The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1872-12-10
AN OUTRAGEOUS VIOLATION OF LAW.
Man Kidnapped in Rock Island and taken
out Of the State.
Rock Island Police aid in the Outrage.

Oh SUNDAY evening, about CLOCK,
gentleman walked into the Harper House,
in this city, and registered his name.
NJ McAffee, Chicago" paid his bill for the
night, and took seat in the gent sparlor
Very soon afterwards two Davenport
pOlicemen--John Heating and Joseph
Clinton. entered the hotel and, looking at
the register, saw the name, and asked the
clerk where the man was. The clerk
pointed him out and the Davenport police
men walked up to him and Clinton read
warrant from Justice Peters, of Daven-
port, for his arrest on charge of ''swind-
ling. While this was going on Heating
stepped to the door and called in Police
man Shrader, of this city. Mr., McAffee
asked what they proposed to do. Wen
show you, said the Iowa men; where
upon Heating seized him roughly by one
arm and Shrader by the other and march
ed him out of the house. When they got
outside, Shrader still holding the man by
the arm, they started towards our jail
McAffee asked where they were going
and was told TO jail" Some converse
ton ensued in which McAffee said if he
had to go to jail he would as soon be in
| Davenport as here, for he had done moth
ing which made it necessary for him to
avoid that place The party then turned
and marched him up to the bridge. On
the way they fell in with Policeman Cor
man and land agent named Zimmerman,
from Davenport, who were also on the
hunt for MeAffee At the bridge Police
men Shrader and German bid the party
good night. McAfee was taken to jail
in Davenport, and the next morning taken
before Justice Peters, where he paid the
land agency firm of Cole K Zimmerman
800 to be released He then returned Il
the Harper House, in this city
Now we do not propose to investigate
the matter as to whether Mr. McAffet
owed the debt or not He says that ht
did not, and that he paid it rather than b
annoyed with law suit. But what W.
call attention to is the fact that men can
under the garb of law and with the aid o
/ policemen, commit such outrages as thi
one. Justice Peters's warrant has no NOR,
authority in this State than Josh Billings
almauak- an Iowa officer no more au
thority here than heather Chinee. Anc
yet these Davenport policemen 60 through
the farce of reading warrant from al
Iowa magistrate TO man in Illinois, anG
one of our policemen standing by anc
giving countenance to the outrage. 1t il
"a clear case of kidnapping, and all the
parties connected with it are liable TO /
criminal prosecution. Our policemen
should not aid in such disreputable anC
illegal transactions. They should not have
gone near the man without warrant from
an Illinois justice The man had commit
ted no crime. The claim OF Cole 4 Iim
norman was merely a civil claim, and thu
police of neither side nf the river had any
business with it. If policemen are to b,
used to entrap people in merely civil mat
tiers, no man is safe Heating aud Shrade
are both guilty of assault, and all VIII
were present either in the hotel or ON tn
way knowingly aiding the arrest Of thi
man are guilty of conspiracy by whic
e an innocent man was wrongfully taken on
of this State and wrongfully imprisone
Z. and blackmailed.
I. MIR. McAtfee has gone to Wisconsin, O
business, but says he shall return an
prosecute all the parties engaged in bring
+ ing about his illegal arrest and imprisoI
Il ment. \ suit for private damages againi
n these policemen would hold in each Stat
t. The Davenport papers seem to thin
:. this kidnapping and Illegal imprisonmer
a of men is all right The Democrat MAKE
/. a first class sensation article on the SUI
e ject, and after Heating and Clinton mac
e their appearance in the Harper Hous
o that paper says:
The officer showed him the warrant and told hi
he was wanted. He declined positively 70 20
e first hut the officers just picked him up and cor
IL uice chap over this side and lodged him In o
~ Jail, where he remained last night
And the Gazette also thinking tia sple
did thing to arrest men Illegally, says:
Ie They found Nc al the hotel. aud one Of Z
uhliging policemen of Rock Island was at hand
n arrest him. He declined to he arreeted-aud, in
, trice. he was out the first sidewalk. There
was given his choice, TO 20 to the Rock Island "a
\, or come over to Davenport and confront his acct
ers. He chose the latter course, and came over.
How vigilantly these papers guard Il
- personal rights of citizens
of