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o Tene antlitg Figures _ _— Wounded in Ambush : ‘By Shotgun Blasts | | Linco’ Fitzgerald Shot Down on Leaving ktome For His Casino By the Assacialed Press ENO, Nev. Nov. 19.-~Lincoln Fitrecyald, prominent Nevada ‘and ‘Michigan gambling fleure, was icvitically injured by shotgun iDlasts in an ambush shooting here lat midnight. | Although the 57-yea:-old casino operator was reputed to have i carried larce sums of money, ‘Detective Secret. Michacl Salonisan ‘declared: "It couldn’t have been. ; robbery.” “Tt must have been revenge.” -the police officer added. Filzgerald. co-operator of the- ‘Nevada Club, big downtown! ieanbling house was chat dewn igambling house. was shot down | as he staricd to leave his home, ‘for the club shortly before mid-_ pnieht. d t Two charges were fired his back at close range, Found by Wife. Fitzecraid, a fermer night club int Aperator in Macomb County, Mich. was found hy his wife Mein, 36, shortly after the blasts of the shotgun awoke many resi- Jdenis in lis ‘Reno neighborhood. Mrs. Fitzgerald said she ran out _of the house to the garage and found her husband the floor. He apparently had just opened | jthe garare’s overhead doors. ‘The : jUght in the building was on, out- | j lining his body to the dark alley. Fitzgerald was shot by a dou- | bic- barreled shotgun held only ‘inches from Jhis rieht side foward the back and the main charee severed his spine. He was parit- lvzed from the waist down, doc- tors gaid al Washoc Haspital. Chanees Are areliiciuna CRCLUSIVE Shim. They indicated his chances to live were “very slim” as he was aioved to a room where transfu- ions were coutlinued. Chief of Police L. RR. Greeson aig one charee niissed Fitzecrald cTntivels. Hs added that wadding from one shell was buried in the wound and that this and powder: burns showed the gun was held almost against Pitzyersicd’s bods by some one who had been wait- | t » nections Soanthanect - SULA ok slumped on: ear iene nal wtee*Gleeson was asked if : “erald and his partn::, Danny wee had any tie in witht thin x Purple Gang" of Detroit ‘auvtor “{Ne-yenrd*thiey opevaled in ‘Michizan. i «No, they had no direct ticup,” tbe chief said. “The ean ote casionally buns out at then’ = Pa ‘but they were nat tied Upp Ee QF : (See GAMBLERS Taree Gambler > {Continued From First Page. way with the gang as far as in- vestipators ever found.” Close assoclates said Fitzgerald now has no business or other con- in Michigan or other parts of the East. “Why, he is like a banker.” said one who would not permit use of his name. “He doesn't’ smoke ot drink and {is one of the best busi- nessmen in Reno.” In Michigan Investigation. ,, Fitzgerald, and Sullivan, 60, were among chief targets in Mich- igan’s biggest investigation of gambling. Only last year, after a long bat~ tle against extradition, the two were assessed fines and costs totaling $52,000. By that time they had long sinee Ieft Michigan and set up rambling operations in Nevada. where gambling is Icgal. In the course of Michigan's in- vesticaling several official heads fell. State police and county offi- cials were involved in bribery charees. Macomb County, hard by De- ‘troit, was the hot spot of gam- bling in Michigan. Over the years millions of dol- ‘lars turned on the dice and cards, and both Sullivan and Fitzgerald were repuicd ta have had a big hand in the operations. Michigan's one-man grand jury ss stem was credited with the final mop-up. Had Lived Unmolested. Since then, after a bitter legal fight over the constitutionality of such procedure, Michigan dis- continued the one-man grand jury. Except for their troubles with the srand jury. however, Fitz- gerald and Sullivan led moderately unmolested lives as Michigan famblers. Both had operated for vears in the Detroit area and their only other troubles were when they occasionally ran afoul of potice. Originally the two were charged in Macomb County with corrupt- ing and bribing State officials in a pambling conspiracy. When, in August. gave up their and surrendered, they were per- imitted to plead guilty to con- spiracy to maintain and _oneyata a sambling resort. 1948. they ‘Ving at the side of the #arase which Was 15 feet buek, behind ja hedge from a dark Ges same ~ ad extradition fight | a 2, Paid $33.0070-—— Wit rer charges dropped, Sullivan “4d court cosis of $33,000 am. 2 fine of $700. Fitz- ferald's costs were $18,000: and he was fined $300. A third defendant, former Mayor William HyAMcKeighan of Flint, Mich. has at lint, Mich., has yet to face the (court. He is in Florida, where he thas long pleaded such severe ill- hess that he cannot return to ;Michigan, | AS the gambler was given emer- ‘gency treatment, he dictated a iwill. Its contents were not re- “vealed. ' Sullivan told a reporter he knew \of no one who could have had a jmotive for shooting Fitzgerald. 'Then he added: “In this world. you never know who hates you. The way they are atching babies and killing chil- , ren these days. you can never ll what. might happen.” Mrs. Fitzgerald said also she ad no idea why it would have jhappened. “No attempt has been imade in the past,” she said. She (added her husband never had even been threatened in the 13 years they have been married, ach eae legge Glavin_ tlarbo Ni ekast Poai eau Rosen Tracy_"' Mohr Fietcher Tele. Ro Nease___ ndy “4 aha 8 ae \ t ' 4 Gr —— » BEG 13.1949 Times-Herald Washi, Wash, N.Y. Star Mirror