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the BIG FELLOW TURNS £:DIPLOMAT At the mame of Jesus every kwee should Bend in heaven and on earth. And so King Al, the Big Fellow stepped forth as an emissary of peace. Unfortunately for prosperity in Booze- dom he flopped. Except for one unfortunate little shooting affray involving Vincent “Schemer” Drucci, one of “Little Hymie’s” most highly prized aids, Capone’s efforts might have been unsuccessful. We hurry to the facts. e Schemer, paradoxically enough, went in for paintings and food music and beautiful things. It was passing stran; w this esthetic hoodlum who wept copiously at the Civic Opera could top off an evening in company with his dynamic little chief and George “Bugs” Moran whose artistic sensibilities had developed no further haps than Mutt and Jeff. For in their company the Schemer was often called upon to torture a stool pigeon, or in- veigle a traitor to the cause into the front seat of an automobile for a long, long ride. But the Schemer could do it. And how! It was he who represented the class of the Weiss mob, just as the aristocratic touch in the good old days when O’Banion held sway was provided by Samuel “Nails” Morton before he fell off his horse. The Schemer was largely responsible for the fact that “Little Hymie” was induced to move into more pretentious quarters on Diversey Boulevard, although headquarters still remained sbove the Schofield Flower Shop. One sultry August afternoon “Little Hymie” and the Schemer, dressed in the correct mode, strolled nonchalantly down the Boul Mich. As they were ing the Harvester building whom should they meet but two of Capone’s children, Frankie Rio and Tony “Molps” Volpe. Now when gangster meets gangster, the result is that gats fly out of pockets especially made and leather-lined to hold them, and that is exactly what happened on this summer after- noon. Many shots were fired, and many, many people out there on the world’s most regal street, some of them visitors to Chicago, were thrown into fearful panic. And those who were visitors went back to Muscatine, and Valley Junction and Des Moines and New York and told every- body that what the papers said about Chi- ago was true and even worse, But nobody was killed or wounded, The only result of the bloodless affray was that Capone’s peace conference didn’t mean a thing. It was held shortly after the battle, and all the Big Shots were there—Joe Saltis, Frankie MacEarlane, Ralph Sheldon, Hymie Weiss, Vincent Drucci, Capone and some of his lieutenants, “Klondike” and Myles O’Donnell, and amiable “Spike” O'Donnell from the South Side. Gate were oq paitis and bis ald, “Lefty” Koncil with attorneys, at time of their fam- onaitters rked outside with the ou trial for the murder of John p-coats as per agree- re ment, all enmity was forgotten, whoopee was tana. ‘was reported that “Little Mymle” Weiss chased two witnesses to Mon- Ww. W, O'Brien attorney shot with Mymie Weiss. On the right, { made, jokes were cra -d about the “soup” on the menu and the “pineapple” dessert, and a police there by special invitation, gazed on in amazement. Capone made the speech of the evening. What he said bas not, unfortunately, been preserved for posterity, just aa he delivered it, but the wise money had it that the Feliow’s words were freighted with sincerity on the “we don’t want no more trouble theme.” ttle Hymic” listened sullenly, rememl Frankie and Molps Volpe had behaved themselves only a few days before. It was “okey” with “Little Hymie,” this peace idea, but he put forward one stipulation which the Big Fellow alone heard. It was that Frankie Rio and Volpe be placed on the spot where “Little Hymie” might transform into corpses. The ference ended without any, of its repre- sentatives being aware of what“Little Hymie” had demanded and what the Big Fellow had replied. ey learned later. He said, “I wouldnt do that to's yellow dog.” And so there was no peace in Gangland, and “Little Hymie” was marked for death. He was soon to be pushed aside. His murder represents perfection in the art. It was the most masterfully planned and executed of any of Gangland’s crimes including even the Valentine Massacre which was to come after. “Little Hymie” set out however to get the Big Fellow first and a few days after the ill-fated conference, he and “Bugs” Moran made an unsuccessful attempt to destroy Capone on South Wabash Avenue near the Four Deuces Cafe whither they had trailed him from Cicero. Capone t away, miraculously enough, although his chauffeur, Tony Ross died behind his wheel. “Little Hymie,” bitterly dis- appointed, returned to the little flower shop and was moodily silent for a long time. He stood on the spot in the fiower shop where O’Banion had died and, geane through the huge plate glass window, stared at the in- scription in stone across the atreet: At the name of Jesus every knee should Bend in heaven and on earth. Another surge of energy = few days later inspired another desperate effort, this time in the very heart of the Big Fellow’s country. For the second time a cavalcade of glistening motor cars passed slowly by the Hawthorne Hotel while machine guns poured hot lead into buildings and windows and furniture. No bullets found lodgment in the hated Capone gangsters however. “Little Hymie” was too busy these days to be bothered by the old premonition that he would come to an early and sudden end. Hie gang was growing in numbers and in dollars and in prea- tige. Gangland looked upon him in admiration and amazement. So great was the reg with which he was that to some he bras really the Big Boy in brains, and cour- age. So many hoodlums wanted to go along with him at this period that there was a wail list; the wealthy Italian on the WestSidewho had backed Jack jac] now feari reprisals from the Sig ‘ellow bought his ambitious rotege a job as one of rymie’s chauffeurs. It cost $25,000. Unfortan- ately for“Little Hymie” most of his time at this period was spent in try- ing to prevent the law from catching up with his ally, Big Joe Saltis ” Foley. They ware acquitted. who with Lefty IK i, was being tried for the attorney. murder of John “Mit-