Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-09-20
COMMISSIONER PALMER
OFFRS CHIEFTANCY
T,WESTCoTT
REFUS6 To SERVE
SITTING OF CHARGES AGAINST
POLICE GCS WELL UNDER
WAY IND IDUAL MEMBERS
TO BE MAE TO STAND "AClD"
TEST DURIS INQUIRY.

One Of th0iggest inve9tiga ations
into civic affai is being made today
by the city ofiials into the workings
of the local pGe force. Each office"
is being inveSated separately and
any who are und guilty Of any In
discretions wilbe discharged. While
rumors were ;oat today that several
OF the patrolnn had been dismissed
Commissioners Public Health AMI
Safety Dana Palmer branded this
story as falsand stated that it was
not likely an of the o,licero would
be dropped tGy.
The city i&ithout police chief,
following thelismissal OF James f..
Grove yesteny. The post was Of
ficially tendeh to Harry s. Westcot',
a deputy sheff and former member
OF the police orce, by COMMISSIONS:
Palmer and dayor George V, b.
Weeks last NIT.
Rnees Offer.
Mr.. Westco refused the offer, but
was given uni s o'clock this morn
ing TO defnitg make up his mind.
This morning e again refused to ac-
ccpt the post, s he is at present EN-.
ployed by the tate in the waterway
department.
II is likely successor for CHIEF
Grove will not selected until some
time tomorrow
Names of may innocent persons
have been draw into the scandal by
unauthentic rulbrS, most of which
are entirely grosdless, but are Great
ing no small abunt of excitement.
These rumors ar being run to earth
and investigatedNy the officials.
All OF the patflmen were on duty
today. and no irther suspensions
pending the outctle Of the investiga.
tions have been nde.
Would Redre Own Pay.
While admittint he had been Of
fered the chieftmcy, Mr.. Westcott
said that he couldnot afford to take
the place, as gratful as he was fol
the tender.
'T now hold position with the
state that pays II better salary
than is allowed tn, chief of police o
Ottawa" said MrWestcott, and
can see no reasonwhy | should at
tempt a new job ad one of the frs
acts do is reduceny own wages
At the present the Mr.. WestCott
who has long beef mentioned as ;
possible success tt ex-Chief Grove
noldg a position as ssistant superviS
ing inspector of thGIllinois and Mich
igan canal, his enjoyment being un
der the Illinois denrtment of publi
works and buildings
Sheriff Still t Liberty.
While governors, electives, Judge
and plain policemen ave been fallin
into the clutches of the law, willis
bold bad bandits anderson fiends su
fering Of pyromania, roam the heatf
er in pursuit of theirlniquitous form
of happiness untouchd by the Ion
stern arm of the righteous, me-
series of wild rumors were set adri
in Ottawa last night this time Ol
Woman Gossip takinga healthy swim
at the county's sleutRng department
"The report that | am prisoner {
the county Jail is geatly exagga
ated" soliloquized Sheriff Ayers wit
true Mark Twainishnlss, from h
desk in the court houe today.
In the heat of the eSitment yeste
day, when in Ottawa tie police fore
skeleton was being ratthd in the wal
of a scandal involving some of i
members, the report gd out that Il
sheriff had been arrested. Cause f
his arrest was given tlat wine al
hootch barrels taken by him in reec
raids were found to be filled wi
water, their original contents havil
gone the way of all good and b
liquors.
The arrest Dame Rumor said h
been made by the coroner.
So far there has been no warran
no arrests and the sheriff is not
prisoner in his own !ail. No indie
tions can be found that warrants a
or have been contemplated.
All the liquor ever seized by
sheriff in his raids is intact at
county Jail, where it has been stor