The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-07-09
Motive Traced in Blowing
up John Condon's
House.
VICTIM SAYS NOTHING
City of Traverse Crowd Mentioned
as Being a Possible Party to
the Conspiracy.
Especial to Lake County Times.1


Chicago, July 9.-"John Condor has |
pretty fair idea as to who might try
to blow up himself and his family. but
he won't talk. That is not his way.
AS long as the bomb did no harm which
cannot be repaired he is quite content
10 let the would be assassins escape
and let their own consciences punish
them"
This was the statement made this
morning by close friend of the blind
racing magnate.
Condor" he continued has always
been a safe man, when he was being
| prosecuted by a lot of fake reformers
he had enough on them to put dozen
III the penitentary. but he never whisp-
cred. He knew who 1t was that set fire
to the grand stand at his Harlem race
track several years ago, but he always
insisted that the thing was an accident.
He may have got good and even since
but not through the courts or the police
There are a lot of people in Chicago
who depend upon proprietary gamblers
to support them, who would find it in
their hearts to blot out a blind man and
his family, on the mere supposition that
the blind man had deprieved them of
their lazy living. Those fellows cannot
reason and there is a whole lot up above
them who would rejoice secretly in
the success of their diabolical plot"
The fact that Condon's house was
dynamited on the day that the pool
ship City of Traverse was put out of
| business for good and all by federal
Intervention. which was eXerted by
request of Mayor Busse. may be mere
coincidence, but the opposition Of the
two events is investigated with some
significance in the afterglow of sport
ing events which followed the election
of Mayor Busse.
Lately the pressure upon the hand
booking industry in Chicago has been
somewhat relieved but it has been APP
parent that the City of Traverse clique
as the Smith, Perry White Hyman syn
dicate has come to be called, has not
been included with the crowd which
has been permitted to ease UP a bit.
Mayor Busse and Chief shippy de-
clared they would put the City of Ira
verse out of business. They succeed
ed in doing that of their own efforts.
The floating pool room died of mani
nation when it became possible for
horse followers to place their bets
make it stronger, the vag law was in
voked. and to put the pool boat down
and out for keeps the big stick" at
Washington was called in.
The order came from Washington
canceling the license of the City of
Traverse and rendering it useless as a
carrier of any kind of freight, and
last night an attempt was made to
| I,i- fayo w r,t.
eternity.
Was it a mere coincidence?
Not in the light of the remarks,
studied and careless. that have been
dropped since the radical shift in gam
ing affairs in Chicago.
Condor. always recognized as the
safe" boss of gambling affairs in Chi
cage, has been accused of putting the
: Ciyt of Traverse and the coterie con
I trolling it. out of business. He has
also been charged or credited with die
tating the more or less liberal policy
of the present administration and sep
arating the all rights" from the 'wonI
dos
Nobody in the game believes that any
leader OF the won't do" crowd inspired
t the dvnamiting of Condon's house, bu
1t is the beliet OF the sporting llaleI
nifty that some hair Drained plugge-
allowed the remarks that fell about hin
D to enter his system and inspire to re
q sort to the most dastardly means t
: get revenge.
Nobody has been arrested for com
e plicity in the outrage. Condor make
I light of 1t although his wife and fam
lily are almost Frustrated from tn
= shock
e They didn't get us" said Condor
g this morning with a laugh in his sight
4 less orbs. and I don't think they'll TT!
it again soon"