Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-05-16
BRIDGE GUARDS
STOP HAlTlNC
OF MACHINES
+. y. -ar>haiS Threatened With
Guard House While Beer Goes
BY Into Iowa
ARSENAL OFFICERS ORDERS
said That Soldiers, Acting Without
Authority, Have Made Raids
OF Their Own.

Rock Island United States deputy
ns-shaIs last night on Fort Arm
stroug avenue were given orders by
fre trCgs guard TO the effect that
no searching or stopping OF street
cars or automobiles would be per
7aitted, under orders issued by Cap
tain 4. X Chandler, in charge OF
the bridge guards.
Deputy Msrshals were on the is
land At 70 clock last night prepar-
ed 10 arrest all who carried liquor
upon government property and
those who attempted TO smuggle it
10 Davenport
one street car and an autOmO-
bile were stopped and searched and
then the guard at the south end of
the main bridge ordered the dep
mites TO stop work, saying that or
fers had been issued to him by
Captain Chandler to the effect that
no marsuals were to be allowed to
work on the island unless the cap
tain was present.
Colonel Norman F Ramsay, act
ing cOmmaudant of the arsenal in
colonel Leroy Hillman's absence,
this morning stated 10 an Argus
representative that he had no
knowledgs of the issuing of any or
ders which would interfere with
the efforts of the marshals to stop
the smuggling of liquor across the
island
Federal officers rems ned on Fort
see -ng 81 least two cars heavily
loaded with what evidently was
beer pass by on their Journey to
Davenport. One car in particular
contained cases of beer which were
n plain view The marshals were
without power to act The cars
and their loads were allowed to
proceed to bone dry" territory IN
nolested.
Guard is Emphatic.
In max ng his orders more effec-
tive, the bridge guard informed the
men that searching would be car
ried on only over his dead body"
and If need be he would call a de
tschment Of soldiers to place the
deputy marshals in the guard
house.
The marsha's could do nothing
but wait for further orders Cap
tain Chandler was finally commun-
icsted with. He informed the guard
that under no circumstances were
[. s. marsbals to search or stop
cars unless he in person was there
or granted permission.
Following The raid on the island
Saturday night the guard claimed
that he was forced to order sol
diers OF of Fort Armstrong ave
nue. after they had persisted in
stopping and searching people for
l'Qnor after the marshals bad left
It IS said that the soldiers obtain
ed no small amount of wet goods
in this fashion. giving the impress
sion that they were acting under
orders.
Soldiers never have been used to
enforce Hqu0r regulations in civil
territory Colonel H'lIman. in ad-
dressing the Tri-City Press club
rot long ago made it clear that this
is the policy of the war department
oA tii7 matter anu q 'tiOiStu ti0
NEWSPAPERS for printing stories
which might lead readers to con-
clude other wise. Since that time
soldiers have been present under
their officers when raids on island
traffic were being carried on by
The I. s. marshals. but they were
there merely to police the avenue
and 70 do guard duty. They did not
make arrests or do any searching
If they have done either it was on
their own initiative and laid them
selves open to disciplinary meas
U-es thereby.