Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-10-29
RIOT STAGED IN
E. M. PHARMACY
Prominent Business Ban and Two
Uniformed Men Clash Over
Closing Order.
SOLDIERS FOREHEAD CUT
Crowd Threatens To Mob Ben II.
Cox, Who Is Held on Charge of
Assault With Deadly Weapon.

Two hundred people congregated
in front of the Cox Drug company
at Ninth street and Fifteenth ave
nue.. East Moline, last evening. in
tending to mob its manager, Ben r.
Cox. Those implicated in a riot
which started the movement, be-
sides the manager of the drug store,
were Private Leo Nevaw, of the
Rock Island arsenal, and H. H.
Siebke, of the medical department
Of the arsenal and proprietor of a
drug store directly opposite the
company pharmacy. The results
Of the miXup are: Private Nevaw
is badly slashed on the forehead
above the left eye and Cox was re-
leased under $4,000 bonds furnished
by his brother, H. R. Cox, proprie-
tor of the drug store, of which the
former was manager.
1t appears that the muss started
over the misiDterpretation of the 5
o'clock closing order. Sunday
Siebke and Cox had an argument
concerning the selling of cigars,
soft drings, etc, on Sundays. The
discussion subsidized and the mat
ter was dropped Monday evening
at s o'clock Siebke with Leo Nevaw.
entered the Cox drug store and
again the argument as to right to
remain open arose between the two
druggists. Cox then asked an East
Moline police officer, who happened
to be on the corner at the time, to
arrest the two uniformed men. The
officer refused and ordered the SOL
Giers out of the store and told Cox
TO attend to his business 1t is al
legged that the terms Stacker" and
yellow" were interChanged in the
discussion between the men,
Reaches for Razor.
One hour later the uniformed men
again entered the Cox store and it
is alleged that after Cox had or
Cered them out, and upon the re-
fusaI of the men to move, Cox took
a razor from a showcase and reach
ed toward Siebke. The soldier came
between the men and as a result re
ceiVed a deep cash above his left
eye At this time nearly two hun
dred onlookers had gathered. The
police were called and Cox was
placed under arrest. The soldier
was given medical care and return
ed to his post. The door of the Cox
store was locked as the crowd gath
cred Several hundred people fol,
lowed the police as the prisoner
was taken to the station with
threats to mob him. The crowd was
not dispersed and order reorganized
till ! o'clock this morning
This morning the front of the Cox
store was daubed with yellow paint
and the Siebke store was decorated
with two flags. At the hearing this
morning, Collin Dewrose, brother
in-law of Cox. testified that the lat
ter had been drinking. 1t was also
alleged that the other men impli-
Gated in the affair were not entirely
sober The charge against Cox is
assault with a deadly weapon.
Owner Left Orders.
H R Cox this morning stated
that he was out of town at the time
the trouble happened and that be
fore he had left town, he cOmmun-
icated with officials of Moline to
ascertain whether his interpreta-
ton of the closing order was cor
rect. Upon the affirming of his
view of the order, his brother was
authorized to abide closely by it.
1t is said that at the time of the
trouble. Aldermen w. H Wilcox
and Albert Smith were on their
way to arrest Ben Cox for violat-
ing the edict.
The case was continued for 10
days in the East Moline police
court this morning.
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