Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-10
DIVES ARE AGAIN
OPEN AS BEFORE
Evidence That Low Places Call
ed Saloons Are Harboring
Street Walkers.
TIMELY ACTION NECESSARY
Better Element in Liquor Traffic
Against Resorts that Tolerate
Women and Gambling.

During the past few weeks informa-
ton has been coming TO The Argus to
the effect that Rock Island gradually
has been returning to the saloon ana
gambling conditions that prevailed un-
checked until the exposure inaugurated
through the columns OF The Argus
some months ago. 1t should be said
of Mayor G. w. McCaskrin
that at the time of The Argus
crusade he did much to cleanse the
situation, having caused to be ordered
from the city an army Of street walk
ers who we're harbored in the low sa-
looms Of the city, together with the
male Ieeches that subsisted off their
Legitimate earnings. Sheriff Edward
Kittilsen also took a hand in the
reformation. and, with his deputies,
conducted a raid on four public gam
bling houses, aTesting the proprietors
and hangers-on and confiscating and
destroying paraphernalia of an esu-
mated valuation of $4,000. One OF
the roulette wheels was found to be
'tdoctored," that is, the operator could
have the little ball stop at any number
that he chose by touching an invisible
wire attachment
Rock Island Was a Dumping Ground.
The concerted campaign of the
county and city officials left the city
in much bitter state morally
than 1t had been. When the red-light dis
trict of Davenport was closed through
an enactment of the Iowa legislature
making it compulsory upon city Off
n nP
nature complained of, Rock Is
land was selected as the haven
of the outcasts, and numbers of them,
both men and women, fiocked here.
Among the men were several gamblers
of more than local repute. Some of
them have been driven from every city
in which they have ever alighted as
soon as they were discovered. for they
are known as OF the crooked variety. It
is said that there are professional
gamblers who will at least give their
victims a square shake as against
their superior skill, but few of this
kind picked Rock Island as their new
home.
The latest echo of the local refor-
nation was the closing of several dis
orderly houses, all of the women re-
Giving orders from the city authori-
ties to leave these parts. 1t is stated
that these houses have not been re-
opened.
The women who held forth in these
hous did not all leave the city, how
ever, and some of them, it is currently
reported, are now to be found attached
to such of the saloons Of the city as
will harbor them. Others have adopt
ed the role of street walker. now that
the weather has become less severe,
and they can be found nightly patroll-
ing the streets of the business section
There are saloons which retain squads
of these women to boost the bar sales,
some of them having room accommo-
dations either above or adjoining the
saloons.
Not a Pleasant Task.
The Argus, as was announced in
connection with its former exposures
of immoral conditions in the city. dis
likes to go into details, but it certainly
will be obliged to do so in response
to well founded information lodged with
it if there is not another improvement. /
A saloon that cannot exist without a
woman's department should suspend. !
These places that harbor women are
not saloons. They are disorderly
houses and should be classed by the |
police authorities and dealt with ac- |
cording to law. There are men en- |
gagged in the conduct of saloons in |
Rock Island who would rather observe /
the laws. They take the position since |
they pay a license for dispensing /
liquors they should be protected as
against the low element that has /
broken into the business and is carry |
Ing on bars under false pretenses. !
These latter are conducting public dis |
orderly houses behind a saloon license, |