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


!. quarters, but was never jailed; was
$ permitted to plead guilty to disorderl,
) leonduct, fined S. and costs and ner
I mitted to go free On another occasion
! i4ysle, after he had been put out OF
: business by the states attorney. shot
t iseVeral times at the bartender al
: Bottos saloon who saved his life
! only by ducking behind the counter
grabbing a pistol and threatening to
XII his assailant. The latter ran out
of the saloon and on the street fired
several shots down Commercial ave.
nue. in an effort to kill the bartender
II he emerged from the door of the
saloon Lysle was arrested but not
Jailed, being permitted to give bond
and go free his case being continued.
Pending hearing of the case pres
sure was brought to bear upon the
barkeeper to persuade him not to an
pear against Lysle; later to com
promise the case which latter he did
on receiving sum of money (The
bartender told the witness that among
1.-THE men who brought pressure to bear
|upon him was Chief Eganl. The wit
ness concluded. as he felt he had a
right to do that the circumstances
III this case indicated the existence
Iof relations between this gambler and
and the police department of the city
which were not proper.
Witness told of the case of Mr.. Ben
/ lick, the lower Commercial avenue
saloon keeper. Mr. Bendick had come
into The Bulletin office and stated
/ that man named Crenshaw, who re.
sides in Williamson county, had eX-
| pressed desire to start game in
his tBendick'sl saloon. Crenshaw and
a small party Of friends were playing
apoker at a table in the saloon one
night and the party were arrested by
Officer Casey Crenshaw had come
to him later and said Officer Casey
bad told him that he could start the
game provided he would pay him 1.-THE
officer $40 per month which would
have to he divided into four parts.
Mr., Bendick had refused to accede to
, this proposition. Crenshaw than pro
POSED that they offer the officer $50
Eper month and he (Bendick) had de-
clined to do SO not wishing any gam
ing in his saloon anyway.
The mayor was still not satisfied
and called upon Attorney Leek to in
Istruct the witness as to the serious
ness of the situation and ply him with
questions
Mr.. Leeli asked series of care
fully framed questions the purport of
which was that witness should tell
whether or not he had any personal
knowledge of any officer at any time
taking any money in the way Of
graft, or offering to do so.
The witness replied mo-: that his
information was hear-say, for the rea-
son given in his opening statement.
and his judgment was based upon
these statements of others taken in
conjunction with the circumstances
which he knew He said he had
made no specific charges against any
officer. in any editorial he had writ.
ten; that his charge OF graft was a
general one against the police de-
partment of the city, and that he held |
the heads Of the department. the
chief and mayor, responsible for what
ever was wrong in the service under
their control.
Mr.. Leek asked the witness if he
would give the names of his inform |
ants.
The witness replied mo"
Alderman Sculln spoke of the de. |
sire Of the committee to reach the
truth and to punish any officer who |
might be shown to have been guilty |
OF the misconduct charged. How do
you expect this committee TO get at !
the truth if you do not aid it, by Civ.
ing the names Of persons from whom
information can be had?"
Witness replied he did not expect
this committee to get at the truth, ,,
because il had not the power to com,
pei the attendance of witnesses or
To compel them to tell the truth under
oath, If they did attend.
Alderman Magner urged the witness
TO aid the committee as much as pos
sible assuring him that the committee
was sincere in its efforts to learn the
truth.
Witness replied he would not give
the names of any of his informants
publicly.
Would you be willing to give them
privately to any member of the com.
,mittee? was asked.
Yes" replied the witness, pro. |
vided they are willing to come before |
the committee and testify. There |
would be no use giving their names at |
all unless they were willing to come. |
I will see them and find out If they |
will testify
In response TO a request witness
designated Alderman Williams as the |
member to whom he would give the |
names on the condition named.
Witness explained that the reason |
why he declined to give the names of |
witnesses was to be found in his ex-
perience in a case some time ago. A |
stranger who turned out afterwards |
to be an officer of the Miners Union |
at Murphysboro had mysteriously dis. |
appeared in Cairo, his coat and hat |
being found on the Big Four transfer
incline below the city Witness had |
learned that on the night of his dis.