The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-08-28
ssMULDOON'S PICNIC.
That's What Sheriff Reticker Calls q
Scene Before an Iowa Justice.

When the ARGUS stated last night that
there was some talk of sending sheriff.
posse after "our john" who had been
summoned to Iowa to appear as witness
in preliminary hearing, it did not really
know that our doughty sheriff had got
into trouble but from his own statement
it would appear that at one time he would
have taken kindly to any assistance of
fered We have several times mentioned
that our sheriff was hard man to down,
and DOW another example of his proves
comes TO light, which veriies our state
ment He 'bobbed up serenely" in Rock
Island this morning, after spending few
days in the Hawkeye State, and taking 6
prominent part in a rough and tumble
fight in a Justices court.
To begin at the beginning it is necessa
ny to state that Sheriff Reticker left this
city last Friday afternoon for Union, Har
din county, Iowa, where he had beer
summoned to appear as witness agains
the jewelry thieves captured in Moline
and then taken to Iowa. Arriving a
Union, q town of about / 800 Inhabitants
situated in the northern pat of the state
he found the greatest excitement prevail
ing over the affair. The country people
for miles around had flocked to the towI
IN great numbers, it being about the frs
time that trial of any note had takel
place in the county. Then, again, th,
prisoners had been committing depreda
tions all through that section of country
until great indignation had been raised.
The justices Office was not large enough
to accommodate the crowd, so a publ
hall was rented. On the stage wer
seated the court, attorneys, witnesse
and prisoners, while the foo
of the hall was occupied by the
spectators. After several witnesses hal
been examined, the brave and valian
sheriff of Rock Island county was callct
to the stand, and he commenced giviny
his testimony. While telling the cour
all he knew about the affair, he was sud
denly Interrupted by one of the prisoners
named Murphy, who commenced hurting
a vocabulary of unsavory names at tn
head of the justice, taking him to accoun
for his ruling The justice replied b,
taking the chair he was sitting on, ant
throwing it with all his force, at th
prisoner. The ball then commenced, an(
for several minutes it looked as though
| cyclone had been let loose in the room
Another prisoner named Stephens
| singled out Sheriff Rcticker for his victim
and started for him. But when the fellow
picked out our sturdy little sheriff for {
dude, " he got badly left. After one or twt
passes Reticker grappled with him, ani
the two rolled on the floor, sending tn
chairs and tables flying in every direction
| In the meantime there were several othe
private matinees, and to cap the climax
the women and children in the audience
commenced screaming and left the build
ing. Finally quiet was restored, and tn
examination proceeded, not, however
before there were several threats made o
lynching the prisoners. The thieves wer
al! bound over to the circuit court in th
sum of $1,000, and were committed tt
Jail.
Sheriff Reticker says it was the livelies
court he ever attended, and that it wa
equal to "Muldoon's picnic" he himsel
acting the part of ''Mulcahy"