“Send the Missionaries to Chicago.” from the February 21, 1929 Door County News
SEND THE MISSIONARIES TO CHICAGO.
On November 10, 1924, while in his florist shop Dan O’Bannion was shot down and killed by three assassins believed to have been members of Torrio’s gang. Torrio and O’Bannion, leaders in the Chicago ‘beer running gang’ had quarreled. Eleven weeks later Torrio was shot down in front of his home, the gangsters escaping in a car after firing five shots in his body. Torrio recovered but made his exit from Chicago. Both shootings: occurred in broad daylight.
Al Capone succeeded Torrio and ‘Bugs’ Moran succeeded O'Bannion, and the gang war in Chicago has continued. Moran was identified as one of Torrio's assailants but was released by Judge Lindsay on bonds of $5,000. Needless to say Moran never appeared for trial.
Chicago’s ‘beer war’ has continued on and on and a new outbreak occurred Thursday when seven of Moran’s gang were lined up against a wall in the S. M. Cartage company offices, 2122 North Clark street, and killed with sawed off shot guns and machine guns. Six were found dead by the police and the seventh died a short time later in the truespirit of gangdom, refusing to name his assailants. The seven deaths brought the total of gang murders in the past few years to 135. From 1922 to 1926, 215 gangsters murdered each other and the Chicago police killed 160.
The earnings from the syndicate beer ‘racket’ since 1920 is estimated at over 12 million dollars a year. Much evil can be accomplished with 12 million dollars and according to all appearances much evil has been accomplished. Police have either been ‘bought’ or are helpless and even when brought for trial it is an exception to have a gangster sentenced, instead of the rule.
We of the land of free and enlightened give freely to finance missionary expeditions to the more uncivilized regions of the earth. What a state of mirth it would put them in if these unfortunate dwellers of the uncivilized regions could learn of our own little Chicago. Chicago gangsters have lost all respect for the law. There is but one alternative—the missionaries.
It is amazing to learn that in a ‘dry country’ the revenue from illicit liquor from one city alone nets over 12 millions of dollars each year.
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
[author not stated]
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