The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-12-21

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|H6aaanee dn1fdlI1qGk fhsk leland
|eondacted psetsnded md Acttttous
|peocoedin1n n HI coeg Nettte8
Jennin9s, HerInon Bankef. ID Sla :
Vim, II. ". Posten, Al, Smith. Julian
0odefiS, Martin L. Verb, William
1eints, Petef vermullen, Ed Busche.
Julius Hempe and divers others
whose names to the grand jury are
unknown. are listed - having
been victims Of kangaroo court
procedure In police court The I'M
dictment charges that in these
cases Cleland neglected and omit
| ted to hear evidence and to make
any effort and endeavor whatso-
ever to determine the truth Of the
issues pending before him. As .
matter of fact Il Is charged that
Cleland predetermined the guilt Of
| the defendants without trial or wit
nesses and ordered the fines. In
substance Cleland is charged with
palpable omission of his official
duty in his office, and Of wilful and
corrupt oppression. malfeasance
and partially.
But that is just another Of the
indictments against Cleland. The
indictment naming Cleland, Louis
Ortell and Dan Flynn, charges
them with obtaining $500 from
William Mintz and Martin L. Verb
by a conspiracy in which the office
of the police magistrate was used
to advantage by the alleged con-
spirators. Verb and Mintz were
co-partners in a rug business in
Moline, and the indictment says
that the tactics of demands Of the
alleged conspirators drove them
into bankruptcy. Proceedings in
bankruptcy against Verb and Mintz
are now pending before the master
in chancery.
The conspiracy worked this way.
according to the indictment: Ortell
pretended that he had Just claim
for 5000 against Verb and Mintz.
He complained Of them on the
grounds that they sold him whisky
of an inferior and unusable quality.
A writ Of attachment was executed
against Verb and Mintz. It is
charged the partners were induced
by threats of Imprisonment and
fines to transfer to the alleged con
spirators their personal property
stock, supplies and equipment, and
to give Ortell a note for $500
Further it is-charged that Cleland
conducted a pretended process
against Verb and Mintz on charge
of selling liquor, required them to
give excessive bail in the sum OF
$4,000 each and held a pretended
hearing. Ortell's testimony con-
corning the sale of liquor is alleged
to have been false.
Use False Affidavit.
Thomas Cox, Cleland and Looney
are named in another conspiracy
this time said to have been direct
ed against Nettie Jennings, pro
prietor Of rooming house, and
which netted the conspirators
81, 900. On July 2. 1922, Mrs. Jen-
nings was arrested on a charge Of
being the keeper of disorderly
house. The affidavit against her
sworn to before Cleland, is alleged
. to have been false. She was put
in Jail. Later, it is charged, she OBJ
tanned her release after the payment
of $1,000.
= The malfeasance Indictment
against Cox charges that while he
was chief of police upwards of Isl
gambling houses, houses of prosti-
tuition and saloons were permitted
to flourish after the periodic pay
ments of "fines," and that such pay
ments were levied in return for Of
fetal protection. The arrests and
] fines were not intended for pun
ishment Of the keepers, but as {
sort of illicit revenue, upon paymen
of which the places were allowed Il
, continue to operate, according tt
!; the Indictment