Rock Island Argus., 1904-05-20
R0SPECUTIONUS USELESS
S ia te' S Attorney Ar
raignS Police in
Argument.

| ing in the Blue Goose. an alleged
| house of prostitution. Mabel Pauline
Wright. a girl under Is years of age.
y verdict was arrived at at l. o'clock
last night and was reported to Judge
+. {. Graves on the conyening of court
at 9 o'clock this morning. When the
verdict had been read by the clerk
Judge Graves turned to the jury and
said:
Gentlemen Of the jury. l scarcely
know what to say under the circum-
stances. | regard this verdict as an
outrage. If. under the state of facts
as delineated by the evidence in this
case, defendants are discharged. there
is scarcely any necessity to spend the
time of courts and the money Of the
county in the prosecution of criminal
cases. You may be discharged from
the further consideration of this case
and for the term
The members of the jury were Gil
pin Moore. j. +. Crouch. John litter
ington. William Knees, Jessie West.
Frank Oppendyke, {. ID. Wheaton,
John f. Huey. NJ. u. Allison. James
Dolin. Ed Condo and j. :. Bolton. Mrs.
AIlars' husband defaulted to the
charge against him. He was unable to
appear in court on account of a rheu-
matte attack. with which he is con-
fined to his bed The Wright girl has
returned to the Geneva home. where
she was sent last fall on order Of the
county court.
Weld ArraIgns Police.
II. y. Weld. the states attorney. in
his closing argument to the jury yes
terday afternoon: Counsel for de-
fendant talks about the great re
sources of the state. Don't YOU know.
gentlemen of the jury. that YOU might
as well try to fly aS to try to prove
by any policeman in this town that
there Is such thing as Il disorderly
house on earth? Haven't YOU heard
this evidence? Haven't you heard tn,
statement of the police detective here
who has tried in every way he could
while on the witness stand to shield
this place. where Mrs. Allars says he
goes and sells dance tickets. | say he
has tried TO shield them. | say that
the resources of the police depart
ment have been and are now at the
beck and cali of this defendant. and
y
talking about. Now it is not fair that
this woman-Cld in sin; this woman,
who for years has been Strumpct.
and 50 shown by her own evidence
should be compared with this young
girl. TO talk about putting her along
side of this girl - years old"
Mr.. Weld then portrayed the inno-
cence of young girlhood in very
feeling manner, quoting from the
bible and classic poets to illustrate
and enforce his remarks. The course
of the procuress generally was also
detailed and her character asSailed in
most scathing terms. Continuing. he
said: This woman has embarked on
an enterprise that is more damnable
than anything else that you can name
or that any human being can name.
If there is Il pit in the Internal regions
that is hotter than others. that has |
got bluer flame of sulphur. il is re-
served for these men and women who |
go about to pluck the jewel of virtue
and purity from the bosom of young |
girls and that lead them down to de- |
structiUn. But counsel saws we have |
nothing to base this on except Mabel .
Nright's story. which is uncorrobora-
ted. l say she is corroborated by evil |
dence that is absolutely unanswera- |
bic. That Is the receipt which | hold |
N my hand. II reads: Rock Island |
H.. Nov. -. 19O3.-Received of Pauline |
Benson. $40. fine and costs, in full |
G. Albert Johnson. Police Magistrate |
Girls Name Forged.
Defendants counsel claims that !
the prosecuting girl was the hired |
girl of the defendant. and no more. |
And he adds that you are liable to be |
,aboring under the same state OF |
facts. Let us consider two or three |
things concerning this position. In |
the first place. imagine yourself run |
ming a rooming house. an apartment |
house. in connection with a saloon on |
First avenue. between Nineteenth and |
Twentieth streets. in Rock Island. and |
that You have chosen the cuphonious |
name Of Blue Goose.
Now then. suppose that YOU go |
down to the police station and pay |
fine for your hired girl under an as |
Sumed name. Just imagine yourself I
doing that. Can YOU imagine yourself /
doing that? Then come into court |
saying she l. simply my hired girl |
But here in this piece of paper is l
piece of evidence which she can't get |
away from. And when G. Albert John /
son signed that. fictitious as il i. il 1
formed link in the chain which she :
cannot break. As a matter of fact. |
there was no judicial proceeding at /
all. You know that. You know how /
courts are conducted. The idea Of the !