RACKETEERS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 28 July 1928, Page 11

RACKETEERS.

A BODY OF RUFFIANS

WRITING in the “Wide World Magazine’’ on the subject of the organised criminal syndicates that have given the American police sb much trouble, a writer deals with the fiendish activities of ruffians known as “rack etoers. ’’ This new type of blackmailor. lie says, is organised into syndicates or unions in which no “blacklegging’’ is permitted under penalty of death. The “racketeers’’ are most

dangerous and detestable criminals. If their victims —often rogues little better than themselves —refuse to “come across.” they first use the method indirect. This consists of the drawing of plans of the man’s house and the compiling of an exact report as to lfis movements, from the time lie wakes until lie goes to sleep. For this purpose he is p'atien'tlv shadowed for some weeks until (everything 'possible is known about him. Thou one night his windows are smashed. That 'is Warning Number One. Warning Number Two is a trifle more drastic. T't consists in blowing in his front door with a 'bomb. If lie still remains obdurate. then “direct action” is used. The victim is vAiylhi'd, and taken to one of

the torture-cellars of the gangs, "which are said to exist in almost every large city. Here he has his 'arms or legs broken. Even worse horrors may be perpetrated, for the ‘ 'racketeers’ ’ number skilled surgeons among their ranks. Occasionally their programme is varied by the throwing of bombs into the business establishment of 'the victim. Quite recently some of these "racketeers’' confessed —probably under the * ‘ third degree, ” itself a highly refined form of torture —that they had arranged to incapacitate for life by ‘‘bone-crushing’’ large numbers of men who had offended in Various ways. These scoundrels appear to have adopted the methods of the Inquisition to suit their evil purposes.