The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-10-07
ALLEN RELATES
SCENES BEFORE
BATTLE BEeAN


William c. Alien. Rock Island A.
torney, was talking with John
Looney. Who Was seated In tn l,,-
tors car In front of the Sherman
hotel : few minutes beior, n.
shooting.
Mr.. Allen said that he was cros..
ing Seventeenth street from the
west and - he was stepping una
the curb at the corner near thu
Sherman hotel he heard some one
call to him. He looked and nav
Looney motioning for him to come
over to the car which vas parked
directly In front Of the hote. NJ
Allen went to the car and Looney
showed him Z number u leeal
papers which he had in the car. Az
they were discussing the papers.
Mr.. Allen said Lawrence Pedieo
came up to Looney and handed him
more papers,
"Connor Looney then appeared"
Mr.. Allen said. Conner seated
himself in the rear seat Of the car
and Looney talked with him q few
minutes in low tones. Looney was
sitting on the right side Of the
front seat and Conner was sitting
on the left side Of the rear seat
While Looney was facing the rear
seat of the car. three automobiles
drove up in the rear and stopped.
Looney glanced At the cars and
exclaimed excitedly to his son, TIA
come, it's here, get out of this!
He repeated, get out Of this to
his son several times.
"Looney then jumped from the
car on the right side and walked to-
ward the entrance Of the Sherman
hotel. Conner left the car from
the right side and stepped to the
curb. By that time had started
to walk north on Seventeenth street
and Connor passed a few steps in
front of me. Then fusillade Of
shots followed from the cars on
Seventeenth street and Conner
pulled his gun and opened fire on
the cars. Looney reached on the
inside of his coat as If to reach for
a gun. He entered the Sherman
house. l saw Lawrence Pedigo
come to the door of the hotel but
in the confusion I am not able to
state accurately whether he had q
gun or not"
People who described the scene
shortly before the shooting said
that young Looney and his father
drove up to the curb and parked in
front of the Sherman hotel Looney
remained in the car and few min
utes later Lawrence Pedigo drove
away in his own car. He returned
in about i've minutes and handed
Looney a paper.
After the shooting started In ths
direction of the hotel, and crowdi
gathered, Looney and Pedigo arl
said by witnesses to have appeare,
in the third window from the soutl
corner OF the second story of tn
Sherman hotel, facing Seventeenth
street, and were firing on the car
from which the first shots came.
Used Shot Gun
1t is believed that one of til
guns which were employed by tn
occupants of the cars which opene
fire Yves a sawed-off shotgun. on
of the holes in the south front win
dow OF the Sherman hotel is ]
inches in diameter and two other,
one in the door and the other in tn
north window are smaller, prob
ably made by revolver shots.
A row of broken store from
glasses on the west side of Seven
teenth street mark the crossnrt
Places of business where shots en-
tered and broke the glass are tn
Island City Fixture compan!
OMaNey's funeral parlors and tn
John Koch company which ar
grouped directly across from tn
hotel. A tire on a ford car OWE
by John Tindall, Milan, was dis
one Of the targets Of the wild bul
lets.
Carter Car Shot
David W. Carter, 162SEs Thir
avenue, was directly behind th
last car which opened fire in tn
direction of the Sherman hote
MIR. Carter was driving truck 0
Third avenue from the east an
turned up Seventeenth street. h
noticed two cars ahead of him an
thought that they were backin
out from the curb in front OF th
hotel.
1.-THE two cars were ahead OF n
and 1 was forced to STOP MIR. Cal
ter said. "The minute they cam
to halt saw a gun barrel stlc
out from the rear car and ope
fire. They fired two shots %
when the shots were returne
, from the Sherman hotel, l coui
. not get by the cars ahead OF ~
SO / started to back out OF Sever
teenth street and go up Third AZ
, nue.. The bullets were ilyln
! around me and the tire on u
right rear wheel was punctureo
ono of tho stray shots"