Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-11-10
THE ANSWER.


: When community is avalanched by
"a series OF crimes. there is only one
ANSWER: The police powers have not
ebeen giving to. that community the
tprotectIon they are sworn to AFFORD
land for which security the citizen
ship contributes in its annual taxation
Crimes, such as sluggings and hold
sups, in the majority of instances. are
introduced into cities OF the size of
Brock Island by crooks in quest Of
Ethe field OF least resistance
: There are white and black crooks
tdaily parading the streets of Rock Is
zland. They are not strangers TO the
-members OF the police department. II
they are. there ought to be few in
PRODUCTIONS. But the truth is they are
known TO the police. and. as a rule,
rare not molested.
These outsiders look upon Rock
sIsland as city where they can depend
supon getting "a square deal" in the
sevent they are so unfortunate as to
run afoul of the law. In the world
sof the crook by square deal" IL
tmeant that he will have some IN
thuence 20 TO the front for him James
Porter. the negro convicted of man
islaughter in the circuit court Satur-
day. was a divekeeper on Third ave
-nue when he killed a Mexican. The
sMexican visited the Porter resort be
cause there were women there. Por-
ter shot the Mexican dead and threw
flis body in an alley. The police pow
aers assuredly knew the character OF
establishment Porter was conducting.
gThey knew Porter was a bad man. and !
anight be expected to commit murder
10 he was crossed by another. In spite I
of the warnings OF The Argus that I
the black belt was a menace 10 the I
city. the police department Winked its .
eye at Porter-s dive.
IL present conditions are unchanged .
Porter may be looked for back in .
Rock Island at the end of his peni- .
fentiary term lie has been over the .
country. and he has not found city .
NShere II was easier for him and those 4
of his kind TO prosper.
- Too. the gambling crook Is again in .
U1r midst. II j. not the ordinary two
hit calibre. but the real red-vested. .
sparkler- bedecked. brOwn-derbied chap
who. standing In front OF a hotel on .
a sunny afternoon with his Chapeau .
slanted at an angle OF - degrees. and .
drawing satisfedIy at Havana might
be mistaken for owner Of a large slice
OF the earth. The gambler nOurished
hereabOut a few years ago. Sheriff
Bruner IL was who declared after his
election he would not tolerate tool
gambling. So our red-vested friend
was obliged TO seek other fields But
now he Is back and doing business
AZ the old stand. seemingly secure in
The enjoyment OF his recently restored
rights"
The point that The Argus f. getting
N Is that where crime L. openly car
ried on in a community, and the laws
are defed as they are I'm Rock Island,
r. Is known rule OF the underworld
first TO effect some arrangement where
by police annoyance is to be headed
or.
The Argus Is not IN position 10
charge that any such Arrangement has
been made here. but il does not hest
tate TO state that IL the police powers
% Rock Island are not being con
Quilted" they are passing Up a rich
bet
j Negro resorts. saloons with women's
auxiliaries. the most damnable Of all
kvil. and robbery gambling dens never
tnfest a community where they are
Dot welcomed. or at least tolerated.
By the police authorities. These dives
of.vice are breeding places OF crime ,
The criminals are importations. The
police know them They know their
taunts. There are trains every hour ,
Or so out OF Rock Island. when a crook
fets n police order 20 move he usually
lakes the hint When the owner OF q
aisorderiy resort IS instructed by the
better than TO disObey.
! year ago the moral standard OF
Rock Island was the best IL had been
p years Today IL has once more
reached the lowest possible ebb. Again
pFhat is the answer?
4 The most charitable explanation is
.hxity in the enforcement of the law
Perhaps the changed conditions are
fhargeable TO other circumstances In
my event the thugs. the crooks. the
confidence men. the footpads are here c
They are being run out OF CHICAGO {
md are looking for tbe welcome sign '
'nfesting any community they fleece 1
ne unwary. hold up the citizen on {
pc street. operate gambling that cheat I
md svtndle- They rob and murder. a
The personnel OF the police force B
= Rock Island today Is perhaps as 7