The Washington herald., 1909-08-01
BOMBS JAR EVEN CHICAGO
Hurt Fourteen Persons Wrecked Telephone Exchang-Fg Be-
Gamblers Protected by Cheap" Politicians

later another explosion occurred az the
home Of Mont" Tennes. head Of rival
syndicate OF gamblers.
At Tennes' Home.
The explosion at Mont Tennes' home
left little doubt that a grim war among
the gamblers was on. On the night OF
July p the neighborhood Of Tennes' resi-
denee was wrecked. The police and fire
departments rushed 20 the scene and
secured the neighborhood for suspicious
characters The investigation led TO the
conclusion that the bomb had been
hurled from the alley at the rear OF the
house II evidently was designed for
the residence. but the thrower was either
un6killed in this species OF warfare. or
was in too much OF a hurry. for the bomb
fell short and struck the garage. The
police worked on the case for a week.
bat II was a private warfare IN which
the greatest damage was done to one OF
the participant, and Tennes didn't seem
inclined 10 urge a thorough investigation.
The newspapers Of Chicago printed ac-
counts Of The outrage, and on behalf OF
innocent citizens whose windows were
shattered demanded that the bomb
|
orders were Issued the districts In
which criminals find shelter were curried.
the investigation simmered dowD-and
nothing followed.
O'Leary the Next Victim.
James oLeary. proprietor Of one OF
Chicago's most pretentious saloons IN the
extensive stockyards district. was the
next victim O'Leary's place has been
raided many times on a number OF
charges, but O'Leary wields political IN
huence In the stOckyards ward Some
times. when the case against him was
conclusive. the saloon was convicted. and
o Leary's bartender, in whose name the
license stands. appeared IN court 70 pay
the usual fine; but the saloons license
never has been taken away.
Il was on the night OF August Y that a
bomb was thrown az the rear OF
O'Leary's place. K tore a big hole in the
building. did the usual damage 20 win
dows throughout the neighborhood. and
spoiled business" IN the saloon and pool
room for a day OF two O'Leary stated.
when the police took up the case. that he
had no idea why his saloon was dyna-
mited- The police took ms word. the
investigation simmered away. accom-
OLeary and Mont" Tennes al this timo
were avowed enemies. haviaG quarrel
over O'Leary's alleged invasion OF Ten
nes' allotted territory IN CEicagO-where
there IS no gambling according 20 the
mayor and the chief OF police
Former sheriff Visited.
Mayor Busse shook up the Police De
partment and declared that the bomb
outrages must cease-the same declara-
ton he had made several times. But
there were more scores TO settle. scores
which lay just outside the gambling
/ business. but which were intimately con
nected with it. On September ] a bomb
was exploded al the home OF former
Sheriff James Pease. Pease IS a political
power In the Twenty-f3fth Ward. from
which former States Attorney Healy was
/ elected. Before Healy's election the
gambling business hOuTished. Then came
Ia change. The States attorney started
out 10 clean up Chicago. SheriT Pease
who had helped 20 elect Healy. was
panied and surprised. The sheriff lost
many Of his friends among the gamblers.
. Although his residence was considerably
damaged by the bomb, Pease could tell
the police OF no enemies he had made
nor could he ascribe reasons for the visl-
tation.
IN addition % conducting g profitable
saloon and gambling business Mont
/ Tennes had branched out into merchan-
disc. on Clark street. downtown, he had
/ established a caSh-register store. The
store. like the central exchange OF the
/ Chicago Telephone Company. adjoins Cal
houn Place. the notorious Gamblers
Alley" of free-and-easy days. AS be-
. -
/ bomb-throwing episode had taken place
az the latter stockyards saloon. SO what
should be more natural than that the
/ succeeding dynamiting should happen at
one OF Tennes' places2 Tennes' North
Side saloons were passed and his down
/ town store. above which Il was rumored
/ that a pOolroom was being operated. was
/ dyuamited. The charge was Just heavy
I enough 20 break the rear doors and win
dows and 10 pile up the stock. Then for
/ a time Tennes and OLeary patched UP a
/ truce. and the bomb throwings were
/ transferred 10 the West Side OF the city.
-Four In seven Days.
/ On October the saloon of John Rogers
was dynamited. and the following night a
gambling clearing house" near Forest
! Park station was wrecked John F.
( OMaIey had escaped for two months
without a "calI' by an agent OF MS
rivals. So on the night Of October c, his
/ saloon, in Clark street, just north Of the
/ river. was dynamited for the second time.
! O'Maley came about as near giving up
! everything" TO the police department as
/ he could That might have brought out
( side forces and Interference into the
gamblers private warfare. SO the follow
\ ing night the saloon Of Pat O'Maliey. q
/ relative. was dynamited. Ii was taken
/ as a sign by John OMaIey. and the
police investigation accomplished nothing
! That ended the outrages for 1907.
The last two months Of 1897 seemed 70
/ portend that the big gambling syndicates
/ had settled their differences. There We're
no domb throwing. and the po0lrOonis did
I a profitable business. but in January or
/ 1905 things opened up again. on January
/ 2S the saloon of Edward Brennan was
/ blown up The bomb was ascribed to an
/ irresponsible smau gambler, fer there
/ were no reprisals The real resumption
I Of the warfare came on July 9, when a
1 blast Of dynamite was set of in the rear
/ Of Smith & Perry's saloon.
Visited n Second Time.
A week later John Rogers saloon was
visited Tor the second time by the bomb
( throwers, and the contents Of the place
We're left a mass Of wreckage. On July
90 the State street saloon. conducted by
John J. Corbett. was partially wrecked.
and five days later the National Hotel
famous in the wide open" days for
gaming Of all kinds, was damaged by a
bomb. The blast tore out a portion Of the
rear wall and broke windows IN adjacent
buildings Then for nearly three months
the war ceased.
The last three months Of 1908 brought a
break In the armed neutrality Of O'Leary
and Tennes. on October IS O'Leary's sa-
loon and gambling house was partially