Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-09-18
AUTO ORDINANCE
STUMpINc CHIEF
Can't Find Way of Filming Owner
Unless He is in Car at Time
Of the Violation.
DEPARTMENT HEAD Is PEEvED
Delivers TItimatum TO P0ssesser of
Machine That He WIN Be
Arrested Next Time Here.

Chief Of Police Phil Miller delivered
a lecture from his bench beside Po-
lice Magistrate C. J. Smith in police
court this morning, And when the
chief delivers a talk from the bench.
there is usually some occasion for it..
This morning it was in the form of an
ultimatum.
His declaration Of hostilities was di-
rected to W. P. Hageb0eCks Daven-
port, and was TO the effect that the
entire police force would be On the
lookout for his car. bearing iowa IL
cense number 1892. The chief was
peeyed because the ends of justice
could not be met"
The owner Of a car which last We'd
nesday night. it is charged, broke all
former speed records on the streets Of
this city, travelling SO fast that off
Gals could only get the number, but
could not identify the occupants Of the
machine. was in court and denied that
be was in the machine. said ne could
establish an alibi, and declared he did
not know who had his machine that
night
And after the chief looked up the
law with the magistrate, they discoy-
cred that there was nothing in either
the statutes or the city ordinances up
on which the owner Of a car could be
held for speeding unless he was in
the machine at the time.
Speeding On Avenue.
The car when the alleged speed
ing occurred was travelling on Sew
enth avenue west. Particularly fast
time was made between Forty-sec0ud
and Thirty-eiEhth streets. Police Mag
istrate Smith and his clerk. Albert
Letdet, were in q iilbus. They saw the
car and the magistrate ordered the
jitbus driver to follow it. AT that
time they said It was going so fast that
they could not even get the number,
let alone see who was in the car. They
said that the jitbus made 80 miles an
hour, but was lost by the Daven-
port machine. They also stated that
it was only through congestion Of traf-
fc on the Rock island bridge that they
were able to catch mp with the car
close enough To get fhe number.
Thursday Hasehoeek was arrested
and brought into police court He gave
bond fer hearing this morning. and
appeared at that time with an att0r-
neT It was then that the denial was
made by him that he was ira the car.
The police tried hard TO find ont who
was in the machine at the time, but
the owner professed ignorance Of who
had the auto that night
The police then preferred charges
against the owner, but the attorney
called the attention Of the authorities
that the owner could not be held re-
sponsibte unless be was iu the car.
The chief declared TO the attorney
that unless the present case. was setG-
led up and a fine paid for the violation
The car could not come ON this side
of the river without the occupants .
getting into trouble.
"Il get them" said the chief. "if
l have TO station a man at the via
duct ana watch for them. Somebody's +
going to pay for that speeding. sooner I
or later, We don't want to hang them, (
but we've got some speed ordinances
over here that have got TO be observed .
and people are not going TO be killed t
on the streets by speeding automobiles +
If this police department can prevent. +
Sc you'd better stay on the other side
Of the river with that car of yours. be- /
cause you've got it coming the first
time we catch you over here"