Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-12-14
S.a.e Parole Board Decides to Make
No Radical Change in
P0licy.
PROTESTS ARE TURNED DOWN
Superintendent Coivin Tries TO
Make 1t Appear There Is a
Newspaper FraMeun-

Pa-oled prisoners are rot nearly
so much OF a menace 10 the peace
and security of the community as
the public has been led to suppose,
according TO the evidence offered by
the Rock Island police department
a. the hearing before members of
the state parole board today.
AS a result the board decided to
make no radical change in its poll
cies aud the men from the prisons
viii remain here, despite the pro-
tests OF the Rock Island Chamber
Of Commerce. the Rock Island coun-
~ board OF supervisors, Rock Is
land Woman's club, Moline Com
merctaI club and number of other
twin-cjty organizations.
Not long ago the police were com
planning that the presence Of pa
rolled men made it impossible TO-
them 10 keep = grip on the local
situation AT 9he meeting today,
however, Commissioner j. II.
Liedtke passed the buck to Detec-
tive Tom Cox, and the latter de-
cfared the whole trouble is due to
newspaper agitation and so FAR
as he knew the paT0ied men did
hot have much 10 do with it
Recently Chief Phil Mi1:-r stated
that 20 paroled men had been ar
rested here at one time or another,
or about u per cent Of the entire
number working at the island. De-
tectiTe Cox testified that the num-
Der would amount TO only two per
cent. The chief did not attend the
hearing. Neither did Mayor Neon
ochie. who said he could he found
a. the city hall if anybody had any
business with him.
Rlames The Argus.
William Colvin, superintendent of
pardOns and paroles, read part OF
an article from The Argus at the
meeting today, which stated actual
facts as 10 the frame Of mind Of
citizens OF this city brought about
by reports Of crime as given out by
the police. and branded the article
as yellow journalism" He said it
was written with the intention OF
causing a reign Of terror.
Questioned by an Argus reporter
after the meeting as TO his reason
for dispU.ing the obvious facts OF
the case. Mir. Colvin flew into
rage and INDUCED in upprintable
language.
The meeting was held at the Rock
Island club. beginning at Il O'Clock.
d. T.. 4
that paroles Of prisoners IN some
cases woulu be reduced from a year
TO six months. thus making il pos
sible to remove them earlier than
you'd otherwise be done, and that
Tie policy Of gradually sending
them back to the places from which
they we're committed to prison
would be continued This. OF
course, means that there will be
no immediate nor radical reduction
in the number here.
The Rock Island Chamber of
Commerce. it was state Tlate today.
will stand pat on It's protest and
VIII carry the matter further, to
the governor, If necessary
Mayor VIII Protest. Too.
Before the meeting, Mayor Nc
Cgr0chie said: Regardless Of tie
decision reached Ty- members Of
organizations and the parole board,
/ will send 4 demand to Governor
Lcvden that Rock Island at leas-
be not imposed on by being forced
to take more parOled prisoners than
is its share"
For several weeks Mayor McCon-
ochie. Commissioner Juhl. Police
Chief Phil Miller. Detective Tom
Cox and members of the force have
repeatedly charged the newspapers
with shielding parole prisoners.
Members Of the police department
all along have held that the pa
rolled prisoners were respon sibIe for
most of .the crimes recently com
mitted.