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ct = fe oe 2 a. TO eee tee Fa 7 — ng f i x “wounded;—Before pursiit-eaiid Sa— organized, or even started, the ; thee men In the room at 740 North Sipe street had fied. fow dave later Al Canone called a a * wre . pe aee sue Chief of Police Morgan Collins. “T hear that people are saying Capone killed Weiss," he stated, “I did not, I am sorry he's dead, When he was shot I was out of town. But if you want me to come in for ques- tioning, I will be glad to do it.” Chief Collins told him not to come. “What was the use?” he asked later. “Capone had his alibi perfected, It undoubtedly is a good alihl, He didn't do the shooting.” Fred In April, 1927, Assistant State's Attorney William MeSwiggin, youth- ful son of a policeman and a prod-_ uct of the west side, where he be- came acquainted with many of the youngsters who later were fmpor- tant cogs in the gangland machlnes, was slain in Cicero. With him died two gangsters wha had opposed Capone rule. There were unofficial assertions that Capone had ordered the triple murder, These at length reached his ears. © “That is absurd,” he averred. ipiend. I am sorry he is dead. And iriend McSwiggin was my good : Was was in Florida when he umped off.” ; The police, again, did not question Capone. What was the use? In Mas of that year Commander Francesco de Pinedo, Premier Mus- solini's around the world fiver, set hiy Marchetti hydroplane down in the lake off Grant park. On 4 mil- lionaire'’s yacht was a reception committee, With judges and other officials stood Al Capone. He was now quite definitly the first of the public enemies, A re- porter wanted to know why he had been invited to welcome the distin- guished visitor. “Tt's this way,” was the reply. “We heard that there might be an anti-Fascist demonstration. If any: thing like that was planned,.Capone would be more effective in squetch- ing it than a hundred policemen.” Such appearances were ill-advised, In general, Capone realized this, and while he was often seen in pub- lic gatherings — particularly prize fights and baseball games-—he never again took part in a public func- tion, He would have preferred the darkness. But he had grown s0 great that he could no longer re- nfhin out of print. And he had felt 1 the lash of publicify as early as De- ‘ cumber, 1926, two months after the i Vyeiss killing, With his entourage he went to California for a vacation, An am identity or guarantee “his privacy. Attempts were made to interview him in the hotel. These were unsuc- cessful, but the news that so no- torious a person was in their midst caused the Californians to cry loud- ly for his ousting, The perspiring management of the hotel, hearing this public clamor, at length re- quested that Capone surrender his accommodations. This s0 irritated the Big Fellow (this was the name his henchmen used in referring to him) that he reaily did grant an interview. “YT wouldn't stay in any town that didn’t: want me,” he declared. “I'll go back ta my own city. And I’m going because I want to go. The hote] didn’t ask me to leave, either,” Returning to Chicago, he made the experiment of organizing him- self into a minister of propaganda. He attempted, rather clumsily, te give the news about Capone a fa- yorable twist. With his omnipresent guards care: fully concealed, he received a re. porter in the hallway of his nomi- nai home at 7244 Prairie avenue. He was a strange appearing Capone, Over his underwear he wore a long pink apron. He had on carpet slip- pers and he held, in'one diamonded hand, a pan of spaghetti richly drowned in sauce, “Came in and haven Hilie of this spaghet I cooked myself,” he urged. “Let's quit talking about bootleg. ging and such things. Positively I have retired. I am a plain business man, and all I ask is that the news- Papers Jet me alone.” It was not a convincing picture and the reporter wrote it for what it was, a half comic interlude intended to deceive, When he first went to Miami, with a huge roll of thousand dollar bills in his pockets, there was a storm of criticism. For a time it appeared that his fortune was so tainted that he wouldn’t be allowed to spend it. Hardened now in such matters, the’ Big Fellow called on the chief of police. “ Let's lay the cards on the table," he said. “I am here to enjoy my- self. IT am not a criminal and I have never been in jail for anything, Against me there is nothing but cos- sip. Does Miami want me as a vis- itor who'll mind his own business and spend his money, or do I have to appeal to the courts for my con- stitutional rights.” . The authorities withheld their de- cision for a little while. Then they sald there was no Jaw that could keep him out. Further, which they didn't mention, the real estate mar- ket was not exactly becoming, and there were many honest real estate men seeking bijyertess a eo : aned wi a walled estate on Patti Tsland. It fe- came a center for gay parties, and the Big Fellow’s parties outshorle those of many a winter colonist df ancient wealth and high seclal po- sition. He kept his pledge to let Florida alone and the only com- Plaint about his menage was that it looked funny to have armed sen tinels on guard around the house, oe Thus we find Capone nearing the height of his power, Bootlegging, brothels, gambling paid their trib- utes on a scale something than county-wide-—and the county held more than four millfon per- sons. Local governments could not touch him. Enough, !t would seem, far any man. He had, and spent, a million a year. Yet it was not enough for Capone. Like a good many cthers, he dreamed of dominating Chicago's labor organizations with strong arm methods, His first chance to break into that field came almost by accident. Mor- ris Becker, who conducted several dry cleaning establishments, began having trouble with rivals and with employes, There was a rumor that he had formed a partnership with Capone, and Becked confirmed ity “Thats right,” he said, “I don't need the police ta help any more. I have ine best protection in the world now.” By this time the Capone methnds ang resources were too well known for any one to doubt that he would £00n try to dominate unions. George (Red) Barker, an ex-con- vict, and Murray Humphreys set out on the work. With unerring instinct Capone ordered them to attack the teamsters’ and chauffeurs’ organiza- tions. They got results. How Barker seized the coal teamsters’ union was told later by an official he ousted. “Lefty Flynn was our chief in 1928," said this informant. “ Like me, he had come up from the ranks. He knew the game and was useful to the union. But he was not a gun- man and he was 60 years old. Barker set out on & systematic course of terrorism. “First he tried to kidnap Flynn's children. That failed. Flynn took his family to a summer home in| Wisconsin. Barker followed him there and shot him. ‘If you ever! come back to Chicago you'll be killed’ he told the wounded man,: ‘and so will your whole family.” “Barker appeared at the nekt union meeting with a buneh of fql-| lows carrying shotguns, aie i does the business agent sit?’ he In-) quired. Somebody showed him. ‘That's my place,’ he said. ‘Frem now on I'm boss here," tr nen. ee ee) sOy4 Baate Smale T; ™ Pre | ag © we od ~~