SENSATIONAL SHOOTING

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1930, Page 7

SENSATIONAL SHOOTING

JACK DIAMOND FOUND SHOT

MYSTERIOUS CRIME IN U.S.A.

EUROPEAN VISIT RECALLED

TWO DEAD IN OTHER FIGHTS

By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. New York, Oct. 12. A flurry of local gun shootings came to a climax with one of the most outstanding attacks in American criminal history. The discovery was made in a hotel in the middle of the town of Monticello of the notorious racketeer Jack (“Legs”) Diamond lying on the floor in a room with three bullets in his body and one in his head. The hotel clerk discovered him and called the police, who rushed the gangster to the Polyclinic Hospital, where he is not expected to live. Diamond for a long time had been seeking to dodge his enemies, who, it is apparent now, were trying to murder him. He went to Europe this summer, but was expelled from Germany as an undesirable, and returned to the United States, where he was met by the police but, although presumably “wanted” in several cities, was allowed to go without interference after questioning. “Legs” was seldom brought up on any charges, but was suspected in connection with numerous local criminal occurrences. He was the leader of the Brooklyn beer-running faction, and reached notoriety a few years ago when he was bodyguard to the Brooklyn gang leader “Little Augie” Pisano, whom his enemies murdered. They wounded Diamond at the same time.

Other shootings of less importance occurred when two gangsters were shot at Brooklyn last night, one being killed. Four were shot at Kingston, New York, one fatally. Police Commissioner Mulrooney and District Attorney Crain hurried to the dying gangster in the room at the hospital and attempted to question him, but he refused to speak. The police found in the hotel room bullets from an automatic pistol, three in the ceiling, one in the floor, and one in the window.

Diamond Jack is still given a desperate chance of recovery, says a latei’ message. He has remained silent, beyond saying three men entered the room. “I opened the door and the guns blazed away.” He asked the police to inform his wife.

The present police, version of the attack suggests that the picturesque gangster was lured/ to the hotel by an unidentified woniapi of the theatrical .profession-. The 'crime is similar in any respects to the murder of the famed gambler Arnold Rothstein, friend of Diamond, in 1921. The manager ' ‘ the hotel at Monticello who was sought by the police disappeared during the night, 'but was later arrested. He, has proved uncommunicative. It is believed that at least one of the assailants was hidden by the hotel operators., Diamond’s shooting is a blow to the investigation of scandals connected with the City Court general sessions in which “Legs”, was an important prospective witness.