SHADOW OF “SCARFACE” CAPONE

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 11 June 1932, Page 14

SHADOW OF “SCARFACE” CAPONE

‘fCCARFACE” AL CAPONE is in -gaol, but the eity that breathed ■with relief at its riddance when his eleven-year sentence was pronounced once more finds itself embroiled in as bitter a political strife as it ever was in the gang’s lord’s heyday, says the Winnipeg ‘'‘Free Press.” 1 The figure of the overlord of crime, it is charged, has risen from within the walls of Cook County Gaol, where he is confined, to blight the hope of a peaceful primary election with terrorism and violence as of old. tßumours that Capone was trying to strengthen his political influence to escape serving all or most of his sentence for income tax evasion have been vaguely heard for some time, but J now they have come out into the open. A special grand jury investigation has been ordered by Circuit Judge Michael Feinberg, himself a candidate for the Republican nomination for State’s attorney, to determine to what extent if any Capone and his hoodlums are employing terrorist tactics to force unfavourable candidates to withdraw and control the primary. Prom a prominent civic worker, President Fred W. 'Sargent, of tno Chicago and North-western Railroad, came a statement that Capone “has a candidate for ward committeeman in the primary in every ward of Chicago.” I ‘‘'Capone,” - Sargent said, “has so gained control of law enforcement in Cook County that Government is break- '

Terrorist Influence from Gaol

i ing down.’' Capone derives his power, he declared, from the revenues that 10,000 saloons and 1000 gambling houses bring him. Candidates for ward committeemen have withdrawn hurriedly in recent days and told of being threatened. A precinct captain who refused to stop working for a certain candidate was shot to death, and others have been beaten and fired upon. The special grand jury inquiry was prompted by a request of two residents of the fashionable ‘Gold Coast Colony, one of them running for ward committeeman. They cited seventeen alleged acts of pre-election violence and charged 'Capone with trying to work for his pardon. Judge Feinberg recommended the 80-year-oid crusader, Prank J. Xioeseh, to lead the grand jury inquiry.

Two hundred and fifty Chicago city policement were detailed to maintain order in suburban Cicero, where a bitter campaign between Republicans and Democratics closed with a municipal election. They were admpnished by Detective Chief 'Shoemaker !<< not to let any one steal the polls from under your nose.”

It was the first time that Chicago guarded the suburb since 1924, when a squad of city officers killed Frank Capone, brother of A 1 Capone, in a running gun fight.