“HARVEST OF GRAFT.”

Hokitika Guardian, 10 April 1928, Page 1

“HARVEST OF GRAFT.”

A REMARKABLE STORY. (United Press Association.-—By Eleitrh Telegraph.—Copyright.) NEW YORK, April 7. The New York ‘‘Herald-Tribune'’ prints the following remarkable despatch. contributed by a staff correspondent. and sent from Chicago: The correspondent says:—“Machineguns and ‘pineapples,' as the natives playfully call bombs may decide at Tuesday’s primary election at Chicago which particular gang is going to harvest the hundred million dollars this year derived from the graft estimated lo flow front booze ami gambling. Two armies of job-holders, hoodlums, gunmen, bootleggers, gamblers, and just plain hums will do battle in the fifty wards which make up this city and if some of the outlying towns. “One will he lighting under the banner of Bill Thompson and Governor Small, who is banning for his political life, and States Attorney Crowe, whose record in ‘stanping out crime’ in America’s second city has aroused no envy in other communities. The other army will fight under the banner of Senator Doneen and Air Louis Emmorsoti, a candidate for the Republica. nomination for Governor against Governor Small. Wholesale murder is confidently predicted on both sides. No one is quite sure of the outcome, though the opinion generally seems to favour tlio better organised Thompson side. “One Judge has been given authority by the Supreme Court to gaol anyone without the possibility of release under bail, whom be believes guilty of vote manipulation, and the latter lias sworn in 3,000 deputies, who have power to arrest anyone on suspicion. This may reduce stolen votes from 75,000 to 25.000. “The rival beer gangs, gambling mobs and alcohol smugglers have developed such armies of gunmen, ma-chine-gun operators and bomb-throwers that the rate of murder lias considablv dropped. A murder rim lie arranged for any ordinary person for 50 dollars, with considerable competition as to who will get the eon tract. However, this situation, which apparently only effects the Republican Party, is complicaled. There are wheels within wheels, and .sometimes it is a knotty problem for an honest gunman to know just: whom to shoot for the benoli of his employer.”