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Al Capone — Part 28
Page 39
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' CRIME
Capone & Caponies
Alphonse Capone-cocked one bive-clad
Jeg over another blue-clad lee in Chicago's
Federal Court last. w and every news-
hawk in the courtroom* gasped in amaze-
ment. Snorkey wore no garters.
As acutely sensitive to Snorkey Capone's
Bartorial condition as the newshawks were;
the jury that was trying him for attempt
ing to evade payment of 2 $215,000 Fed-
eral Tax on $1.035.0¢5 income from 1924
to 1929; Judee James Herbert Witkerson;
Prosecutor Georee Emmerson Q John:
son; Defense Attorneys Michael Ahern
ind Albert Fink Aiter hearing Snorkey
Jinked to Cicero line houses (goid-
belching pits of ¢ 10 eloquent Michae?
Straus of the New Vork Evening Post)
and hearing accounts of lavish personal
and houschold expenditures in Florida
(Trace, Oct. 19) the judee. the jury and
the reporters had been treated to 2 de-
tailed description of the rich raiment in
which Gangster Capone clothed himself
Eleven rustic jurors and one from the city
had listened, gaping, to witnesses who told
Among them: © renee mncatic of st
tian Scicace Monitor, which seldom prints crise
ens
about the $135 suits be bought by the
half-dozen, the $27.50 shirts ordered by
the dozen, the $20 hats & shoes, $150
overcoats the 30 diamond belt buckles
for which he had paid $275 each.
‘The newshawks fooked temporarily
Daffied, then went out and began writing
stories about who would succeed Snor-
key as gang chief, Consensus was that
it would be cocky. sleek-baired Hymie
Levin, not his quieter lieutenant, Mur-
ray Humphries. Editor Jack Leach of
The Daily Northwestern, student paper
at Northwestern University. published an
editorial entitied “Get This, Capone,”
‘warning Snorkey not to attend any more
football games.
Next move for the prosecution was to
call bald. be-spectaciled Fred Ries; who
testified he handled the finances of four
Cicero gambling houses. gave the checks
to wizencd Hittle Bobby Barton, chauticur
for Jack Gusick, Capone's “financial sec-
retary.” Barton. known as “The Little
Man,” did not testify, but kept popping in
& out of court to be identified. Snorkey
seemed imeresicd in Riess testimony.
caused spectators to recall gossip that
fangsters were looking for him since he
helped to get Gusick a five-year sentence.
A handwriting expert identified Capone's
signature on onc of the checks Ries said
were gambling profits Up jumped Prose
exer, Johnson. spoke bis first words of the
trial:¢
“The Government rests.”
‘The Defense was not ready. Sadly. in-
grant, Lawyer Fink proveied that
unfair to give bim no warning.
Wilkerson was unimpressed, sald the de-
fense would have to be ready by 10 8. m.
sext day.
By 10 a, m, Lawyers Abern de Fink had
assembled eight bookmakers with shiny
sboes. To them Snorkey was 30 smart
mbler. One William Vario said Snorkey
Hea lest some $50,000 in two years to
him, Bookie Sam Gitelson thought his
its were $25.000. Bookie George
rman took another $::.000. Bookie
Mitton Held. got $33.00. A sharp-eyed
huncbback named Oscar Gutter swore be
isd wo0 $40,000 from Capone ; Harry Bel-
ford, better known as “Hickory Slim. the
Dice Guy.” $25.000. Other bookmakers
got smaller amounts. Altoge:her Snorkey's
fondness for playing the Caponies seemed
to have cost him some $200 000. Snorkey _
smirked. did not seem ashamed. One Bud
Gentry bréezed up on the siand. recatled
that Prizefighters Sharkey & Stribling and
‘Mrs. Tex Rickard had been Capone's
gests in Florids. said that at the end of
the 1929 racing season he had won $110.
900 from Snorkey. He could not remem-
‘ber any of the horses Snorkey had bet oa.
defense rested.
During much of one day’s testimony
Snorkey had his eyes on slim Beatrice
Lillie, who sat with the reporters. He
wanted to meet her. but his lawyers ob-
jected. Chirruped Actress Lillie: “Well,
I wasn't billed. but if pressed I'll sing a
song for you.”
*Xet fe five years bes Prosceter Jobuson
engord # case fe Cour}, except to pum Hp.
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