Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-06-18


made public. that the majority of th6
81 indictments returned at that Tim:
are against John LoOney. William j
Dilworth, and other associates o.
LOoney. including William Cation
There We're - libel indictments re
turned against the Rcck Island Daii'
News Printing Il Publishing company
John Looney and Dilworth. for tn,
libel of Charles McHugh. James Nc
Namara Hon. r. J. Medill. and Georg
Prize" These Indictments are Tor ar
ticles circulated by the defendants du'
ing the time of The spring campaig::
and held To be libelous III their char
aCteT4
Charge of Bribery.
In addition TO these, John Looney is
charged with bribery and eXtortion
and with William Cation and c. w
Neal an attorney of Davenport, is
charged with conspiring TO bribe tn
mayor and to extort 10000 from III,
Rock Island Brewing company. The
charge is that LOOney and Cation wen!
to George McCaskrin about the time
McCaSllIin had put the lid on am
closed up the saloons on Sunday. an
offered TO give McCaskrin $4,000 in
cash and 5000 shares in the New
company if the mayor would keep tn"
lid on until he. LOOney. could secus,
$4,000 from the Brewing company ami
others to take il off. The other
charge is that the three attempted 10
hold up the Brewing company for a
large sum. Neal approaching the con-
pany on the subject and suggesting
$4,000.
The witnesses on these bribery and
conspiracy indictments are John OH
weller. J. B. thinner. John p. Sexton.
Robert Wagner. Henry Kale, Albert
Huesing, Louis Nicer. Otto Huber.
James O'COnnOr. and George McCas-
krin. The Indictment for bribert
against Looney alone, is based on this
same incident Incidentally it might
be recalled that it was about this time
that Looney was charging the Argus
with closing up the town.
Money for Protection.
The indictments for eXtortion charge
LCOncy with securing $40 in four $40
installments from Nell Hill. as protec
ton for the resort she operated or
Twenty-tirst street; and $500 frorn
Ernest c. Heder. now of Rockford
former proprietor of the Buffalo SalO N
on Twenty-fourth street; and attempt
ing to secure from s. NJ Arndt the
sum of 500 as protection for operdt,
ing slot machines in the cigar stores
owned by the latter.
Cation is charged with eXtorting SIS
from Jacob Schaum. the gambler. i'll
the way of protection money.
LOoney and Camille Mortier are
charged with conspiring TO secure the
! indictment of Charles McHugh for
selling lottery tickets. LOoney. it is
claimed, furnished the money for Nor
tier to purchase tickets at the Harper
house saloon. in order 10 secure evi
dence against Mr.. McHugh. who. II
was shown. did not even know that tn,
lottery tickets were in the hands ul
the bartenderS
| Big Bond Required.
| Judge Graves fixed the bail at $50
| in each of the - indictments for II
bel; $1,000 for the charges of conspir
aCy 10 eXtOrt and to bride: $1,000 70:
the bribery Indictment: 500 each on
! the three charges of eXtortion: and
, $500 on the charge of conspiracy to IN.
dict. bringing the required bail oil
+, these indictments up TO $241O0.
Looney was placed under arrest thi
morning, and given until tomorrow af
ternOOn to secure bail
/. IL No Surprise.
/ The indictment of LOOney and his as
Sociates for asSailing the character
, and disappearing men and institu
tons i'll Rock Island occasions no great
surprise to those acquainted witt
! Looney and his methods. and the char
acter of those whom he has repeated,
and persistently maligned for the graz
itication OF personal grudge and spleen
No one has ever crossed Looney's pat
who has failed to become a victim o
his attacks. 1t has been his boast. i,
fact that those who offended him
even politically. he would drive
out of town, or at least break down
their standing in The community.
Went Too Far.
The public is no doubt more or less
aware Of the persistent and outrageou.
nature of LOOney's vicious and hitta
personal attacks on The Argus, which
incurred his ill will merely because !.
response to the demands of its owl
party it waged war on him on purely
political lines. The Union and in fac
all other newspapers of the three elite,
have been subjected from time to time
to an extent at least, TO the villainou.
and outrageous abuse of Looney an
his mouth piece. Dilworth. These tw,
slandererS of men, however. transcend
ed the bounds of journalistic discourse
and discussion so far that no pape,
could lower the standard of its dignity
by answering them, all resting assured
that in due time the righteous am
Nyra 81 hn t.