Iowa Old Press

Davenport Democrat and Leader
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
Monday Evening, June 16, 1924

ROUND UP GANG LEADERS AFTER NAHANT BATTLE
John Ruge, Armed With Revolver and Shot Gun, Taken Into Custody.

    A fight between two rival river gangs over women and booze culminated in the arrest of "Gampy" Powers, John Ruge, 1440 West Lombard  street, and two others by Marshal Homer Ashcraft and his deputies near Rockingham Sunday.
    Ruge, who was armed with a revolver and a shotgun, was taken into custody near Linwood after the Rockingham authorities had trailed him for several miles. Ruge and a friend, according to Ashcraft, were cruising around in a flivver apparently looking for someone.
    Powers and his two companions were booked on charges of intoxication and will be arraigned before Mayor H.E. Kohlhammer tonight. Ruge is being held on a state charge and will also be arraigned before the mayor at the same time as Powers.
    The Rockingham authorities failed to reach the scene of the fight on the River road until after the battlers had fled. Witnesses said several shots were exchanged and that one man was stabbed. Marshal Ashcraft said today he had been unable to verify the report.
    When Ruge was taken into custody he had a quantity of ammunition in his pockets and in the car as tho he was looking for trouble. He refused to talk and is being held in the county jail pending his hearing.

Submitted by C.J.L., July 2005