GANGSTER MEETS FATE

Hokitika Guardian, 4 December 1930, Page 7

GANGSTER MEETS FATE

HUNTING THE MURDERER, GIRL’S TWELVE-HOUR THIRD DEGREE. LONDON, October 15. Jack Diamond has made his last confession, making it ycsierday to Father Kelly, Reman Catholic priest, formerly a padre in the 27th Division of the United States Expeditionary Force, Father Kelly has heard many queer confessions, but none so queer as this of Jack Diamond, Chicago gangster. Wireless and cable hummed with the story of his flight to- Europe, Ger-

many’s inhospitable (refusal «of hospitality and his return to those States which had bred him ; how first it was alleged that he was travelling in a big White Star liner when in reality he crossed the Atlantic in a less noticeable- manner; and how, rejected by Europe, he travelled back to the States by a tramp steamer, only to be shot, if not by his own pals, at least by men who- knew him.

To-day lie became delirious, and then fell into a doze; and, if blood transfusion aiid other last miiiUte measures fail Jack Diamond will pass- out soon. He opened his eyes for a few minutes, and said to the police on guard, “Good-bye, hoys!” The police are trying to sheet the murder home hy the methods dear to their hearts. One means to this end was to put the terrified girl. Marion Roberts, former Ziegfeld Follies girl, through twelve hours of the third degree, but nothing was got from her. She knows what has happened to other girl, friends of gangsters. Indeed, the fate of one, Anna Urbas, has just become known, for her body was only recently fished up from the East River, into which she was thrown, tied up with wire and heavily weighed. The police have arrested another woman, Jean Nash, a night club habitue, who is said to have predicted days ago to, one of Diamond’s chief enemies that Diamond had less than two weeks to live. She- is credited with being - tbe sweetheart of Charles Vinnine Higgins, the wounded man’s assistant. Diamond and Higgins worked together in promoting the flourishing Brooklyn beer trade after Diamond had dropped Steinberg, a former partner.

Police effort- is being concentrated on the identity of the three men who visited Diamond two days before the shooting took place. Marion Holierts, in her police interrogation, was shown photographs of most -of America’s racketeers, but she did not or would not recognise- any of them as men who had visited Diamond at the hotel where she had been living with him for some weeks. To-day, however, she is said to have admitted that the socalled “Count” Muller who went to Germany with Diamond was one, and two of Diamond’s own assistants as

the other two men, Ted Newberry and

Charles Entratta, the former one of A 1 Capone’s henchmen. The very calmness of the whole shooting is what astounds - the ■ lawabiding community. Three meg who apparently knew Diamond drove up to the Hotel Monticello-, in which lie was living, in broad daylight, went up to bis room and put three shots through Diamond two striking his chest an cl going clean through his body, one tearing the tissue on his left lung, and the other glanced off his forehead.

The manager of the hotel, Jacob Ginsberg, was not to be found when the police arrived on the scene, and his absence was • somewhat of a mystery. He, however, turned up yesterday and went straight, to the police. He declared according to one story, that he had been in the country with his family on the day of the shooting and was apparently able to throw no light on the mysterious affair.

Ginsberg, however, admitted to the Attorney-General that his first knowledge of the affair was hearing two shots. He looked out of the door and saw Diamond coming along the hall with his head down. Ginsberg said, “What’s happened?” “I’ve been shot,” was the reply. “Do something for me.”

It is stated also that after he was shot Diamond called for Harry Drescher. a mail.who wits also staying at the Monticello. and that Drescher asked Diamond who did it. Ginsberg declared lie didn’t hear what Diamond said, and that is all that publicly is known of Ginsberg’s share in the affair. Drescher, it should be added, is also missing, and the police are looking for him as well as the three who attended the conference. .

Tlic United States Press, lacking information on this latest —what promises to he a “killing” by gangsters, is enlarging on, Jack Diamond’s career. He and Entratta are alleged to have shot, two men in the Hotsy Totsy , Club and that they used every means—not excluding murder and intimidation to get themselves clear and -finally evade paying the penalty of their lives in the electric chair.- These measures are believed to have been the shooting of two witnesses': dead—they were thrown into the New Jersey swamps. Another witness- was “taken for a ride” and had his ear cut off and the severed member sent by post to another witness- just to “teach, him” what would happen if his memory was too accurate. 1 Jack Diamond’s activities . ,in New York were mainly concerned with illicit drink at least, so far as other hectic affairs in which he had-figured indicted, but it is now asserted that his invasion of Europe via Germany was cut short owing to liis business as a dealer in “snow.”