Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-15
SHERIFF OFFICE
WILL Be PLACED
ON LAWFUL BASIS
To he Conducted According to Stat.
utes FIRST Time Since 0rgani-
zaii0n Of County.
BOARD N ADJOURNED TO JAN. -
Supervisors 10 Hold Session to Settle
Question Then County 10
Pay Baiiins.

sheriff ia expected 10 turn in report {
citing the receipts and expenses Of
his Office at the adjourned session Of
the board Of supervisors TO be held
Jen. 20. The board adjourned at {
O'Clock last evening 10 meet again
next month for the purpose Of giving
that and other important matters
proper consideration.
This action of the supervisors came
after four hours OF heated debate on
The subject OF the legal management
OF the sherif's office, which accord
ing to a statement Of States Attorney
+. +. Thompson. has been run &C
cording TO custom rather than accord
ing to law
The matter was first brought up at
Yesterday mornings session OF the
board Just before Adjournment and
vas resumed when the supervisors
reconvencd at O'Clock. the meeting
being called promptly for that pur-
pose, The Judiciary committee on the
question Of hiring two jail0rs, which .
the sheriff had previously requested, .
reported that on advice of the states .
attorney II was found that it could not I
pay for tae two iailors from the gen
eral fund
Thompson Explains.
In the debate that followed the re-
port of the judiciary committee States
Attorney Thompson was called on for
legal advice, and he addressed the
board for an hour and a half citing
supreme court decisions and giving
the supervisors q clear understanding
OF Just what the law required in the
conduct Of the sherih's Office II was
during this discussion that he de-
clared "the sherif's Office has been
run according 10 custom rather than
according 70 law" The states attor
ney gave detailed explanation of
just what a sheriff is. deputy sher
IN, a bailtff and 4 constable and just
what the duties Of each is, or should
be, according to the true interpreta
ton Of the law. He also related what
fees and pay each OF The foregoing is
entitled 10 under the law. He pointed
out that bailin Is an officer under
the sheriff at the direction OF the court
and Is entitled 10 So per day for his
services az such, and his charge for
same should be made TO the general
fund Of the county. States Attorney
Thompson made IL very clear that
should deputy sheriff be used as a
bailiff he would not be entitled to col
lett a double salary for the day or
days he served as such, that Is, he
could not turn in a bill to the sheriff's
office for 81 for the day as deputy
sheriff and SO for the day as bailiff
TO the county general fund, making a
\ total OF 81 for the day. According to
States Attorney Thompson the bailiff
is appointed at the direction of the
court and all charges for such serv-
ices rendered must be submitted 10 the
Judge at whose direction he was
named. II is then up to the Judge to
approve the bill and submit it to
the board OF supervisors, when it can
be paid from the county general fund
Must BE Self-Sustaining.
The law was again cited by the
states attorney to show that the sher-
ITS Office must be self-sustaining
that its expenses must be within ar
amount equal to the total of its re
ceipts IN fees collected In answer Il
question IL this or that couldn't bC
done otherwise as in other counties II
lllonis and some in Iowa, States At
torney Thompson replied:
Because the Law is being violated
in other counties, is that reason whl
Rock Island county should also con
tinue to violate the law? The law pro
vides that the sheriff's Office shall b,
self-sustaining and that the sheriff
shall make semi-annual report Il
the board Of supervisors OF the ex
penses and receipts OF his office. Thi
has never been done in this county
and although l pointed out TO tn
board of supervisors at the Septem
Der session the lawful procedure
nothing has been done. u al
amounts to this: Either the board o
supervisors is going to continue t
dodge the law or II Is going to chang
the system of dealing with the sher
IFS Office TO conform with the law
Placed On File.
AT close Of States Attorney Thomp
sons statement IL was moved that tn
report of the judiciary committee b
received and placed on file Thi
brought an objection from supervise
Child who declared the report Shout
either be adopted or rejected Afte
considerable debate the report was re
GtlNeu anu HldCtu Gu me ny Wv
voce vote of the supervisors. The sher
iff's communication that he be al
lowed two guards was received an
placed on file. That matter brougt
on another lengthy discussion durin
which Sheriff George II. Richmon
referred to certain sections OF stat
utes TO support his contention tina
the law provided for such assistant
IL was contended the extra help an
compensation for same YVES necessar
in the dieting of prisoners at the cour
~ Jail. The supervisors were not il
clined 10 take any definite actio
without proper investigation in the al
sence of part of the Jail committe'
Whereupon Supervisor Fred Graflun
of Moline made motion that the ia
and jail accounts committee be auth
orized to pay the actual cost of en-
ployes necessary in the dieting oftpri.
oners, such cost not to exceed 500 Dc
month, and that the committe be il
structed to prepare report for ii
next session OF the board OF supervi.
ors to determine fair amount to pa,
This motion was adopted after prev
ious motion by Supervisor Graflun
that the board adjourn to Jan. % ha
been passed.
Then on motion of Supervise
Craflund the board recessed for !