Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 101, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 March 1912 — SPECIAL GRAND JURY IMPANELED [ARTICLE]

SPECIAL GRAND JURY IMPANELED

Will inquire into Riotoui Disturbances in Rock Island.

RESPECT TUP TROOPS GROWS

Presence of Soldiers Has Excellent Effect Upon Excitable Populace— Mayor Makes Statement— " j ’ > Editor Looney Interviewed.

Rock Island,'lll., March 29.—A special grand jury to take up charges of inciting riot which have been made against about thirty individuals, I among whom are a number of local politicians, has been ordered by Judge Frank Ramsay of the Rock Island county court. Harry M. McCaskrin, candidate for state’s attorney of Rock Islandr~and Phil H. Wells, justice of the peace, w J ere subpoenaed to appear before the special grand jury being impaneled. Mayor, Schriver held a conference with three newspaper men, and went into details over the beating that he administered to John Looney, proprietor of the Rock Island News, on Saturday night. The mayor was understood to say at this conference that he would kill Looney when the latter got out of the hospital and that he would be given a vote of thanks by the people for doing it. He was also understood t 6 say that he did not care if he went to the gallows for it, and that he would be satisfied if his action would help Rock Island. Reports of this interview were sent out by newspaper men, and the substance of the mayor’s conversation by the time it traveled from tongue to tongue became more distorted. Later the mayor dictated the following statement.

What I meant to convey to the three reporters who visited my office this morning in explaining the trouble between Mr. Looney and myself and in detailing the conversation I had with hini after the affair, was at thaj, time I informed him, in the excitement, that if he continued to write me up in his paper in the -scurrilous, scandalous and libelous manner in which he had referred to me in his last issue that I would shoot him.

HARRY M. SCH RIVER, Mayor of Rock Island. John Looney, who is in a painful although not dangerous condition at St. Anthony’s hospital, when told that the mayor was determined that no more vicious articles should appear in the News, of which Mr. Looney is editor, said:

"The policy of my paper will not change in its fight for upright city government. If it becomes my duty to expose a public official I will do so, regardless of any personal threats. We will issue on Saturday as usual.” In the afternoon the picket lines were strung through the business district as early as 3 o’clock, and, as was the case the previous night, the crowds were kept moving. Whenever two or more persons gathered together to talk they were immediately commanded to separate. If the men were slow about it the thrust cf a gun muzzle in their back or the pit of their stomach caused them to hurry.

Rock Island is gradually realizing what military rule means, and the sneers that were thrown at the troops have turned into silent approval of the machine-like government which now controls the town. True, much of thfs is due to quick arrests which have been made. Following such are the low whispers of “strikebreakers,” “tin soldiers” and the like, but much of It. is also due to a growing respect. “This is a lesson that Rock Island will never forget,” is the comment heard among reputable citizens of the community.

The slumbering flame of political enmity that has been smoldering for several years was fanned to a glow by the adoption ci commission government a year ago, and burst into the final flare Monday and Tuesday nights in the riots. *'