Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-29
GANG RULE IN SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND
MTT|LSEN is POWERLESS TO ACT


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through the press. The Argus ever
went to the point of offering to supply
the sheriff the addresses of the gam
bling dens, but the proffered informa
ton was not desired. The Argus came
to a realization of it's helplessness in
seeking to rid the community of the
gambling den when it was sent word
that the fraternity was not at al
alarmed by the publicity it was receiv
I ing; on the contrary. it was grateful
for the free advertising, as it helped
/ business wonderfully. This was enough
to convince The Argus that it was sim.
ply useless to proceed with its expo
sures, inasmuch as the gam
blers were protected" In fact, the
gamblers openly declared then and
they are repeating the assertion toGay
that they have been paying a regular
license" to carry on their traffic and
they are entitled to and demand the
protection OF the officers who have
taken an oath to enforce the laws.
InfOrmer is Arrested.
One day a Davenport citizen wan
planned that he had been cheated out
OF large sum of money in the y. w.
Billburg den over the Park saloon on
Twentieth street. This was upwards
of a year ago. He was not the first
one who had been similarly mulcted,
but the trick had been turned so bold
" upon him that he refused to take
his medicine and remain silent. He
explained his case fully at the sheriff S
office, and instead of Immediately
raiding the Billburg house, the Daven-
port victim was placed under arrest
and an information filed against him
in the county court charging him with
gambling.
This Raid Was Forced.
However, the publicity given to the
complaint entered by the Davenport
man was too great, and the sheriff'S
office was obliged to pay Billburg and
few others of the fraternity"
houses a visit. 1t was said that in
these raids gambling paraphernalia APP
prOXimateiy of the value of $4,000
was seized and destroyed in the coun-
ty Jail yard under an order from the
county court.
But, strange as it may seem, this
move by the sheriff's office did not dis
courage the gamblers. They fingered
in the city, whereas in former years
when their operations were officially
disturbed they packed their clothes
and hiked to other fields.
1t was only a couple of weeks until
the wheels were whizZing and the
craps rolling at all of the old stands.
The Argus again gently reminded Mr..
Kittilsen that the wolves were back
in their LARS, but again he did not
deem the facts as presented through
The paper as worthy of attention. Cit
liens pleaded for suppression of pub
lie gambling, but they were turned a
deaf ear. The logical result was the
formation of a Law and Order league,
an organization whose work is approx
ed by every law respecting resident
Of the county. Officers of the Law
and Order league. after gaining all
the evidence necessary 10 establish
he fact that public gambling was ram
pant in the city. openly charge that
they were denied assistance when they
called at the sheriff's office and asked
hat they be furnished deputies to as
5ist in a confiscation of the gaming
fixtures.
The Recent Exposures.
The officers of the Law and Order
league were not TO be daunted by the
apparent intent of the sworn public
officials to defeat their undertaking in
he name of decency, law and moral .
ty. Three of the leading gambling
houses were raided by the agents of ,
he league. These were the Park, on
twentieth street. conducted by A w.
and II. f. Mcbride; the Dia-
nond. 1915 Second avenue, of which
Jake Schaum is proprietor, and the
Turf, 11S Eighteenth street, conduct
d by Philip SChaum and Fred Titus.
The fixtures from the Park were plaC-
d in the Roessler stOrehouse, on Fiji
eenrh street. opposite the court house,
,ending a hearing on the search war
ant upon which they were seized.
5efore the hearing on the search war
ant Mcbride replevined the gaming
ixtures and had them removed 10 DaT-
IMPORT under the eyes of the authori-
les, and put them in storage.
The fixtures taken from the Dia-
nond and the Turf were carried to the
liver front, where they were to be
urned on an order issued in the court
f Justice J. H. Cleland. Just as Con
table August Schmid was about to
xeCute the order of the court he was
laced under arrest on a charge of
arceny and malicious mischief prefer
ed against him by the Schaum broth
RS, who were able to get a warrant
rom the Office of Justice George P.
lissen. Dick Carnes, a deputy from
he sheriffs Office, accompanied by
Ohm LoOney, attorney for the gam
lers, placed Constable Schmid under
rrest.- simultaneously a writ of re-
levin was issued by Nissen and it was
erved by Constable Peter J. Hever- ,
ng. The replevin writ was secured