The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-10


John Staubach and caused him to threaten
to knock the head off Dave Van Meter"
was as follows:
LEFT Town.
TT is said that John Stauback. the new
''ly elected assistant engineer of the fire
department, has left our city for good,
land that he is now living with his wife in
Omaha. If this is the case new election
"for assistant chief will be held. Candi-
dates for this position have already been
talked of and the contest has narrowed
down to three persons, viz: John Me-
han, the late assistant chief. Peter II.
Smith and Peter Frey. Either one of
these men would make good assistant,
land the election of either would tend TO
harmonic the different fire companies
opposed to the election of Stauback."
This article appeared as editorial in THE
ARGUS of Friday March oath. And that
is all there was of it-every word. If
there is word in it which should cause
any man to take offence we are unable to
perceive it. If there is a word in it which
transends tie usual limits of proper
journalistic comment upon public officer
we are unable to perceive it. 1t is not
criticism Of any sort-it is only piece Of
current news as it then existed; nothing
but what any newspaper had perfect
right to say. If the rowdy element in this
town is to control and intimidate public
journal in its proper and legitimate duty,
it is quite time the fact should be known
The above article is all that Staubach
ever complained Of But, yesterday, we
had the curiosity to hunt through the files
of THE ARGUS to see if we could find
something else that could possibly have
given offeGse.
On the 2lst of February we found re-
port of the fremen's election, which was
given in plain business-like way without
comment, and at the close the following
remarks were made:
There are rumors of improper inhu-
'ences used to bring about the result OF
the election, but whether true or not we
''are rot sufficiently informed to say.
THAT there is wide dissatisfaction among
the iremen is very apparent If good
cause seems to exist for this breach, the
council should investigate and take action
I'm regard to it.
No reference was here made to Staubach
that did not equally apply to Bollman-
nor have we heard that either of then
found any fault with the article. They
certainly had no occasion to do so.
On the LIST of February we copied from
and credited TO the Davenport Gaz
ette an article showing how Stauhact
attempted to kidnap from the mother, il
the cars in that city, her child, and how
he was pursued and caught and compelled
by the people to restore the babe to it
mother, and how he was taken to Jail. n,
comment was made by THE ARGUS, excep
to sag that Young Staubach manages t.
furnish good many items for the news
papers" Had he a right to knock al
editors head off, for saying that?"
On Feby I'd we copied another articl
from and credited it to the Gazette, il
which that paper gave an account O
Staubach's appearance in court, in whic
the Gazette said:
''Staubach told the court that he and hi
wife had led an unhappy life at home 70
) months, and that the woman had bee
| untrue to him. He said she was in tn
"act OF clipping to join a paramour whe
"he took the child from her."
And THE ARGUS, in reply to the abov'
b said:
IF John Staubach told that story
t Esd, kautfmans court, or anywhel
e else, he told what no intelligent man
Rock Island believes. As far as we ca
Learn, his wife bears good name in Roc
> Island, and tried hard to influence him
!; lead an industrious and reputable life
Unfortunately, his habits we're so firm
q fixed before their marriage that 81
could not change them. If they live
J. "unhappily no one will believe it was h
n fault, but people do believe that b
e irregular life drove her, at last, to SCI
!. the protection of her relatives, where 81
. and her child may be beyond his b;
e influence"
y Is there anything here to justify Nj
in roaming the streets and polIuting t
printing offices trying to find an editor
,e kill?
Y. The next thing we found was
is allusion to a fight John had in front
is Young America on Sunday night DE-
ID 18th, as follows:
=. From Monddy's DAILY, Dec. ID.
- There was disgraceful row 10 fro
= of the Young America about o'clock Ii
ie night. No arrests as yet.
From thursdays Daily. Dec. 18th.
he Are the Police Afraid?
n Tuesday night Policeman Brennan
s. rested John Staubach for fighting
re front of the Young America last Sunc
n night. The trial was set for last event
H. at o'clock, before Magistrate Chopper
IT. At that hour no one appeared, neitf
ed Marshal Halves who made the complai
or or Staubach. and the magistrate could
nothing If the marshal does not inte
to prosecute Staubach what did he me
the complaint for? If he had appear
IL last evening and testified against him