Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-14

4412 Prairie avenue.
A Photographic copy of this promis-
sorry note, purporting to have been
given by Secretary Quitman Of the
Woman's Protective league to the
| former "vice king Familiarity
known as Mike the Pike"
Heitler, was exhibited by Attorney
Carl Waldron Of the committee of Is
| in support of the charge that Louis
NJ. Quitman, ostensibly an ardent re-
former, had close relations with peo-
pie against whom he is supposed to
be fighting
Quitman was not present when the
note was exhibited to the council COM
mittee which is investigating the prob
lem of segregation. His attorney was
there, however, and he said: "Mr.
Quitman says the note is a forgery
and that the whole thing is frame
up"
This was greeted with jeers from
the room full Of reformers. And then
Attorney WaldroR added to his
charges.
81 know of eight more such notes
outstanding" he said, each for $780,"
Waldron then introduced a copy of
a letter sent out by Quitman to prom
inent men referring to his organiza-
ton and asking them to appear at
the council hearings.
Later in the evening Quitman made
public a formal statement in which
he said:
The note exhibited by Mr.. VALID
ron to the council committee, claimed
to have been signed by me and given
to Michael Heitler, is an absolute
forgery, and was designed to ruin my
; reputation, as 1 will show in lawful
, manner if it's owner will commence
suit upon it and give me an oppor-
, tunity to disprove it by sworn testi-
mony. l challenge such owner to
commence such suit and thereby OBJ
tain for himself the opportunity of
proving its execution by me if he can
by sworn testimony.
When l was engaged in an investi-
, CATION of a story that Heitler was col
lecting graft from the west side dis
orderly houses for a certain police
official. now off the force, my inves-
, tigation became too warm for the com.
fort of Heitier, and he personally met
!, me and told me he would get me-
il l did not let up l defied him.
Some days later he came to me
and said, with a sheer, that he would
be obliged if l would pay my note.
, but never exhibited it to me. l told
him he was a liar, that he had nc
note of mine. l ordered him out OF
the office.
Later l learned that Heitler was
" giving Laurence Richey, chief inves
!. tigator for the commission, some Sc
! cret information. l happened upor
;. Heitler coming from a conference with
,. Richey. He suspected that l knew
+ what he was doing and once agair
a l heard of the note.
1.-TWO weeks ago a man claiming to
represent Heitler came to my Office
and spoke of the note. He said
q could have it for $3.50 without pay
e ment if l would not attack the immora
r flats, of which Heitler has a dozen o.
g more. Again they sought to inter
/ fere with my work in the interest o
the public. This man went out of the
office quicker than he entered anC
since then l have been frequently ovel
A the phone.
THE note was shown to Miss MARY
Balcomb, secretary of the Young Peo
pies Civic league. She tells me tina
it is not my handwriting. Heitle
owns IL disorderly houses in Gary
Ind, and IA immoral fats on tn,
west side, according to his boasts"
A score of advisors appeared befor,
the council committee and the adTic,
was all in one direction, against seq
regation. Among those who spcS
against the system were Jane Adams
Mrs. Joseph T. Bowen, Miss Maud
Miner of New York, Miss Virgins
Brooks, Father P. ]. OCallaghan, Al
torney Carl Waldron, the Rev. Jenkfi
Lloyd Jones, Rufus S. Simons, d.
= Thomas Kelly, Attorney John s. Ham
a mond of Des Moines, and Mrs. Gel
3 trude Howe Button.
q THE foes of this evil have decide,
Z to form an organization" said Mis-
Adams, ''and will lend its assistanc
in every possible way"
& Miss Adams did not care to spea1
at length, but was content to max
81 her announcement of intended actor
6 She introduced Mrs. Bowen, presi
= dent of the Juvenile Protective assc
81 citation.
e ITO permit segregation" said Mrs
Bowen, 'is for the city to assume tn
role Of procurer 1t is blot on ever
city where it exists today. 1t lega
& ICES the very evil which it is intende
10 control. And its existence ia a COZ
IA slant temptation to thousands O
Il working girls who are discourage
by the low wages they receive in Iegi
q innate employment"
81 Miss Virginia Brooks invited tn
committee to go to West Harmon
and see for themselves the great in
q provement effected by the closing c
II the public dives. west Hammond
a CITY that Indiana will he nroud NJ