As the chairman of the City Council’s police and fire committee, 29th Ward alderman Isaac Carothers is one of City Hall’s more recognizable characters. Reporters generally have no trouble tracking him down when they need a quote. So it’s curious that Sheriff Michael Sheahan’s employees who are trying to serve him with a summons for a civil suit haven’t been able to find him.
Wilson, a political strategist who comes up with snappy quotes and has a taste for allusions to the Bible, Shakespeare, and ancient history, says, “I’ve known Ike for a long time–I’ve known his family. I know his father, the former alderman William Carothers, and his grandfather, Ike Sims–that’s who the alderman’s named for. I knew the alderman when he was just coming up. He was just one of those intimidating no-neck guys. He thinks he doesn’t have the edges now that he’s chairman of the police committee. You always see him standing behind Daley–like they’re joined together.”
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The clerk of the circuit court directed the sheriff’s office to deliver a summons to Carothers at his ward office, at 5937 W. Madison. “That’s the logical place to have him served,” says Wilson. “I filed and waited for a notice regarding my court date.”
Wilson isn’t impressed by the efforts of the sheriff’s office. “Think about it,” he says. “The server shows up at seven in the morning–when everyone knows an alderman’s office is closed.”
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/J.B. Spector.
