Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-03-29
THE FAHINGS AND THE
FAILURES OF M'CASKRIN
A Few Reminders Concerning Promise and Fulhlment

lie more familiar than with the depIor-
able results attending his headlesa sy5-1
tenn Of police affairs. Soon after Nc
Caskrin entered office he announced i
that he proposed to defer his appoint
ment of police chief until he had |
found HIS IDEAL MAN. A whole year |
passed before his ideal man developed |
in the person of John p. Sexton, who |
was just about to retire from the coun. |
Gil, and whom he appointed early in
April d year ago.
The rejection of the appointment by
the council was the first instance
wherein the aldermen had declined -
coincide with the mayora selections.
He persisted, towever, in presenting
Sections name meeting after meeting
until the council finally adopted a reso-
luton taking exception to the repeated
nomination on the face of it's refus a
to confirm as an insult to the council
and holding that the council would not
be responsible for Sections salary not.
withstanding that he was serving for
months in the office of police chief
without the councils consent. Month
after month Sections name was pre-
sented to the council, and finally
through a combination of inner work
inus which have not yet been entirely
unraVeIed, Sexton was confirmed early
in February OF this year. He served
but three weeks when his resignation
was announced, and although the an
| 1ouncement was both denied and
confirmed by Sexton. the mayor
played foxy until the campaign
opened, when he published the resigna-
ton. which, however, he has not yet
quence is that Sexton is really still
chief of police, and if it were possible
| for McCaskrin to be reelected would
hold over for two years without any
further action if he desired, and if Nc
Caskrin desired.
| DISGRACEFIrL EPISODES.
During the two years OF McCaskrin'c
administration there Rave been mum
erous dsgraceful episodes on the
force. One policeman was fined foI
attempting to disfigure his wife's face
by throwing deadly acid upon it, ans
another policeman, who is still on tbs
force and travelling the center beat
the most important one in the city or
the night force, is today under indic'
ment and out on bonds of 5000 fer as
lsault and battery. This is Officer Page
the mayors pet. who went into a res
taurant intoxicated one night while or
duty and made assaults on Robert Con
nelly and James Willis. For this h,
was indicted.
And when the council attempted Z
have Page removed from the force 70
conduct unbecoming an officer, Nc
Caskrin served notice that if Page Wa
disturbed or investigated he would ii
UP the entire payroll of the city. Tn
city council felt that the Iaborin
mans hire was worth considering, t
, say nothing of other city creditors. an
that the police force could not be muc
p worse than it was anyway, and SO Nix
s Caskrin was allowed to have his way
Otherwise he WOULD HAVE HE'LL
UP THE PAY OF EVERY LABOREI
, working for the city and all in the ir
:, tcrcstS of 4 policeman who commtte
t assault while intoxicated and in un
,, 'orm.
, POLICE JOBS FOR Politics.
@ notwithstanding that the reign
= crime in the past two years has bee
J unprecedented in Rock islands hi
{ tory, the town being overrun durir
K most of the time by thieves. thug
5 burglars, and gamblers, McCas'<rin h
l had more men on the force right aIor
i than the law allows by seven. The;
h extra positions have been given to h
/ political henchmen, and their appoir
# ment from time TO time has never bet
Il reported to the council. But notWit
standing the extra men whom McCas
rim has put or 10 better his own po
teal chances, the busy burglar hi
II gone on for the most part unmoieste
lie Here is the list of citizens, businc
1t men and institutions that have be,
s. made the victims of burglary in
Il years time:
tx May 6-J. A. Seaver, 1871 Twcnt
err first street; $3.50, iewcIry and vaIu
of bIes, 20 cents in cash.
tx May 13-Drs. Bradford and Chas
rs $500, instruments.
is May 17-Nicholas Nssen. 1906 Sc
X enth avenue; Hugh v. Burt's store,
n, Twelfth street (attempt).
i'll May 13 - Emil Jacobsen, TweIf
street and Ninth avenue (attempt).
May 31-Arthur Du Won, 2301 Fiji
avenue; D. w. Hathaway, 1928 Eigh
~ avenue.
Il June 1o-H. w. Ward, 1884 Seco
''' avenue; $50 and gold watch.
w June 22- Clarence BIakesley, 1C
u Twenty-second street; George S.
y 1923 Twenty-third street: Daniel
OC Murphy, 1918 Twenty-thrd street.
M Aug. 9-John McGinnis, 2542 Eigt
vi avenue; S26.
Aug. 10-TWo attempts.
AUG. I'D. S. Cross, 1O46 Sew