Rock Island Argus., 1895-12-28
STAR MENIN STRIFE
lnternecine Warfare in the
Police Force.
NUTIHY AND DIsOoRD REIGN.

How the Ambltioa OF Some Of the Blue
coats Has Caused Trouble In the Night
squsd-A DsmoralIzed state OF Affairs
That IL Exceedingly UnbscominE.
An internecine warfare is going on
in the police force and when it
comes fully to the surface it will
reveal conspiracy and mutiny as the
chief factors in precipitatiDg state
OF affairs which. while greatly to be
deplOred, will not occasion 3 great
deal Of surprise among those who
realized from the first the possible
consequences attending such a COM
bination as Mayor Knox formed for
the peace guardianship of the city
The existing trouble originated. as
such unpleasant affairs are apt to,
with ambition. There is in the force
one officer whose supreme desire has
been to wear the insignia of chief,
and while he has been content to
humbly pace beat since last May.
his hearts yearnings and aspirations
have not been smothered. Willy and
cunning he has gotten first one Off
Ger over to his side, and then an
other, until now the confederates are
sufficient in number to affect the
discipline OF the entire force.
Through the Vaccinations of one un-
subdued officer, discord, discomfort
and i'll feeling predominate among
members of the night force to an
extent that is likely to result in an
insurrection at any time. Indeed it
assumed serious phase a few morn
ings ago at the station after the
night men came in from their beats,
and was most fortunately suppressed
before anything serious came of it.
Force Is Disrupted.
The force is simply disrupted.
Such thing as discipline is un-
known to it. Every man is his own
boss and is permitted to rely upon
his own resources in any emergency
that may arise. Such thing as an
order from the chief has not been
known under the present re-
gime of municipal affairs. The de-
partment runs itself, and the inevita-
BILE consequences of such course, in
the way of jealously and rivalry
which have been preyed upon as
noted above, by one who is willing
to see just such a condition as is now
developed. are upon the city. One OF
the night officers, speaking to a citi-
zen the other dav, said: 1--WE never
have any instructions about going
after things. In all the burglaries
that have been committed here late
ly. we have not received a single
word from the head of the depart
ment as to line of action that would
tend to promote an Intelligent con-
centrated effort to apprehend the
guilty. Every man is left to him.
self and every man seems to think
he knows all about it and to want to
run the entire force. In fact, there
are some of them who are ready to
take advantage of any occasion to
attempt to shove one of their num-
ber to the position Of chief"
The feeling thus expressed is
shared by many other members of
the night patrol, and the cunning
and derision manifested by the one
of the force who is responsible for
the unhappy condition is but part
of the disposition which has always
been attributed to him.
10 Etzel , quai to It.
The question that comes up now
is, does Chief Etzel know what is
going on in the department. and
when he does find it out will he be
able in the discharge of his duty to
grapple with it. establish order and
suppress mutiny? 1t takes firm
hand and a positive man to do these
things.