The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.



The 1923 Graphic

Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross

Stronghurst Graphic Sep 6, 1923

BANK ROBBERY IN MEDIA: For the third time in its history the State Bank of Media, Ill. was burglarized during the early morning hours today when a band of “yeggs” entered the village, posted guards at various points, entered a rear door of the bank after turning the key which had been left on the inside of the lock with a pair of small pliers inserted in the keyhole, and proceeded to blow off the safe by a succession of explosions of nitro-glycerin.  After succeeding in blowing off both the outer and inner doors of the safe, they scooped up the cash which the safe contained and made their departure without being interfered with.

Dr. Rankin who lives just across the street from the bank said that he was awakened about 2:20 a.m. by some unusual noise and on looking out of his bedroom window, saw that the bank building was lit up and that someone was apparently at work there.  Thinking that it was someone connected with the bank, he returned to bed.  In a few moments he heard a loud explosion and then the true nature of affairs dawned on him.  When he looked out of the window again, the lights in the bank had been extinguished, but he could see two men patrolling the street in front on his place and could also see two men moving about the bank.  After considerable interval a third explosion of terrific force occurred and this was followed after another interval by what sounded to him like a revolver shot and which was evidently a signal which had been agreed upon by the yeggs to call in the guards when the object of their visit had been attained.  Dr. Rankin said that he saw four men leave the vicinity of the bank but could not determine the direction which they finally took nor did he hear the noise of any auto being started up anywhere in the vicinity.

Henry White’s family, living a short distance away, was also awakened by one of the explosions and one of the members of the family in moving about the darkness stumbled over a bucket of kilning.  The noise was evidently heard by one of the guards on the street as there came a sharp command to “get back to bed.”  C. R. Pendarvis, the cashier of the bank who lives more than two blocks away, said that he was awakened by an explosion and on looking out of a window saw a man across the street smoking a cigarette and evidently watching his home.  He at once surmised what was occurring and muffling his telephone bell sent out calls to several parties telling them what was going on.  The yeggs had, however, taken their departure before any of those who were called arrived on the scene.

The wrecked condition of the interior of the bank and the shattered heavy plate glass windows indicate something of he terrific force of the explosion which opened the strong box of the institution.  A further evidence of this force was the finding of a section of the iron plate from the safe door which had been blown through the front door of the bank and then traveled a distance of more than a block and struck a restaurant sign board with sufficient force to shatter it.

The amount of loot obtained by the yeggs was comparatively small, the bank officials, who were contemplating the installation of a new and more modern safe, have made it a point recently to keep but little cash over night in the safe they were using.  Cashier Pendarvis, after making some calculations this morning announced the amount of the loss in cash to be $553.17.($7589.50 in today’s values)  This loss is, of course, covered by insurance as is also the loss from the damage to the building and furniture.  There was no attempt made to enter the bank vault where the bank’s customers keep their securities and valuable papers.

Officials from Burlington, Ia. were at the scene of the robbery at an early hour this morning s was also Sheriff Davenport of Henderson County, but so far as we know the arrival of the insurance adjusters, the bank will be closed, but offices, we understand, have been opened up in the E. G. Lewis Seed House and the business of the bank will proceed as usual, sufficient cash having been made available for temporary purposes

CRASH ON NICHOLS STREET: The A. E. Jones automobile being driven by his daughter Winifred and the Shore Hollingsworth car with Mrs. Hollingsworth at the wheel collided at the corner of Nichols Street and the township line road in the east part of the village.  Considerable damage to the front end of both cars resulted but none of the passengers in either car were injured.

STOPPED SALE:  Arrangements being made to give away an automobile at the Annual Fall Festival in Monmouth and numbers entitling the holder to a chance for securing the prize were being given away at the Biggsville picnic last week in connection with the sale of tickets to a dance.  States Attorney Nolan who was on the grounds ordered the sale of tickets and giving away of numbers stopped under penalty of law in such cases made and provided.  This action, it seems, aroused the indignation of the Biggsville Board and they condemned him in a letter to the paper.

***OBITUARY***MATT HUSTON: Matt Huston, who was for many years a well known farmer and importer and breeder of Percheron horses in this vicinity and also prominent in political and community affairs, died at this home in Blandinsville Sept. 1st following a brief illness.  He was the son of Walter and Mary Huston, pioneer settlers of Henderson County and belonged to a family which did much in developing the livestock industry in Western Illinois.  For many years he owned and operated the farm seven miles southeast of Stronghurst now owned by Mrs. Huldah Gabrielson.

The deceased was in his 78th year at the time of his death.  His wife, who has been an invalid for over a year and who survives him, was former Miss Minerva Lovitt, a sister of Mr. H. D. Lovitt of this place.  He is also survived by two daughters, Mrs. Maude Dodds of Stronghurst and Mrs. Vashti Schreck of Chicago, six grandchildren and a large circle of other relatives.  Funeral services were held at the Christian Church in Blandinsville with interment in the cemetery.  Her Huston was a member of the Masonic fraternity and was buried with the honors of that society. .

A CORRECTION: Last week the paper mentioned the death of the three year old daughter of John Middleton of Gladstone from what was supposed to be the effect of eating “shadow-grass.”  It now appears that the child’s poisoning arose from eating night shade berries.  Last Sunday another infant member of the household was called by death.  The family have the heart-felt sympathy of everyone in their double bereavement.  The father, John Middleton, will be remembered by people here as the artist who spent several days here last summer painting scenic views at the Regan furniture store.

LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: George Beckett and family and Charles Beckett of Carrollton, Mo. have been visiting relatives. Mrs. Geo. Fisher of Roseville who is now doing practical nursing work has been employed to care for Mrs. Sarah Alpaugh at her home in Raritan.  After completing his work of mail delivery on route 3 last Thursday, W. B. Gregory loaded Postmaster Mains, Wm. Patterson and Perce Veech in his car and drove to Kahoka, Mo., a distance of 75 miles where the party took in the Clark County Fair before returning to Stronghurst in the evening.  While Jack Bowen of Terre Haute accompanied by his little granddaughter was driving through the village last Friday, one of the doors of the auto came open.  While turning a corner near the L. A. Wilson home, the little girl was thrown out.  Somewhat bruised up and badly frightened, the little one was not seriously injured.  

Anyone wanting the genuine Indian Herb Tablets can get them of L. A. Wilson. (These were Parker’s K&B (Pink) Herb Tablets sold for 50 cents a box to help with constipation, headaches, rheumatism and stomach trouble.)  P. T. Lovitt is recovering from a four weeks illness following an attack of ivy poisoning.  Miss Reba Thompson of California, while enroute to Kentucky where she is employed as a teacher, stopped off here to see her aunt, Mrs. L. E. Pogue.  Miss Eva Shafer, in company with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Germanicus Bowen of Terre Haute, spent about two weeks visiting relatives at Rock Island and at Rock Falls.  Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cochran who were residents of Stronghurst some twenty years ago, are expected to make their old time friends a visit.  Charlie will be remembered as a printer in the Graphic office in former days. Robert Wilson who has been employed by the Western Union Telephone Co. at Morris, Ill, stopped to visit his mother before taking up work with another company at Hammond, Ind.  Mr. Warren Johnson and two children returned from Texas recently where they have lived for some time.  Since his arrival, he has secured employment with J. W. Rankin in the logging business and is staying in the home of his brother-in-law, Fred Mudd.  Mr. and Mrs. Geo. T. Pearce of Bloomfield, Iowa, who left Henderson County some twenty years ago, have been visiting relatives.  Mr. Pearce is making a specialty of raising Duroc hogs and pure bred sheep. 

Vernon Mackie, the 17 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mackie, wealthy and well known residents of Niota neighborhood in Hancock County, died at a Fort Madison hospital as the result of wounds inflicted by the accidental discharge of a sixteen gauge shot gun while he was hunting in a field near his home.  Congressman Graham has decided upon the appointment of Edward M. Boswell as post master at Carthage, Ill, upon the recommendation of the Republican Central Committee of Hancock County.  Thus he is settling a question which has been the source of considerable bitterness between opposing factions in the city for several months.  The Misses Opal Stine and Marie Mudd of this place have been employed by the Cadmean Chautauqua Bureau of Topeka, Kans., to help finish up the circuit season.  Miss Stine will do the advance work while Miss Mudd will assume the work of Junior Superintendent.  Phillip Mains came down from Polos Park, Ill., where he has been living, to help out at the post office.  Miss Ruth Mains retuned from her vacation amongst the mountains of Colorado and has resumed her position in the First National Bank.  Miss Frances Worley went to Burlington to enter the training school of the Burlington Hospital where she will prepare for the profession of a trained nurse.  Dr. O. R. Gents reports that Mrs. Belle Williams has been a sufferer from appendicitis for the past week or more, but that her case is responding to treatment and that she is on the road to recovery. 

It is reported that Mr. Ed Wanders who has recently made his home in Galesburg and Chillicothe, has in connection with his brother, leased the NuVon Hotel property and that they will open up the same again for business.  Harold Lukens resigned his position as clerk in the Grandey store to accept a position with Schramm and Schmieg, wholesale dry goods firm in Burlington, Iowa.  Howard Marshall, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. N. Marshall, underwent a surgical operation at the Burlington Hospital for the removal of a portion of a small bone of the nose; he is recovering nicely.  Erman Dodds, who is employed in the zinc field in Western Missouri and his brother, Dale, who is working with an oil drilling outfit near Wichita, Kans. were called home by the death of their grandfather, Mr. Math Huston.  “Arthur Loomis was operated upon at Mayo Bros. hospital for the removal of gall stones and we understand the gall bladder and appendix were both removed.  It was a very serious operation and his condition has been very critical.  However, his fever was down and he seemed considerably improved.”—Dallas City Review

TOO MUCH LIQUOR: “O. B. Hamburg of Stronghurst, Ill. was arrested last night just as he and a companion were preparing to enter a launch on the river front and was charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.  When his automobile parked on Front Street was searched, a jug of liquor was found in the back end.

Hamburg, driving a Ford racer, ran into an automobile driven by C. A. Thompson of Burlington on Main Street earlier in the evening.  After having some words, Thompson came to the police station and swore out information against Hamburg, but when officers went to look for the Stronghurst man, he was gone and could not be located. .

He and his companion were picked up by Officer Aston on the river front a little later and brought to the station where Hamburg was booked.  Police say that both men had been drinking and a jug of what officers believe is wine was found in the rear end of the racer.  Earlier in the evening it was reported that two men answering the description of Hamburg and his friend had been fighting near the gas plant n North Main Street.  They were driving a Ford racer.  Hamburg will have his hearing in police court.”—Burlington Hawkeye