Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-02
ANOTHER HAUL
Sheriff kittilsen Gets Busy with
Search Warrants for Gam
bling Apparatus.
DESERTED DEN is RAIDED
Follows Up the Good Work of Sheriff
Heider and Is Well Rewarded
for Effort.

Hardly was the ink dry on Saturday
evenings Argus, telling of the condi-
tions which have prevailed from time
to time in Rock Island for several
years, involving gambling fake sport
ing events, etc, before Sheriff Kittil-
sen was engaged in confscat-
ing quantity of gambling
apparatus in rooms on the
second floor of the east side of Tween
tieth street between Third and Fourth
avenues, at number 3051A, and at the
apartments of William Hayes, in the
Industrial Home building, Third ave
nue. and Twenty-first street
The sheriff had prior to the raid,
which was started late in the
afternoon appeared before JUS
tice P. H. Wells and swore
out search warrant complaint
for writ to search the two places for
gaming devices. The writs were is
sued, and the sheriff, accompanied by
Deputies o. L. Bruner, George Siemon,
and F. H. Kracke, and by Charles tie-
big, the locksmith, and the latter's
son, went to the apartments named.
COnfiscates stuff.
The sheriff found no one in the
rooms on Twentieth street, and discov-
cred comparatively little stuff there,
and the room indicated that operations
had ended. Two telephone instruments
had been disconnected, and there were
other wires which it is supposed had
been connected with a ticker A ~ou
lette wheel and a few other articles
were taken. At the Hayes apartments
the bulk of the confiscated stuff was
found, where it had been stored since
the activity of the police in the last
year made it improbable to operate in
the city. Faro dealing boards and
banks, of various sorts. dice, poker
chips, and other devices were GATED
away by the sheriff and his aids.
Is His First Raid.
The raid of Saturday is the first
Sheriff Kittilsen has made since en-
tering upon Mis- duties, and is the first
made by means of a search warrant
here. In fact, the present sheriff has
in the past said he would not conduct
raid for the states attorney, holding
that this was in the province of the
police, with which he would not inter
fere. Asked about the matter this
morning. Mr.. Kittilsen stated that he
has never felt responsible for the af
fairs of the city of Rock Island. as h,
was elected as sheriff and not as may
or. but that of late the pressure has
become so strong that he was com
PEELED to act.
Everything to Go.
The sheriff this morning said: d"
have hardly started yet. | have ,
number of search warrants, and meaI
to procure others, and | propose t
confiscate every bit of gambling appar
atus in Rock Island Every wheel
faro bank, card table, deck of cards
set of dice-everything l can find tina
is used in gambling anywhere wheth
er in gambling room, pool rooms, ciga
stores, or in a church-it will all b,
confiScated."
He repeated his claim that he doe
uOJ plOpOSt W HlltIlCIb WIFI the CIT,
of Rock Island, but claimed that stronj
pressure had been brought, and he ha,
been compelled to act. He limited a
backing by some organization, whic
he, says has been quietly organized
and has money to be used in prose
cutting crooks here. Il am not afte
the gamblers he said, and added, al
| wanted to run them out l could hav
done so long ago"
Goodman Visit Cause.
ut all started with the visit of Et
ward Goodman of Chicago" he sale
He declared that this search warrar
raid was not the main move resultin
from Goodman's complaint of bein
fleeCed here, hut that it was incider
tai. The sheriff says he has learne
that several men have been trimme
for an aggregate of over $50 900 in tn