Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-07-28
HOTBEDS OF |N|QU|TY.
Are Shown to Exist by County
Court Proceedings of Past
Few Days.
THE MURRAY AND PARKER JOINTS
Among Those That a Heralded
Clean" Administration Has
Winked at.

The prosecution of the cases against
keepers of low saloons that has occu-
pied the attention of the county court
recently. concluding Thursday with
the conviction of Charles Parker, has
revealed a state of affairs shocking
even to those who may have had
something more than suspicion that
the city, as at present governed, has
not had the attention given to the
subject of morality that was prom
ised by a mayor who pledged a
clean" administration in the con-
vention that nominated him. To q
paper having pride and interest in it's
city there comes no source of salts
faction in going out of it's way to
picture before the world the evils
which smirch a good name. But
when conditions are esta blished
through the process of law. no news
paper can be true to it's constituency
and suppress the facts.
Shocking to say. there was consid-
cradle evidence brought out in the
county court prosecutions the past
week that a sense of decency forbade
the publication of. The cases were
the result of proceedings instituted
by the Law Enforcement league of the
city. starting originally on indict-
ments by the grand jury in the circuit
court and certified to the county court
for trial.
Grand Jury's Indictments.
In all. there were u cases. Is cases
for keeping saloons open on Sunday
and six against the keepers of diser
derlv houses. In all these cases but
three the defendants pleaded guilty
and were fined substantially the min
imum fine for the respective offenses.
The three cases tried were two
against Margaret Murray for keeping
an open tipping house on Sunday and
for keeping disorderly house and one
against Charles Parker for keeping Il
dIsorderly house. In the first case
against Mrs. Murray the jury were
only out a sufficient time to write out
their verdict of guilty. Ia the other
two cases the juries were out long
time. but stood from the first nine to
three for conviction.
While it was shown that Mrs. Muir
ray harbored lewd women and that
debauchery and vileness were ram
pant at her place, yet it remained for
the trial of Parker to develop the
shockingly deplorable state of affairs
that has existed.
In this case Parker took the stand
and frankly admitted that women fire.
quented his place, that he had the
stalls" for their use and that of
other people. but denied that he knew
e hay -
ers was, whether lewd or otherwise,
but admitted that he never sent any
women away from his place. His
place was characterized by one wit
ness. an ex-alderman. to be 1.-The
toughest place in town." and by some
of the neigh bors as terribly bad"
Citizens Aroused.
That the city administration has
winked at this state of affairs
il as plain as the evidence
upon which the keepers of these
joints were convicted. And
now that the facts have been estab-
lished the administration cannot
longer permit them to run as
they have been without subject
ing itself to the charge of not
only countenancing such places. but
the debauchery committed in them.
1t is not necessary to say more than
that ali classes of people who have
pride in the city and respect for
decency in it's control, have been
aroused by the late disclosures;
and not only those who may
be radical in their temperance
ideas, but it is believed that the sa-
looms that attempt to conduct them
selves with respect for the rights
of others and discountenance out
rageous debauchery of public morals
would be glad to have the city rid it
self of these dens.
New Theatre Project.