Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-06

lana mas the VICIOUS Saloon, the
gambling room, the street walker and
all the riffraff that accompany these
evils. Seemingly they have free
hand. Rock Island today stands in
danger of gaining reputation equal
ly as bad as Davenport had in its
wide open" days. The same argu-
ment is heard here as was heard in
Davenport when the people arose
and demanded a cleaning up. Dav-
export has proved the weakness of
this cry. A moral cleaning here will
give the same answer. :.
Keepers of these gambling and sa-
loon joints in Rock Island have grown
so bold and defiant that they give
no heed to the members of the police
department The latter are nothing
eyes of the offenders. They have
made admissions of their helpless
ness. The crooks are in control.
Nightly saloon Fights.
There are nightly fights in the dis
orderly saloons, the majority of them
caused over women. If the granite
statue of Black Hawk in Spencer |
square could talk, it would reveal
story of almost nightly fights at |
street and Third avenue. |
One occurred last night. 1t was
over a street walker. So far +
as known no arrests are made IN /
these cases. Thursday night a citi- |
zen from a neighboring town was |
lured into one of these hell hole sa-
looms and robbed of 500. A woman
was at the bottom of it. She got the
stranger to her room above the sa-
loon. There he Met her friend"
The latter, male, got tn money, ac-
cording to the story the Vi, i'm told
The police.
Another night this week a Daven-i
port man, employed in livery stable
At a salary of $40 per month, left
his wife and babies in the morning
after drawing his pay ostensibly to
settle the grocery and meat bills.
He came to Rock Island instead and
vent to a gambling den on Twentieth
street. His wife followed him and
ound him at the place. She begged
lin to return home with her.
Loses Money; Beats Wife.
He left the den with her. and when I
lie got her on a dark street he beat Z
Ter for her interference. Two citi- |
ems stopped him before he injured (
he woman. His money was gone !
he vultures had gotten it. These
futures are still laying in wait night {
y for other victims. There was a {
ime when a man could occasionally /
ret a square deal in a gambling ;
louise. Then boys or drunkards were
lot allowed to play. But there is
different stripe of gambler-of ,
curse there may be a few eXcep- ,
forth in Rock Island
oday. He is after the money. 1t Z
makes no difference to him how he !
,ets it or from whom he gets it. 8
rock Island has the tin horn gam
Ter and the cut-throat gambler; the ,,
elbow who would slug you in dark :
Hey if he thought you had a good =.
ollar on yod.
PrOfessionaI stall workers
The street walker who infests Rock
sland today is a professional. She
FORKS with the saloon keeper who
furnishes her accommodations; gives
er a stall where she can ply her
rattle She goes into the streets for \
CT WILLIS. Anu Sllt SCnSl dllg SSlS
Ssm. She has an assistant at ready
all. He lives off the pickings of her
icious traffic. Sometimes, when 9TH
T ruses will not work, he becomes
he injured husband. 1t is USE a
ess for the victim to complain. In \
lost cases he does not. But when c
e does he is frightened by the pos b
lbility of publicity. d
Rock Island can grow and prosper r
rithout the being known as a wide I
pen" city. 1t may well take its r
ssson from near home-Davenport :,
Ioline has never gone to the depths
hat Rock Island has. 1t is prosper ;,
lg and going ahead.
There must be a stop here. The
,nger it is delayed the more damage :,
ill be done. !.