The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-12-22
G||l Nd jury Ends VICE PROBE IAB0RS:
UPR00TS EVIL GROWTH OF 20 YEARS
Grand Jury's Crime
Warning to People

The Rock Island county grand jury, in presenting
its final report yesterday afternoon in the circuit
court offered the following statement to Judge N A.
Larson:
The grand jury of the September term, 1922, has
been in session for the past three months The MUIR
der Of William Gabe was under consideration by the
jury when John Connor Looney was murdered on
Oct. 6, 1922, in Market square in the presence of
hundreds Of citizens Of Rock Island. The general
crime condition eliminating in these gang murders
brought about crisis in which the grand jury Joined
with leading citizens of the community in request
that the Hon. Edward ]. Brundage attorney general
of Illinois, assume charge of the inquiry before the
grand jury and the prosecutions to follow. Upon the
presentation of the existing facts to him and upon
report by his representative who visited Rock Island
the attorney general accepted the responsibility and
appeared in person before this grand jury. He for
mally placed Thomas Marshall of the Chicago bar in
charge of the investigation. An adjournment was
taken to give investigators opportunity to ascer
tain certain facts and on Nov Fl, 1922, the grand
wards of two hundred witnesses have been heard by
the grand jury. These witnesses have laid before
this body deplorable state Of affairs The indict
mentS returned cover but part of the crime that has
been committed in this county during recent years.
The head of the criminal fofces-John p Looney
has been indicted for murder and many other fell
onies. His operations as lawyer editor and over
lord of vice and crime have been extensive that it
has been impossible to hear all the cases involved
His control of the police and other executive depart
mens and his peculiar editorial policy brought about
-
citizens paid tribute rather than face attack in the
Rock Island News. The evidence shows that the city
jail WIS used rs means 6f dufess the extortioh
of money from respectable people as well as from
the denizens Of the underworld. The habitual vio-
ssors of the law were kept at point near poverty
by the. constant tribute they were required to pay
These people were constantly victimized by their
lawyers and pretended friends.
The indictments now on file speak for themselves
Both the major murder cases, that of William Gabel,
deceased, and John Connor Looney, deceased, have
been covered by indictment, and the grand jury has
indicted the former chief of police of Rock Island
the present city attorney, the police magistrate and
numerous persons associated with them. True bills
have been returned against number of keepers of
disorderly houses The crime condition is thus in part
exposed to public view. The evidence will be
brought into court in due time The attorney general
DuPage county, Illinois, to try the cases now pend
ing There is still much work to be done and the
grand jury feels that the board of supervisors should
at once make provision for meeting the necessary
expense in this regard by adequate appropriation.
The grand jury feels that this inquiry advanced
thus far by the sacrifice of time and effort of the
members of this body should be continued by sue
ceeding grand juries until the crime growths of 20
years be uprooted.
This grand jury has returned indictments and
developed testimony upon which dsbarment of three
attorneys is based and has broken into the crime
protected fortress We depend upon the board of
supervisors and the courts to finish the task
The grand jury desires to commend the attorney
general, Edward J. Brundage, and his associates,
Thomas Marshall of the Chicago bar, and H. S.
Mosher, chief investigator, for their conscientious
and successful work done in Rock Island county.