Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-22
OFFICERS REFUSE TO PERFORM
SWORN DUTY; OUTSIDE HELP CALLED

vice have won out so far over the
Law and Order league and are
chuckling and defiant over their
success, Is an indisputable fact.
The events OF yesterday, involving
the arrest Of the Law and Order
| league sleuths, the terrific beating
administered to them in broad day
light in the business district and
their subsequent second arrest and
| incarceration indicate a purpose to
strike terror to the community and
to impress the people with the haz-
ard OF interfering with the gam
bling fraternity In the pursuit of its
business for which it declares it has
paid a license and which it proposes
to have the advantage OF. even IL
it comes to fighting. The informer,
of course, is always an unpopular
individual and generally gets his II
those whom he betrays get hands on
him, and the two men who have
come to Rock Island as the agents Of
the Law and Order league have
doubtless had similar experiences be-
fore. although their shedding In Rock
Island since the disclosures has been
rather rough.
More of the Gentry Arrive.
According to information, fresh
contingent OF gamblers arrived in Rock
Island one night this week from Hot
Springs, with a complete equipment Of
fixtures, preparatory to spending the
winter, and have as yet shown no dis
position to change their plans or to
move on. The gamblers are confident
that they have the situation in hand,
that they are well protected, and that
they will be here. as one Of them was
heard to say yesterday, after these
prosecutors that have no law on their
side have gone out Of business" Flu
ture developments will, OF course, DEM
onstrate whether the Law and Order
league is sufficiently resourceful to find
way to get the law into operation.
In without n Precedent.
Truly, conditions have come to q
pretty pass in Rock Island when the
gambler, defined by the law as a vas-
rant, is allowed to strut through the
streets, with his fingers under his arms.
and displaying his diamonds, and
respected citizen and taxpayer who dar-
ed to raise his voice against the viola
tor OF the law is under bond to answer
to charges preferred against him by
this same violator," remarked a citizen
last evening. THE arrest and incar-
ceration of S. C. Taylor yesterday was
an insult to decent society in Rock Is
land; a public Haunting OF the power
of the lawless over the law-abiding cit
izenship. 1 don't believe there is prec-
edent for the incident In any American
city. The professional gambler has no
standing before the law, and until now
has never resisted interference against
his business by legal process in Rock
Island county.
In Fear of Law Heretofore.
Heretofore. when he learned that
complaint had been registered against
him in a court OF law, he gathered as
much of his belongings as he could
carry and disappeared under cover Of
darkness, leaving his apparatus to the
mercy Of the authorities, knowing that
1t would be destroyed In accordance
with the provisions Of the law Of the
state. A retired gambler, in discuss
ing the situation with me, recalled
some years ago when his house was
raided and paraphernalia valued at S.
900 confiscated. He knew that he was
operating contrary to law, and was
grateful that the authorities allowed
him to escape prosecution. He saw
his $1,000 worth of gaming property go
up in smoke, and knew that he had no
legal grounds to stand upon in demand
ing that it be restored to him. Not so
with the gambler of today in Rock Is
land. He has been placed, through the
protection Of the county, and city au-
thorities, upon pedestal that has rails
ed him, in the eyes Of the law. as local
ly applied, head and shoulders above
the law-abiding citizen and taxpayer.
WHY, the thought causes one to shud-
der"
sneered at by Agents OF Law.
81 am a member OF the Law and
Order league" said another, land
had occasion to visit the justice Offices
where warrants were being ground out
at the instance Of the gamblers for the
arrests of men who were seeking the
enforcement Of the law. am a large
property owner and taxpayer in this
city, and I want to say to you that I
was made to feel by your city and
county officers and court officials as
though 1 was an offender against the
law. 1 was glanced at and ogled and
sneered at by these alleged representa-.
tives of the law as though I had COM
mitted some grave offense against law
and society, while the gambler and his
followers received courtesies that made |
1t all too apparent to me that the
latter were the ones who had |
the laws machinery on their |
side in this city. It's high time that the |
men of Rock Island we're getting to-
gether and putting down the lawless
element that has gotten control OF the |