PREVALENT CRIME

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 202, 19 April 1932, Page 7

PREVALENT CRIME

KIDNAPPING IN U.S. SOME VICTIMS SUBJECTED ' TO ILL-USAGE AND TORTURE POWERFUL GANGS "Tho first victims of kidnappers," says a writer in the "New York Times," "were members of the gambling fraternity, who rarely reported to the police. The racketeers rightfull-y assumed that the men would pay and say nothing, which they probably did. At first the ex~ tortion demands were not large £100 and up to a few thousands. But success convineed the kidnappers that they had the oppoi'tunity to make easy money." The kidnapping and bleeding of members of the underworld by other members of the underworld has had soaie striking illustrations. It has °een stated that one Chicago gambler, kidnapped, and held under a £40,000 ransom, appealed to A1 Capone, then at the height of his power, and that Capone succeeded in having the figure cut to £15,000, which the captive paid. Another story which has gained credence in Ghicago is that when Capone was on trial last summer contributions toward his defence fund wete extorted from independent bootleggers by the simple expedient of kidnapI ping them and holding them until they paid.

Rings of Kidnappers Rings of kidnappers in Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis and probably other cities have turned their attention more and tnore from underworld characters to respectable business men and even women. This is the new dejvelopment which throws all old kidnapping records in the shade. Coxonel Robert Isham Randolph, head of Chicago's famous "Secret Six" and former president of the Chicago Association of Commerce, is the authority for the statement that recent kidnappings are less and less the work of "amateurs" and more and more the work of organised. bands of criminals. Bootleggers, finding their profits cut by hard times, and bank robbers, foiled by new locks and safes, are believed to have joined such bands. In Chicago last January six men, one of them a former Assistant State's Attorney, were arrested and denounced by Chief Investigator Patrick Roche of the Cook County Attorney's office as "the worst gang of extortioners and kidnappers ever organised." Aecording to Roche, this gang was guilty of at least six kidnappings. Their downfall came about when they kidnapped a wealthy physieian and his wife and one of the gang fell in love with the wife. When | he attejnpted to make a rendezvous with her after she had regained her free^om he f ound her accompanied by detectives. One Chicago banker and his family were twice f orced to leave their home, go to the bank and assist their captors in opening the saf e. When I the gang returned for the second Itime last January they announced; I "We're back again. Everybody is [going for a little ride with us." But [this was only technically a kidnapjping, since the banker and his disItracted relatives were set free as isoon as the robbery was accomplishI ed. I Chicago kidnapping gangs, at least, jare well organised. Aecording to 1 Alexander Jamie, chief investigator ifor the "Secret Six," each member is a specialist, some devoting their timo to finding suitable victims, others to carrying out the abduction, and still others to the delicate task of collecting the ransom without getting caught. Some Victims Tortured Torture has been employed by DeIroit and Chicago kidnapping gangs. One gang in the Chicago territory «ts found to have utilised a diving iuit, in which the captive was subaerged to the river bottom and only Sfrequgntly allowed to have air. A MSicago "torture chamber" used by flne gang hinted at almost unbeliev- - ■Me harrors. There were indicaBons, detectives said, that this ■hamber had been used frequently. yobably most of the victims were Bnderworld characters, but such Hathorities as Jamie, Chief Clerk, Bid Colonel Randolph indicate that ®th the present evolution of kidwpping no one is safe. f • But perhaps the most sinister and Brogant of the kidnapping rings Mss that which began to concentrate W attention on St. Louis late in ■29. Early in 1930 this organisa■n sent letters to a selected list of ■itims, announcing itself as "The ■jw-Breakers' Protective Associa■n of Chicago," and demanding ^■mient of £4,000 "membership ^»s." In five months, aecording to 3®imates made by the St. Louis |H>ice, kidnappers seized nine per■k including not only a number of |®althy underworld characters, but ■> merehants of high standing, and IBprted a total payment of £28,600 |Bransom.