The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-14

II / former Rock Island bootlesger
- been an interested observer o.
" developments following the
80 announcement Of city and
.-r,y officials that they were to
~ Rock Island to : moral clean
\ = have Just learned that the POI
~ have issued orders that there !
y q = 8 no more card playing IN the !
.,.sy stoees," said the former boot
,ssrer. That's nothing but back
A. from the vice ring. which is |
s0rirming under the exposure that
M folaoWed the Gabel murder. The
rolfce department. IL not fooling
snybody with this childish stun. It's
meant as persecution. to punish
those Who might find some diver
1ion in an innocent game of cards
While down town in the evening, so
that they will Join in the favorite
chorus Of the vice gang that q
few reformers are trying to kill the
Town. Let me tell you while we
are talking about this business Of
killing the town that more in that
direction has been done by that
band Of crooks than II 1t had been
bit by a cyclone. They have got the
town in such moral tangle that a
respectable citizen hasn't got
chance when it comes to a question
between him and one under the
wing of the protection bunch.
Il know what l am talking about.
Understand, l have no axe to grind,
for I am no longer in business.
opened soft drink bar in Rock.
Island alter the prohibition law was
put in effect. l am a citizen and
taxpayer. OF course l knew that l
couldn't make my expenses unless
I cheated-that Is, sold some hard
liquor on the quiet. After / had
been running few days one of the
fxers dropped in on me. He COM
plimented me on the appearance of
my place and asked me how l was
getting along. / told him that
business was rather slow, but Lex
pected it to pick up after l had
been going a little longer. He as
sured me that with my acQuaint-
ance there was no reason why /
shouldn't have a fat bank roll in
side OF year.
News Is Broken.
Then he broke the news to me.
! was supposed to contribute to the
protection pot. l was assured if
l did that l would be immune from
prosecution either by the city,
county or federal governments.
was told that If any complaints
were made against my place they
would receive no Official attention.
The fixer seemed to be talking au-
thoritatively, and l agreed to pay
the price. Bless your soul, the next
week l was bumped off by a fed
eral prohibition officer. l paid a
stiff fine.
After another week had elapsed
the fixer came to me again. He was
sorry that l had been caught, but he
assured me that in due time such
arrests would be a thing of the
past in Rock Island. The machin-
cry was working better every day,
and it was only a question of time
until the bootleggers would be run
ming as openly as the bars did in the
days when they paid city licenses.
The fixer reminded me had one of
the best stands in the city, and that
would not have any more COM
petition in my neighborhood, that
1t had been decided to limit the
number of soft drink bar licenses in
order to give those who were right
a chance to make some real money.
!. Well, l was told that my ante
|lo- the protection pot would have to
De increased. told the fixer l
would think the matter over. 1
went home and tod my wife, and
she advised me to quit as long as l
mad something left, warming Inc
that if played along with the gang
mat had begun bleeding me- it
wouldn't be long until l was
broke. l gave up my business, but
II was only short time until the
place was in other hands, and l
understand the man in charge now
Is Kicking in regularly to the i'm
munity ring.
Realizes Mistake.
realize now that l made a
mistake. | should have remained
~ business and refused to pay any
projection. What right has that
gang OF high jacknrs to collect
Ioin par owners with the promise
VI immunity from protection pro-
'lulng they meet regular assess
nents! or course the bootlegger
violates the law, but II he does what
eolt OF crime does an official COM
III. VINO shares in the graft that is
" mulcted from the bootlegger and
Wuo IN return shields the bootleg
ger from prosecution for a violation
.uat he is congizant Of? That's
saats being done openly in Rock
Island today.
inc police officials know every