The evening Argus., 1867-07-08
Moline Jnstica and Moralits

EDITOR Rock ISLAND ARGUS, Sir In
the Rock Island and Moline Daily Union,
of Friday morning, the 5th, notice the fol-
lowing:
MOLINE Police IrEMs.--A man calling him
self Jas A. Clark, and claiming to belong to the
circus then In town, was arrested at late hour
last night for disturbing the peace. A night in
the caiaboose somewhat cooled his ardor, and
tine of s., imposed by ESQ. Hubbard in the morn
ing, doubtless thoroughly convinced him that if
he would stay in Moline he must keep quiet.
E'An abandoned woman, named Nellie Clark,
who did not belong to the circus, was arralgned
on a similar charge and fined So and costs. Hav-
ing neither money nor friends, she sent to
board out the amount at the expense of the
poration.'
The above deserves a passing notice, in
order to correct errors and show the public
what kind of justice is dispensed by our NOR
al town. ia.
The affair occurred on the evening of the
Sd, not Eat late hour of the night" of the
4th, as stated above.
The woman alluded TO is probably, as sta
ted, IAN abandoned character y or SO re-
ported to be, at least, and had been follow
ing this show company, alluded to, for sew
eral days, the proprietors OF which were anX-
ious to get rid of her. She was quietly
walking along the street with citizen of
the peace" in any manner. This man, Clark,
coming up behind them, gently put his hand
on her shoulder to speak to her, when both
were Immediately seized by policeman
who had been following them. As soon as
the woman could speak she said addressing
Clark SIS this you, Jim p No disturb
ance" whatever had been created. and no of
Tense against good order committed but
Clark and the woman were arbitrarily ar
rested and placed in what is called 1.-The
Moline Hog Pen,'' a small tight boarded
room, with no light, no window, no ventila-
ton, and no comforts-not even the common
comforts necessary for felons not even a
pitcher of water Or crust of bread and
there, in, in this dark, hot hole both the
man and the woman were compelled to stay
in one room. In the morning the man was
taken out and fined as stated and then went
to your city, with an officer, to find his COM
pany and get money to pay his fine. After
consulting with competent persons there, he
concluded not to pay or return. The officer
then came back saw the magistrate, and a
warrant was issued for him and another Off.
Ger sent after him-but he did not find him
And so the matter ended, in regard to
Clark
The woman was kept in the horrible place
called ''The Moline Hog Pen," until noon,
when she was taken out, in a famishing and
nearly dying state, she having had nothing
to eat or drink since the morning of the 3D.,
and no fresh air except what she could
breathe through the key hole. She gasped
for water and was scarcely able to stand on
her feet. She was also fined as stated.
A bare recital of these facts is enough to
strike any one with horror. Two persons, a
man and a woman, arrested for no offense
whateyer-unless a suspicion of lewdness is
an offense, and thrown into a horrible, dirty,
dark. air-tight hole, to bunk together on the
floor and there kept until both are nearly
dead of thirst and hunger, and then fined for
having done nothing contrary to law-unless
it is contrary to law to quietly walk in our
streets. And this is done by the authorities
of our pious, moral, temperance town. II
is disgrace to the town. If they had been
negroes they would never have been molest-
ed-or if arrested at all they would have
been furnished with bail or with lodgings in
separate rooms at the best hotel. A white
man and woman arrested on suspicion of in
tended lewdness, and then locked into a
place having no more comforts than little
privy standing out in the hot sun, where
they could, without molestation, commit the
very offense they were suspected of If this
is Moline justicei and Moline morality! /
!. don't want any of it in mine. ZEB.