Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-27
NEED OF REFORM
SEEN BY COURT
Court House Saturated With Vic.
ious Atmosphere, Declares
Judge Gest.
HE ADVOCATES MORE LIGHT
SAYS the Public Should Hear Some
of the Facts Brought Out
at Trials.

This court house has been so thor
oughIy saturated with the atmosphere
of disorderly houses, saloons and gam
bling bells that l have become case
hardened. and 1 guess it could do no
harm to hear one case in its entirety
Judge w. II. Gest declared in the cir
cult court this morning in ruling on
a motion in a divorce case. I only
wish the public would come TO the
court house and hear some of it. and
probably it would bring about a clean
er city
The remarks of the judge created a
mild sensation among the attorneys.
and there was an impromptu discus
sion as to the responsibility for exist
ance of the state of affairs that
brought forth condemnation from the
bench. One attorney yentuTed that ii
was the duty OF the states attorney
to prosecute the violators. but he met
with the prompt reply that the county
attorney was not detective.
Information From the People.
1t was not his duty to go about
hunting for persons who were COM
hitting offenses. The people were his
| informers. They should complain and
he would act if the evidence was suf-
ficient in his judgment TO do so. Also
there was a session of the grand jury
three times in the year held for the
purpose of hearing the complaints OF
the people. The city police, another
|
and the offenders. and they were sim
| ply closing their eyes to all of it.
More Of snyder Divorce Suit.
Judge Gest's remarks were delivered
| incident to his setting aside of the de
| fault entered by McClelland Snyder
| in his suit for divorce against Myrtle
| Snyder. The defendant did not appear
at the hearing of the case two weeks
ago, when there were charges made
| that she had been unfaithful to her
| husband, two of the friends of the
latter testifying that they had been
| intimate with the woman since her
marriage to Snyder. The character of
the evidence aroused the court to a
| point where ne believed the woman
should be defended, and he appointed
j. +. Wltter as her attorney.
Woman il to Fight.
Mrs. Snyder has since decided to
| fight the case. and in her affidavit ac-
! cOmpanying the motion to set aside
the default of her husband ruled this
morning she states that Snyder has
| lived with her since he began the pro
ceedings for divorce, and had told her
that he had dropped the suit. Mrs.
| Snyder has engaged II. NJ. McCaskrin
| to assist Mr.. Witter in defending her.
Snyder was formerly a member of
| the city council from the Second ward,
and for several years has been one or
| the proprietors of the Hub saloon on
| Market square. Mrs. Snyder will file
an answer and there will be a re-
opening of the hearing at a later date.
| J. x. Scott appears for the plaintiff.
| New Trial il Denied.
| Judge Gest yesterday afternoon over
ruled the motion of the plaintiff for a
new trial in the suit for $4,000 for
alleged malpractice of William p.
buchanan, of Moline. against DR.. w.
! o. Beam. of that city. At the trial
of the suit at the present term the
! jury gave a verdict relieving the de
| PENDANT of any liability. Buchanan
! charges DR.. Beam did not properly
| set disiOcatiOn of his left shoulder.