Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-27
MUM is THE WORD.
Proposed investigation Sets
Officers to Thinking.
HAVE QUIT TELLING TROUBLES

Discussion of the Incompetence of Their
superiors Formerly Openly InduIEed In
Suddenly Ceases and All Are Now Saw
Ing Wood and Say Ing Nothing.
Members of the Rock Island police
department are saving wood and
saying nothing since the explosion of
the bomb before the city dads at
Monday nights council meeting.
Heretofore the the blunders of Chief
Etzel and Capt. Bender have been
questions of open discussion between
the brass-buttoned gentlemen and
their friends. But there has been q
decided change; they have nothing
to say. The affairs are only talked
OF among themselves; and the debate
is not attended by more than two.
The peace-preservers aue looking
toward the proposed investigation,
as ordered by the council in conse-
quence of the Carnes-Schaab-B Bender
squabble, with no little degree of
uneasiness. Some of the officers
who have pre- siously and openly said
things not at all complimentary to
the characters Of their superiors are
being tabled for the purpose, it is
supposed. of having them come be.
fore the investigation committee and
relate the allegations traced to them
under oath. And SO the boys are
getting little "skeered."
Richard Carnes says he is working
diligently gathering evidence which
he claims will weave an unbreakable
web about Night Capt. Bender. aud
vlndicate every accusation he has
made against him. Carnes SAYS GER
tain officers who had told him that
they would stand by him in proving
some of the charges he has made
have gone back on him and now re-
fuse to allow their names to be iden-
titled in his behalf before the inves-
tigation committee. But there are
citizens who are acquainted with
some of the wrong doings 1 have laid
at Bender's feet" continued Carnes,
''who will substantiate what have
charged. l propose to get affidavits
from those that can, and the others
| am going to ask to appear before
the committee"
Chief Etxel on the Rack.
1t appears as though Chief Etzel
was between two fires. He is sag
ing nothing and attempting to look
wise like others of his department.
He and the mayor agree on most all
things relative to the present con-
troversy, but there are several of the
aldermen-in fact it is said ma
jority of the council-who are cham
pioning the deposed officers cause
and seeing to it that thel chief keeps
his '.oar" out. One of the aldermen
said at the council meeting that
there had been talk of crooked work
in the police department for several
months. This aroused the more
conservative element of the dads, who
said that they didn't understand,
then, why the alleged doings were
not reported before; and that any
officer guilty of shielding another in
crime should be dismissed forthwith.
This is what has set the chief to
scratching his knowledge box. as it
is said he has known of the alleged
Rock Island house episode since its
o ,currence.
So there is liable to be some inter-
esting times over the investigation.
n DIV as long as the police committee
is going to stir up the affairs of the
Rock Island peace-makers it would
not be a bad idea to ascertain why it
is that alarms sent into the station
at night are not answered for even
hours sometimes. On different oc-
casions the patrol has been called
during the stiffness of the night,
when prisoner and officer have been
obliged to sit down near the box I'M
til such time as the man who is sup
posed to be at the other end awakens
| from his slumbers. 1t is high
time that these matters be also
inquired into. An officer at either
end OF the city with a murder to re-
port would be in nice predicament
under such circumstances; or a per-
son lying with broken bones as the
result of an accident, might be dead
from exposure before the ambulance
would respond.