Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-09-29
COUNCIL SPENDS
HOURS DEBATING
SALOON MATTERS
Suspension of Van Acker Lii
cense Unsettled After Two
Long Sessions.
CHARGE OPENING SUNDAY
Held over for Third Meeting at Which
Testify Before Commission.

The matter of suspending for 10
days the license of Alois Van Acker,
who operates a saloon at 1901 Fourth
avenue. and the granting of the sa-
loon license for the place at 1907 Sec
ond avenue. which was closed several
weeks ago. occupied the attention OF
the city commission at the regular
session yesterday afternoon. at anoth-
81 formal session this morning, and
Will again be taken up al meeting
called for 7:3O o'clock this evening.
The city commissioners remained di-
vided on all propositions brought up in
connection with the two places. In the
case of the Alois Van Acker saloon, at
the formal session this morning the
mayor stood alone on the motion he
made to suspend the permit. Van
Acker was charged with selling drinks
in his place on Sunday. Sept 20. The
other four commissioners wanted more
testimony TO this effect. and this even
ing several whom it is claimed secured
intoxicants in the bar on that day will
be up before the commission TO testify
TWO Want Saloon.
In the question OF the granting or a
saloon license for the bar at 1907 Sec
ond avenue, a discussion which lasted
nearly as long as that on the Van
Acker place. took place
Ed Collier and William flannel, both
OF whom have conducted saloons here
before. wanted the place and yester-
day petitioned the council for it. When
the matter was taken up at the formal
session this morning Commissioners
Rudgren and Reynolds were for Pan
nell and against Collier. while Mayor
Schriver and Commissioner Hart were
for Collier and against Pannell- Com
missioner Bear voted against both
men.
Wants Place Closed.
The matter OF suspending Van
Acker's license was presented to the
council yesterday afternoon by Mayor
Schriver. He offered a resolution at
that time that the permit to run the
place be suspended ten days. charging
that last Sunday and the week before
the bar had been opened for business.
The mayor said that a man came TO
Chief OF Police James Brinn recently
and declared that he had lost his
watch in the place on Sunday, Sept 20.
He claimed that he had a fight in the
place at that time with a man named
McCaffery. He also told Chief Brinn
that during the brawl the wife OF the
saloon keeper stepped between the
two men and that the owner of the
bar also got into the fight.
The mayor stated that the man told
Chief Brinn that when the fight was
over his watch was gone. Chief Brinn
investigated the matter and attempted
TO get the brother OF Van Acker to the
city hall TO make statement but was
unsuccessful The mayor inferred that
the officials could not get the owner
to come TO the city hall, either, to
say anything.
But a Second avenue business man.
II was learned. had been in the place.
according 70 statements made by the
mayor 10 the council: that the former
testified TO the officials that he had
been in the bar tina. Sunday. and that
seven or eight rounds of drinks had
been purchased in the place.
Mayor Scnriver stated 10 the coun-
ell that there was no direct evidence
that there had been drinks sold in Van
Acker's saloon on this last Sunday.
but he understood that it had been
open for business. The mayor also
told the council that Commissioner
Rudgren had heard the statements
made BY the fellow who lost the watch
and the business man who claimed 10
have been in the saloon. and that the
commissioner could su5stantiate him
in what he had told the council Com
missioner Hart said that II was the
first he Lad heard OF the matter. since