Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-08-28
HOW IT WAS.
Iibelous Attack on Chief Of Pc.
lice SextoM
MORNING PAPER PUTS IT'S rooTINIT

MORNING PAPER PUTS IT'S FO0TNIT
An Accusation Wholly Unwarranted and
Prompted by Pure Maliciousness we
May Now Look for Some Later Explana-
tions on the Part Of the Bright Journal.
Ever since Chief NJ. H. Sexton as
sumed command of the police force
of the city, it has been the Unions
chief source Of delight to pes ter and
harass him, to seek to belittle all
his acts, and as far as possible to
cast an odium on his administration
Of police affairs. In return for this
treatment the chief has exhibited no
malice toward the morning paper,
but on the contrary he has returned
good for evil wherever offered. In
deed. he has been particularly
guarded to see that the papers rep
resentatives were well treated at the
station and extended every opportu-
nifty and courtesy in getting news
accorded the press generally. 1t is
not to be doubted that the Unions
hostile attitude toward Chief Sexton
has been entirely for its own amuse-
ment. nor yet solely because it OBJ
jected to Chief Sexton on the
single ground that he is con-
nected with Mayor Medill's admin
istration and succeeded a republican
in office. 1t is known that the paper
has had a ready informant in many
of its contemplate little slurs, and
that whoever it sought to crafty,
its course toward Chief Sexton has
been most unfair and unreasonable,
to say nothing of its being entirely
uncalled for.
The Libelous Attack.
As said before, the chief has here
tofore paid no attention to the un-
| friendliness of the Union, but this
morning it came out with an attack
the ground for which with the
papers characteristic style had not
been investigated, and evidently
that hearsay had been taken for the
basis OF the article, which appears
under the head of ..How Is It?n and
then follows:
| A short time ago young fellow
borrowed n clarinet and left town
taking the instrument along with
him. The musical chap was located
at Coal Valley, and the owner of the
instrument made a complaint to the
chief of police of this city who sent
an officer out there. The officer
found the place all right, was re-
ceived with open arms, several vel
low-legged chickens were killed and
the wrong doer promised to accom-.
pany the limb of the law after din.
ner. After dinner the culprit went
to get his coat and he hasn't returned
yet.
Last Sunday friend of the absent
musician called at the police station
with the clarinet and says he effected
a settlement with the chief by giving
up the instrument and handing ovel
*11. The instrument got back to it.
owner all right, but where is the 81
by what authority did any member
of the police force take the none,
and forgive the crime, and how lon!
since the individual mem bers of tn,
police force commenced to admins
ter Justice? The transaction ma,
be all right, but it is a little peculia
that no record is to be found eithe
OF the warrant authorizing the arres
of the offender or accounting for tn,
fine" Has the mayor apportione,
out some of his self assumed dicta
torial perogative to the police fore
and given the members thereof al
the powers of a magistrate? Thes,
Questions are asked simply for infor
nation on this particular subject.
, The Chief Will Demand PREPARATION.
The chief naturally regards thi
? unprovoked and unreliable attack o.
his personal character as more thai
> he can stand, and he does not pro
pose to permit it to pass unnoticed
When seen this morning he at frs
was disposed to say nothing, eXcep
that he was determined to make tn
morning paper answer for its charges
The matter is in the hands of M
attorneys" he said, land | propos
to bring suit for $4,000 damages
The luminosity of the Unions cours
in this and in other matters is shown
by the fact that it publishes thi
statement without so m uch as seek
ing to ascertain the facts. Had
had the disposition to act fairly o.
the enterprise of a good newspape
it would have come to me for an ex
PLANTATION, no matter who it's inform
ant was. as long as was implicated.
The real facts were then solicited
and the chief said. 1.-The matterdate
back to the first of the month whe
William Gardner secured rig iron
Maucker e. Sinnet's livery stable
which, instead of returning it, h
left hitched to a tree in front of tn
premises of Robert Coyne on Fiftl
avenue between Fifteenth and Six
tecnth streets. The horse damage,
the tree, and on Mr.. Coyne's com
plant Gardner was arrested Aug.
and fined $40 and costs for the mis-
demeanor, the total amount fo
which he was liable being $l5.
In default of payment he was by NJ