The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-06-11
PnIina Court.

In Magistrate Choppers court, yester-
day, man giving his name as Geo. Mabb,
was fined SIS and costs for violation of an
ordinance of this city concerning INSIDE
meanors. 1t appeared from the testimony
of Policeman Roatch that Mabb arrived in
this city one night about month ago and
asked policemen Anthony and Roatch to
show him where he could get lodgings.
They showed him to a hotel but it was
full. They then took him to the Union
House, kept by John Miller, good and
respectable house, and left him. About an
hour afterwards they met him on the street
and he commenced TRADE of vile abuse
of them for taking him to bad house
Anthony showed him to public house on
the levee. Since that time he has ooca.
sionally been met by the police at late hours
at night. Monday night, or rather Tues
day morning for it was towards Of clock. J
the police encountered this individual
again, in au intoxicated condition, and he
refused to go home,or tell where he lodged,
or give reasonable explanation of his late
hours and conduct. These facts were not
denied. Nor was it denied that he had
been particularly abusive of the police on
all occasions,
Dr. Bready appeared as lawyer and wit
ness for the man, and said he was in the
employ of Babcock 4 Bready; gave him
good character, and denied the right of
the police to question or arrest him and,
after Judgment, appealed the case for him
1t will probably be learned, in Circuit
Court, that all men who are strangers to
the police whose business is unknown to
them, and who are found wandering about
town at late hours of night, intoxicated,
and who refuse to go home, or tell where
they live, or give a reasonable explanation
of their unusual conduct, or use abusive
and threatening language, are liable to ar
rest and fine and that any policeman who
neglects to arrest such people is not doing
his duty. Policemen are employed to look
after just such people. A man who did
not give satisfactory account of himself,
not long since, though he was civil and So
Der, was arrested, and he turned out to be
burglar who had Just robbed a jewelry
store over the river And it is a reasona-
bic ground for suspicion of any one when
he conducts as this man Mabb has been in
the habit of conducting.
The Union seems to have an especial
spite towards Policeman Roatch. The ex-
PLANTATION ofthis spitefulness has not yet been
made public We are told that MIR. Roatch
is Il member OF the Methodist church and
a temperate man, who is trying to do his
whole duty towards the people of the city.
The fling OF the Union, that arrests are
made for the purpose of making fees for
the magistrate is an insult to the police
and the magistrate, and is discreditable to
the paper making it. The police and the
magistrate are trying hard to do their duty,
and it is highly probable that all good cit
liens will sustain them in the effort
Barney McGovern was fined $40 and
costs for assault on VIM. O'Rugh, street
car driver, while in the proper discharge
of his duties This man McGovern is the
same person who was arrested two or three
years ago for the same offense, by Alder
man Joseph A. Gray.