Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-06-21
TAFT SHOOS COPS
OFF FROLIC LAY
Sheriffs Instructed Not to In
terfere With Press Club
Prize Fight" Friday.
PUNCHING is THREATENED
Washington Member Tells Bruner
and Eckhardt to Keep On Gov
ernment Preserves

The entertainment committee of
the Tri-City Press club, in charge OF
the arrangements for the gridiron
frolic aboard the steamer, Morning
Star, next Friday evening, issued the
following statement today:
Sheriff o. -. Bruner of Rock Is
land and Sheriff Louis Eckhardt of
Davenport, on the strength Of a ru-
NOR that there is to be prize
fight" presented as a feature of the
gridiron program, served notice on
the Tri-City Press club entertain
ment committee last night at its
meeting at the Davenport CONNER
cial club that If an attempt were
made to stage such affair the per-
formers and spectators all would be
placed under arrest and dealt with
according to law.
BOTH HAVE TICKETS.
eve have both purchased tickets"
said Sheriff Bruner, acting as spokes-
man, land we will be on board the
steamer each accompanied by a
squad of deputies. We are frank
to admit that we have not been able
yet to get at the inside of your plans,
but we have heard enough to justify
us in warning you in advance in or
der that you will not have occasion
TO feel aggrieved in the event of our
interference. You know my reputa-
ton over in Rock Island county. /
have become such a confirmed oppon-
ent of the scrapping game that the
other night l got out a warrant for
q fellow when ! was told he was
fighting the booze. Sheriff Eckhardt
has crossed palms with me over the
big stream, and he is heartily in &C
cord with my policies. Why, boys,
he has grown so arbitrary in his
views that he called out the city
patrol one day last week and had
pair of fighting chickens pinched.
But, be that as it may, I want you
to plainly understand what we have
told you. We sincerely hope that
unpleasant duty"
TAFT SAYS HANDS OFF.
Confronted by rather an embar-
RAISING situation, in view of prom
ises made to those who had secured
tickets for the frolic, the commit
tee saw that immediate measures
were imperative, and accordingly
wired President William H Taft, an
honorary member OF the Tri-City
Press club, for counsel and inter
vention, explaining fully the circum-
stances in a telegram that was rush
ed to him last night. This morning
the following reply was received:
Washington, June 21.-President
Tri-City Press club Rock Island III
I am sending you my check for $25,
for which kindly reserve me tickets.
BY mail am forwarding you names
of those to whom desire the tickets
presented with my compliments. I
am also wiring the two sheriffs to
keep hands off, inasmuch as your en-
tertainment, as I understand, is to
be held in the middle OF the Mississ-
ippi. beyond the Jurisdiction of abut-
ting counties, or of your states Of
Iowa and Illinois.
PROTECTION GUARANTEED.
] accept you at your word that the
exhibition" is 20 be wholly scien-
tific, and that It will not take the
form Of a brutal or vulgar affair.
OF course, ! can't guarantee against
possible indiscretions by your sher-
iffs. but I have given orders that you
should have the use of Rock Island
arsenal for your program in case
that these officers should see fit to
disregard my instructions They
viii be dealt with by me later. Best
wishes for good time. and only