Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-03-30
CHARGES OF WOOD
STRONGLY DENIED
BY AUTHORITIES
Denounce Statement Inspectors
Approved Plans Underground
Passage.
TO NOTED "DEN OF VICE.
Claim Officials Had No knowledge of
Hidden Entrance to Saloon
Motive Is Attacked.

! prosecutor IOT the grand jury ana IeaQ-
er of the local option forces in Moline.
is alleged to have made in a recent
address in the city, is taken by men,
bers of the city commission.
In his remarks he is said to have
made the statement that an under
ground entrance TO a local dance hall,
was built after permit was issued by
the city and that the building and
electrical inspectors approved of the
plans for the den of vice"
Mayor H. NJ. Schriver today strong
ly denied the assertions and stated
that the following resolution would be
presented at the meeting of the COM
mission this afternoon:
! Whereas, An article published by
the Rock Island Union under date of
March q, 1914, purports to cover the
proceedings of a public meeting held
in the Rock Island Roller Skating Rink
on the evening of March 16, 1914, at
which one George w. Wood of Moline
was one of the speakers who address
ed the audience,
And Whereas, Said article above re-
! ferred to quoted said Wood as having
publicly uttered at said meeting the
following statement, to-wit: Your
city says we are not treating it right,
yet the underground entrance to the
dance hall (meaning Rice's dance
halD which was operating in this city
was built upon permit issued by the
city. Your building inspector visited
the hall and your electrical inspector
inspected the electrical wiring for that
den of vice. The hall was reached by
an underground passage and the only
entrance to this place was through a
saloon. An electrical piano with full
orchestra attachments was equipped
in the place, and people passing on the
street ten feet from the hall were I'M
aware of it's existence"
No Entrance to Saloon.
And. Whereas, AS shown by the rec
ords of the building inspector, on the
21st day of June, 1913, one George B. |
Garwood was issued a permit to make
certain alterations in the basement of
the dwelling house located at 2103
Fourth avenue, owned by William
Rice, said alterations not to exceed |
the expense of $500; that said base
ment was altered as per the permit |
and inspected on the 21st and END |
days of June and the 10th day of July,
1913, and as per the statement of said
Stapp in open council, at that time
there was no entrance or passageway
through or from any saloon, neither
was a permit granted by said Stapp
for the building or constructing of
any entrance or passageway into the
basement of the house known as 2103
Fourth avenue, from said saloon, nor
was any such entrance or passageway
contemplated to the knowledge of said
Stapp.
And. Whereas, AS shown by the rec
ords of the electrical inspector, on the
18th day of August, 1913, permit was
issued to one Martin McNealy to do
certain electrical work in the base
ment of the building known as 2103l
Fourth avenue in said city, said cleo
trical work being inspected by Vincent
Murphy, electrical inspector of the
city of Rock Island, on the 21st day of
August, 1913, and as per the state
ment of said Murphy in open council,
at that time there was no entrance into
said basement from the saloon, under
ground or otherwise, neither was there
at that time or any other time a per-
NIT issued to do electrical work in or
on any underground entrance or pas
sageway from the basement of said /:
building to said saloon, nor was any .
such entrance or passageway contem-
plated to the knowledge of said Muir
ply, or to the knowledge of any city
official.
And, Whereas. The only entrances
to said basement at the time of said
were on the north side of
the dwelling house known as 2103
Fourth avenue through furnace room
and on the west side from Twenty
first street from the porch by means
Of a stairway.
And, Whereas, The title or slug-head
% said article contains in bold type
Building Inspector and Electrical In
spector o. KID den of vice." thereby 1
Oy innuendo seeking to convey the i'm
preston to the public that said alleg- l
I'd den OF vice and said alleged under
ground passageway or entrance was l
by and with the knowl-
edge and consent of said building in
ipector, electrical inspector and city |
officials for the purpose therein al
eyed.
Question Motion.
And, Whereas, We the city council
If the city of Rock Island in regular
session assembled, having implicit
confidence in the honor. loyalty, integ-
.ity and efficiency of our building and L
electrical inspectors. do hereby siren
lously protest against the utterances
# the said Wood above referred to and
hat portion of the article above re-
erred TO as printed in said paper. and
hat we charge that said statement by
aid Wood and saidDcaption of said
rticle above referred to were not ut
cred from pure or honest motives. but
we're uttered without any investiga-
ion of city records for the purpose OF
the impression TO the pub
ic that the alleged underground en-