The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-25

0VRDA ODe0Ss
10 overdraw the picture. But 4 do
want to send home to you its vital
Import to you ASIA citizen and one
DESTROYS of having the affairs OF
your community directed in the in
terest OF the common welfare.
am going to permit You to hear
few of the men who have taken
oaths to impartially enforce the
laws of your city. They are, men
Ia whom you have the fullest con-
fidence. They are your fellow
citizens, men with families and
homes, men Of clean personal
habits, men who wish to do the
right thing under any and all cir
cumstances.
'Let the speed fiends 60 BY" said
one patrolman. I'm holding Job,
that's all. l might halt speeder /
and take him to the station, and .
discover that had arrested ,
privileged character. 1t would not
be a case OF trying to get even i
with somebody. l would be merely !
trying to make the stneets safe .or
drivers who obey the laws. Well, !
I would probably be told to mind
by own business thereafter. The
case might reach the police court,
and it might not. At any rate,
would discover that ! had COM
initted blunder, and instead OF
being sustained for doing. my duty
I might be bawled out and if l as
sumed to defend my action l might
be sent into the woods. A police
Liam in Rock Island doesn't get any
credit for doing what he is sworn
to do. The only policeman that is
In right in Rock Island is the one
who doesn't see anything wrong
and doesn't do anything when he
does see something wrong. That's
not an exaggeration, l assure you. u
Officers INUNDATED.
I asked another officer il he
knew there were houses Of prosti-
tuition, gambling and whisky SELL
ing on his beat, and he frankly con-
fessed that he did. But we are in
structed to keep away from the
houses of prostitution, the gamb-
ling resorts and the bars where
5 liquor is sold. / could fill the
police station with prostitutes,
gamblers and hooch peddlers in
one hour, If l were allowed to do
so. But l know that the thing for
re to do is to close my eyes and
eep my mouth shut. Vice in Rock
island is not controlled from the
city hall. Every officer in the de-
psrtment knows this, but he knows,
TOO, that the individuals that han
die the underworld concessions are
doing it with official authority. VIII
are the men who are controlling The
vice privilegeee? don't think it is
necessary for me to mention their
names. Almost everybody know.
who they are. You can see them
dashing through the streets daily
in their big automobiles, bought
with the tribute they collect from
The houses Of prostitution, gamb-
ling resorts and hooch bars. / am
almost afraid to mention them. You
know what happened to Bill Gabel
.Wells that's the Feeling among the
men in the department. One night
.after l. o'clock l innocently stroll
ed into one Of the resorts and OBJ.
served that it was after closing
time and that it would look better
il the lights were turned out and
the doors locked. The person in
charge promptly reminded me thai
my place was on the street and moi
hanging around saloons and houses
Of prostitution. l agree with him
for realized that If l demanded
Il respect for my suggestion it nigh,
cost. me my scalp, for the reason
that ! know the owner of the place
doesn't have to take orders from
an ordinary patrolman."
THE trouble in the police de.
partment Is that the patrolman il
always up in the air, doesn't know
what to do" remarked another
officer. There is that feeling Of
uncertainty. insecurity; you dou1
know whether you are doing RICH,
or wrong. and the only time you
find find out is when you run afcul
Of somebody that happens to have
special permission to disregard all
the laws of the city. So the wise
policeman, and the one who is get
ting by with the least difficulty, il
the one who sees nothing wrong
I hope the 0abei murderers arc
caught. and I am satisfied they will
be in time. but l would have hated
&c have been Q witness OF tina.
crime. under present conditions IL
Rock Island. for l am sure that
4 would have had 4 difficult time
making my story stick. A police.
man Is human, and he tries to be
honest and square with his fel.
lows. but when he is obliged tt
work In the atmosphere that now
hangs over the department his man.
hood Is crushed and his efficienc,
destroyed"
Outside Commands.
have found In other cities con
ditions not dissimilar to those pre-
yailing today in Rock Island, anf
II have seen them corrected, bu
heroic measures were required
Don't condemn q Rock Island DO
iiceman for winking at a law VIC
ia4ion. Either he has had his order.
to lay OF or else he fears that HI
viii blunder to his own sorrow Il
ne makes an arrest I was assign
ed to q police department invest
cation In an eastern city a few
yaars ago. discovered that tn,
vice rulers held such power they
T.