The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-12-05
TOM C0xQUHS
AS POLICE HEAD
UNDER CHARGES
Continued from First PAGE,

CONTINUED from First Pags.l
mayor to appoint a board, and he
is still attempting tor appoint one,
he says.
Shortly after the ousting of the
fire and police commissioners the
mayor appointed william A, Smith,
John ". Carse and Bert Corken to
serve as the new board. Several
days afterwaFd Carse ane Corken
rendered their designations as po-
lice and fire commissioners and
Charles A. Reagan was appointed to
the board. Several days after
Reagan's appointment he and Smith
rendered their designations. No one
has been appointed since.
Since the suspension of Cox, Will
liam H. Fitzsimmons, commissioner
of public health and safety, has
been acting head of the police de-
partment. He will remain head of
the police department until a board
of fire and police commissioners is
appointed and then a new chief
may be appointed in his place, or
he may be appointed to continue as
head of the department.
One OF the revelations that oc-
CURED after Cox was suspended and
Fitzsimmons a put in charge was
in the month of October when nearly
$4,000 In fines from law violators-
the largest-amount ever collected
in the History of Rock Islandewas
turned into the city Golfers. Huge
quantities of hooch and stills were
also confiscated by the sponge
squad of the police department.
Quits Under Fire.
Cox retires from the chieftahcy
of the police department with
charges filed against himN untried
or unanswered. 1t was the purpose
OF the deposed police and fire board
to conduct a thorough investigation
of the police department at open
sessions held at the city hall. Mem
bers Of the department were indig-
nant at the reflections upon their
official integrity made by their
chief, and they wanted an oppor-
tunity to disprove his allegations,
but it was not allowed them, since
the board was dismissed just as ii
was making arrangements to or
ganize the inquiry. 1t has been
felt from the first that the admin
istration nor Chief Cox courted an
investigation of the police depart
ment, inasmuch al there were GER
tain to be embarrassing revelations
one of which was that John Looney
had become an active and poten;
factor in the direction of the police
department, employing its mem.
bers, with the consent OF Cox, Il
conduct raids on disorderly resorts
that he was seeking to whip into
alignment with the rules Of the
underworld government.
It. Is likely that the next police
and fire board will take cognizanct
OF the charges that Cox has en-.
tered against the men Of the de.
partment, unless it is to be under.
stood that the resignation Of Co,
is an admission of his own gull
and a vindication Of the men wolk.
ing under him. In the meantime
also, Cox has two grand jury In.
dictments to answer to.
Many Years on Force.
Cox, before his suspension, hat
served eleven years contipu
ously in the police depart
ment. He was flrst appointed
to the force May 1. 1907. az a de-
tective under the administration o
Mayor H. C. Schaffer. He serve,
two years during the administra
ton Of Mayor George W. McCask
rim. and then left the force for tw,
years. Coming back to the fore,
May 1. 1911. during the FIRST admin
istration OF Mayor H. M. Schriver
ct the advent Of the .commissiol
form u government, no served con
tinuousiy until his appointment q
chief Of police May 1, 1915.