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Al Capone — Part 35
Page 36
36 / 64
~=-HcG urn and two of his’
friends,” said Alosio, “came tn,
shortly after midnight. They
engaged the second alley and
took off their coats to bowl.
As they stood at the end of
the alley, three men v‘ho had
come in after them walked up
unnoticed behind MeGurn and
began firing. |
“They didn’t miss. They were
tandi +
bullet ok eneee. Be na thot See,
eral times in the head and several
time in the back. He fell dead. The
His No, 1 Killer Killed
killers ran out and the other le
in the house, including his tHends,
followed.”
Yesterday was the anniversary
of the St. Valentine's Day massa-
cre, one of the most sensational
crimes in American history. On
Feb, 14, 1929, seven members of
Mie North Side gang_headed by |
* Sackets, were Lined up against thi
cel re ine Ens 1
Wall of a garage enh Clark St.
ge Raa all machine-ganned to
jeat
{ McGurn Link Doubted. |
There were at times reports that
McGurn was implicated in that
“ghooting. Most investigators dis-
credited this, however. That some
one wished to remind McGurn of
Malentine's Day was proved by the
discovery of a comic lithograph
that was left with Alosio for him
some time yesterday. It depicted
a couple in scanty clothing with a
Tittle jingle under it which read:
"You've Tost your job, you've lost
your dough;
‘foings still could be worse, you
know—
‘At least you haven't lost your
trousers.” +
It was the belief of the investi-
gators, headed by Capt, Richard
Barry, that the killers had accurate
Knowledge that McGurn would be
in the bowling alley at about the
time he arrived. Possibly, it was
said, they waited for him and
climbed up the stairs to the second |
floor, where the alleys are, as soon j
as he and his friends had cleared
the hallway.
It was even theorized that the
men who went with him might,
‘pave been in on the plot. To sup-|
port this the police pointed out |
that all the bullets were directed ;
at McGurn alone. His friends, in
all probability, were armed and_
could have battled if they wished,
in the opinion of Capt. Barry.
“But anything could have hap-
pened in this instance,” he added. |
“McGurn had plenty of people with |
reason to bump him off. My guess |
is he stepped on somebody's toes
in the alky racket or the gambling
business, recently. The gangs
don’t usually shoot to avenge
womething that happened years
ago, They put enemies out oi
btisiness for what they’re doing
now.”
t
[: Suspeet in Many Killings. |
MeGurn was suspected of more)
than a dozen murders, But the
nearest he ever came to doing a
long stretch in jail was on a Mann
‘Act conviction. i
When_ police arrested him in
Miami, Fla., on suspicion of the St.}
Valentine's Day murders, he was
living with a golden-haired gun
moll, Louise (Lulu Lou) Rolfe. Hl
Her alibi for McGurn wes,
rms, she said, in
a Georgia hot at the time police
declared he wae mowing down Mo-|
nae gangsters,
m who placed McGurn in
. | Saved by High Court. |
5.
‘Machine Gun’ Jack MeGurn
Closeup of killer who got dose |
of his medicine—t {
lead.
Chicago were rubbed out, one by!
one. Lulu Lou's testimony re-
mained unconvincing—but unshak-
able.
The underworld hailed her as the
“blonde alibi” when McGurn ap-
peared for trial five times, each
time to jeer as the State prosecu-
tors backed down and asked for a
continuance,
But when the St. Valentine's
Day charges were finally droppe?
for lack of evidence, McGurn's
alibi was turned against him,
He and his blonde paramour
were indicted for violation of the.
Mann Act. |
In an attempt to impress the |
jury, McGum married the girl
before trial.
The charge stuck, however, and;
McGurn was sentenced to two
years .in Leavenworth Prison and
his wife to four months in the |
Cook County jail. \
But even in this he beat the rap
when the United States Supreme!
Court set aside the conviction.
He served two minor terms, how-
ever, while the appeal was being
argued.
In 1930 he was sentenced to the
county jail for one year and fined
$300 for carrying a gan.
Later he was snatched out of
the Western Open Golf Tourna-
ment, where he was playing under
his real name, Vincent Gabardi, and
charged with yperaney.
With unusual consideration, the ;
arresting officers allowed him to,
finish his match before taking him ,
off to jail. He shot an 86. {
Laver-#—jery sent him. to. the.
Bridewell for six months. H
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