots and
leave hurriedly in the waiting car.
Bartender Heard Shots.
William Dittman, 1927 Fifteenth
avenue, bartender at Gabers sa-
loon. heard Gabels car arrive,
heard the volley of shots. and hur-
ried outside. There he found his
employer lying in the gutter rid
died with pistol shots.
Mr.. Gabel left the saloon about
10 o'clock last night" Dittman ex-
planned after the murder. He went
down town. Where he went at first
l do not know. He later went to
ROxie Auroch's saloon at Sixteenth
street and Fourth avenue. | knew
this because he called me up from
there about IL o'clock.
When he left there he proba bly,
went over to Third avenue and then
came up to Twenty-fourth street,
turning over to Fourth avenue.
then swung west on Fourth avenue,
stopping his car in front of here.
His assailaEts probably followed
him in the big car. They evidently
suspected he was returning here.
and they cut off at Twenty-third
street from Third avenue, went over
to Fourth avenue and then turned
east on Fourth avenue, turning the
car around and. facing west in the
middle of the block. in time to I'M
load the gunner before Gabel's
machine appeared around the cor
ner from Twentyfourth street.
Judging from the position in
which Gabel was found, he had got
ten out of his machine on the left
side, the drivers side, and walked
around the back of the car Just
as he emerged from the rear, pre-
paratory to stepping onto the side
walk. he was shot.
From the position of a bullet
that was found lodged in the side of
his machine. near the back, the men
had evidently been on the sidewalk
at the corner of the building, and
shot in southeasterly direction.
Il heard the shots fired There
were about five. l think. 1 rushed
out in front. There we're two 9TH
er men in the bar at the time.
During the day there were no
suspicious men around the place.
No one came in to inquire for Mr..
Gabel and there is no circumstance
in the saloon with which to con-
! meet up the shooting. The only out
OF the ordinary occurrence was a
telephne call he made to the Como
hotel shortly before he left at 10
o'clock.
Saw Car Arrive.
The death car drew up in front
OF the home OF Mrs. Elizabeth
Thorpe, 2S09 Fourth avenue, shortly
after midnight, coming from the
west and turning around in front
of her house. Mrs. Thorpe, who
was expecting her husband home
from work, was in the front part OF
the house, and upon hearing the car
arrive she looked out the window.
It was fairly light at that point,
she said, and she could see the car
clearly. 1t was big machine; she
could not make out the type of car
but said it was apparently new.