The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-12-30

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Onusr the Cox Leg ..le toe sai00ns
ana dss0fuerty hnssses hao operated
at full capacity, seinng tneir wares
to &tl Nl.n .IA0ncy VINO applied
rney entertained no tear OF police
|intelfereuce. kztrolmen were made
to understands ~ tneir hignerAups
|tnas they were tos-watch their 81.
ieyss" and ignore violators of the
prohibirlOn laws unless directed
Eutherwise from headquarters.
Inc various forces and factors
which were behind this policy have
GENE out subsequently IN the au-
fAoffties~ Investigations OF the un-
derworld situation. John Looney
Was prominently connected with
the whole affair, and underworld
characters have acknowledged free
tiy that it was Looney and not the
CITY OFFICIALS with wnqm they found
it necessary to make their peace to
con, inue in business. n
Fines Enormous.
Comparative figures Tor 1921 and
1922, AZ the period OF the fall clean
up staged IN tie year Just passed
are most interesting.
In October, 1922, 1858 was col
Iected in fnesSzpd fees. in police
court; October. 1891. the total
amount collected was. $292.SO
There were So liquor law violators
fined in October, 1922; no fine from
this source is recorded for the
same month in 1921. Filming Of
the bootleggers. therefore, proved
to be a move for the city's prosper
ity, for the campaign ne.ted more
than $1,000 into the general fund
over tine amount for October, 1921
october of the year just past saw
the greatest amount Of money ever
realized here from court fines, in
lhe s9.653 taken in. II
The police court income figures
for tle entire year 1922 far out
strip 1921 also, showing q total OF
$23,976 as compared with the s14,-
1929 OF 1921. This increase is di-
rectly traceable to the increase in
|. the war on boot.egging. For the
general run OF cases in the two
years was identical up to October
last.
In 1921. IL fines for "having u
tQuor in possession were recorded
and IL fines for "bootleggfng- also
had places on the police records
In 1879 the record shows eight con-
yictions in police court for manu-
fac.uring Of liquor and 81 convic-
tons for selling liquor or having il
in possession. sNf
This merely means that sales OF
liquor were tolerated in 1921 but
that in 1922 maximum fines were
imposed ON all .bootleggers, and ii
drove them oct Of business.
Fewer Cases.
DESPITE the large income from
1nessin 1922, the number OF cases
which were handled inspolice court
is less than that for 1921 by 1913.
In 1921. 494 state cases and ia city
cases were sdocketed. while in 1922,
443 state canes and 631 city cases
went through the court process. OF
the 1880 cases Of 1929 there were
944 convictions, only 1874 being dis
missed.
The biggest month of 1921 for
fines was September, when
s., 5000 was collected. In October
1922, as before stated. the depart
ment took in, $9,653 in fines, the
biggest month OF the year Or In the
history of the department.
January was 1929 slackest
month in police court, with only 3G
cases handled and a total o1
$102.40 taken in. This is in decided
contrast to the biggest month OF
the year, October, with 149 cases
and $9,613.S0 revenue. The next
to largest monthly volume Of bust
ness was transacted in March,
when the court disposed of 6S
cases and took in $4,216.S0 in fines
and fees.
The police and newspaper CAM
paign against liquor and vice deal
ing has had three far-reachin1 ef-
fects. 1t has:
Caused a general exodus
Of undesirable characters out
Of the local underworld and
out of Rock Island.
Greatly, minimized the pub
lie traffic in poison liquor,
by stopping sales Of 1t from sa-
looms. 4
Has induced a federal and
state investigation OF condi-
tons which has brought or is
bringing numerous dangerous
characters, whom local author
tiles would not or could not Z
deal with, to Justice.
A general Improvement in
the morale Of the officers Of
the department following the
change Of authority in late
z September, when they were
gwen free rein against al
forms Of lawlesness. In ;subse-
quent sinreEtigst;ens, followed
by arrests Of fawbreakers Of
their pull sbr affiliations. the
police showed uneeniabl6 talest 5.
at their work in spite Of the
former suppression which had
kept their hands tied during
the regime Of L0oney and Cox.
Three Killers Esea1e.
Though there weret eight muir
ders recorded in Rock Island dur
ing the year. the department. uad
arrests looking toward conviction