The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-28

Lo0|lE takes
LOST CAR HELD
1t CITY GARAGE
(co.tinnsa from F1rst psse.,
grand 1ury investigation" 70 estah-
lish Zach i fAct, DuPres asserted
that he .'neyer sold whisky any
where In Rock Island; didn't have
Z place for sale Of whisky, nor en-
ployed anyone 70 sell whisky the
frue hill set forth that = man known
only a. Louie. and sometimes IS
Louie. tho Wop", was employed
By DuPrez for that purpose
Lseaey Borswsr Car,
The Indictment against Cox and
Looney, charging them with lar
ceuy as bailee, alleges that Aug.
20. 1872, . Ford car Of $500 value
and q tire pump worth SO were
held In the police station in Rock
Island. The owner Of the property
was unknown, the car and pump
having been taken to the station
as stolen but unclaimed property.
Before 1t was identified it is charg-
ed that Looney borrowed" the car
with Cox's approval, for = couple
Of days.. The machine has never
been returned, nor is there any
trace Of it. The true bill does not
state where the machine is sup
posed to be, but it Is said that
Looney drove the car to his New
Mexico ranch. Conviction upon
this charge carries penalty OF
Imprisonment for an indeterminate
term to II years. Dave DeSmet
and August Kirsch, police officers
and L. H. Hazlett, Looney's former
editor, were witnesses in the case.
Louis Ortell, indicted on con-
fidence game charge, is said to have
"unlawfully, feloniously and fraud
ulently obtained" $500 from Jennie
Mills. The swindle occurred june
20, 1922, the indictment charges.
Jennie Mills and Fred Mills were
witnesses in the case.
OrtelPs Stock Deal
An alleged transfer of stock Ger
tif1cates in the Rock Island News
official publication of Rock Islands
underworld, figures in the conf
dence game charge against Louis
Ortell, it is understood. Ortell, it is
said, secured $500 from Jennie Mills
3O4 Twenty-second street, for a
800 certificate which had been de-
faced to read $500. The supposi-
ton is that Mrs. Mills submitted tc
the transaction in consideration Of
privileges granted by Rock Islands
immunity ring. Fred Mills, hel
son, was a witness to the deal.
From various sources it has beer
learned that the transaction was
more or less an independent under
taking on the part Of Ortell, who
having sunk thousands of dollars
of his money in the News, sought q
means OF unloading without the
knowledge of John Looney, pub
Usher and leader of Rock Island:
| underworld forces. However, it il
presumed that Ortell was careful Il
conceal this phase of the transac'
ton from his victim by leading hel
i to believe that the deal was ordered
| by Looney himself.
After getting his $500, Ortell re-
NAMED away from Mrs. Mills unit
the "blow-off" came When Ortei
became uneasy lest the story OF nj
secret deal with Mrs. Mills woul.
reach the ears of LOoney, he mad;
haste to inquire of Jennie whether
she had ever mentioned the subjec
to the king" Jennie assured hin
she had not, and Ortell cautionet
J her to remain quiet.
The books of the News show tina
| Ortell was one of the heavy stock
holders. There is no record tina
any dividends ever were paid. Or
tells visit to Jennie Mills is be
lieved to have been one OF the flrs
moves on his part to relieve him
self of the burden of worthless
| stock. No record of the alleged
transfer of stock privileges to Mrs
Mills occurs in the books. Mrs
Mills, of course, was not seriOusl.
perturbed over her failure to re
| ceive dividends or reports about thu
/ financial standing of the establish
ment.
| Nothing to Sell.
The states case against Ortell il
said to hinge on the fact that h
disposed of worthless stock. 1t viii
/ be commended before jury that h
| sold something of no value. He i
said to have represented to Mrs
Mills that the Rock Island New
shortly was to become a daily news
paper, and that its stock eastl,
commanded dividends ranging from
Z to 8 per cent. The state propose
/ to show that the News, lacking al
the essentials of a newspaper. wa
in reality no newspaper, and be
cause Of this to sell its stock on tn
claim that it was newspaper con
stituted felony.
| Conviction of a confidence charg
carries a penalty Of from one to !!
years in the penitentiary. Ortell i
| ro~orfod IN ho SicL in bod at hi
home, 1879 Eighteenth avenue, an'
unuable to appear in court to Civ
bonds of $4,000. Ortell is alread,
under $35, 5000 bonds in two previou
indictments. 1t is said he may hav
difficulty furnishing Few bonds an
L Il L. hsr h col