Bootleg Stronghold in Mountains

Horowhenua Chronicle, 30 April 1931, Page 8

Bootleg Stronghold in Mountains

ROUNDING UP JACK DIAMOND’S GANG.

TORTURES BY RUFFIANS Received Wednesday, 9.10 p.m. NEW YORK, April 28. To-day’s activities of Jack Diamond’s gangsters reached sensational proportions. While the leader’s physicians expressed doubt that he would-live, despite his present survival with bullets in his liver, lung, head and throat, a group of ruffians, presumably wishing to make up for Jack’s indictment recently for burning a man in an effort to make him reveal the details of his cider trade, seized the latter and gave him a serious beating. Shortly afterwards, others dragged the victim’s son from an automobile and hanged him to a tree, from which, however, he escaped and spread the alarm. Governor Roosevelt gave orders to the police and State troopers to effect a “complete clean-up of the gang.” Residents in the neighbourhood of Diamond’s Catskill mountain stronghold formed vigilante groups in an endeavour to drive the criminals from tho area. The latter, however, seem intent on giving considerable battle before dropping their profitable ‘ 1 apple jack” bootleg business. They are organised in what is ironically called the “driest” portion of New York State. The police, however, apprehended five members of' Diamond’s group and found the automobile from which Diamond was shot. This contained an arsenal of shotguns, revolvers and daggers made from needle-pointed ice picks.