The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-11-25

vision of the business at long-range
THE present editor of the paper wa
ire-installed after two years absence
and when investigation was made o
1.-THE papers affairs, among the con
tracts and agreements in force wa
1.-THE one referred to by Mr. Meehan
This was reported to the newly or
ganized company the corrupt agree
tment waSat once repudiated by then
with instructions TO the editor to ex
tpose it to the public. These instruc
Itions were carried out; the combina
ton was broken up and since Their
tall printing bids that have gone into
the city council have been clean.
| Alderman Meehan knew this-knew
that the first intimation he or any
lone outside the ring had of the ex.
istence of the ring came from The
| Bulletin and that 1t was The Bulletin
which broke it up. Yet, in his talk
! at the Commercial club Tuesday night
MI Meehan made his charge in such
a way that no listener not knowing
the contrary to be true, must have
concluded that this paper, its present
owners and editor, were in the print,
ing graft, the inference being
strengthened by the fact that The
Bulletin has been the only paper in
Cairo which has charged graft against
the police department of the city and
some of the county officials.
In the matter of the testimony
given by the editor of this paper Tues
day afternoon, before the committee
on Police. Jail and Fire Departments
some comment is in order in view of
statements made at the same public
meeting by Mayor Parsons and AL
derman Meehan. The editor must
confess that il was a great surprise
to him that these men should speak
at all of what was said in the COM
mittee meeting, since it had been
agreed, by the committee, that the in
Vestigation of charges of graft in the
police department should be conduct
ed behind closed doors. The mayor
and this particular alderman do not
seem to entertain much respect for
committee resolutions when their own
purposes are to be served However.
the violation of the rule of secrecy by
these two officials ahsolves also the
witness whom they criticised and he
is at liberty to give his side of Che
story.
Mr.. Thielecke was the first wit
ness called. He found present Mayor
Parsons and Aldermen koehler, Soul
lin, Mcdaniel, Cannon, Magner, Cor.
man and Williams who constitute the
police, jail and. fire committee. There
was also Attorney Leek retained as
special counsel for the mayor, to con
duet the examination. and there was
Alderman Meehan, acting the part Of
general all around "butter-in." The
mayor stated the purpose Of the meet
ing, saying that serious charges of
graft in the police department had
been made in the editorial columns OF
The Bulletin and it was desired by
the committee to get at the truth Of
these charges with a view to taking
such action thereon as in its judg-
ment might be deemed necessary, dis
from the force any one
against whom such charges we're es-
Lablished. The paper. he said. could
be. held responsible in a legal way
Il the charges made in its editorial
columns We're not substantiated. The
mayer asked the witness to give the
any information that might
be in his possession bearing upon the
question at issue.
The witness replied substantially as
follows; Il am not a detective and
have not had any detective work done.
The sources of direct information on
tle subject in hand have been firmly
closed to me by those interested, and
what information | have gained has
come to me in the course OF my news
paper work. have seen great clouds
OF smoke and | have seen some sparks
OF fire, which satisfied me, as they
must any fair minded men OF ordi-
nary common sense. that there IS
corruption or graft of some sort in
the police department Of this city
This statement was not satisfactory
to the mayor, who wanted a particular
and detailed statement regarding
specific incidents in which any GER
tain officers were involved which
tended to show graft as charged
The witness said there were a num-
Der Of cases in which, to his Judgment,
the circumstances justified the con-
clusion that there was graft Of some
s 1rt He cited tie case of notorious
Henry Lysle by name, who
conducted az room at the corner of
Sixth street and Commercial avenue.
Lysle's place had become notorious
by reason of the many who we're
feecSd there some of the victims
making complaints to the police but
nothing was done to suppress the
place. On one occasion Lysle had
Y quarrel with another gambler who
Struck him. Lysle caused the fellows
liEest and as he was being brought
frt IN the train in custody of the OFF,
cey Lysle sprang forward and shot at
hhh trying his best to kill him. The
went wild in the midst of a
lafge number Of people ON the Illinois
Central station platform, and that no
4ne was hurt, was a mere accident.
Iysle was brought to police head.