Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-31
Man to Expose
Higher Up in
eQui~Slair1

New York, April 1.-Seven hours
before the district attorneys office
was to have been informed by Harry
Cohen, also known as Harry the
Yot," J." of the name of the man high
er up" in the prosecutors anti
gambling crusade, Cohn was kill
ed at $50 o'clock this morning.
District Attorney Swami immedi-
ately ordered the apprehension of
Sam Schepps, who was one of the
prosecutiOn's star witnesses
against Charles Becker, the police
lieutenant, who was executed for
the murder of Herman RosenthaI.
gambler, in 1912.
Schapps and two other men who
were with him when tn polio Wis
tied Schepps' jewelry s top il 'iNth
avenue, were taken into CUSTODY "a
few hours after the shooting.
Up to the time of his arrest the
district attorney withheld the rea-
son for desiring Schepps' appear
auce 1t was not asserted tina" he
was near when Cohen was shot but
the police declare that he is identi-
fed in the inquiry as friend of
woman. who. with two men, was
arrested last weel- upon infOrma-
tion furnished by Harry the Yot."
Cohen, according to Assistant
District Attorney Smith, had for
several weeks been a stool pig
con" Cohen telephoned to the pros
ecutor some time ago and said he
had been trimmed at a crooked
wheel in a hotel and volunteered
his services in helping in the
gambling crusade.
Against the advice of the assist
ant prosecutor, Cohen several times
visited Mr.. Smiths house openly
with information which was con-
sidered valuable. At daylight this
morning Cohen telephoned to Mr..
Smith, asking him to meet him at
Fifth avenue and Thirty-sixth
street, at 1:30 o'clock this after
noon.
BE ready to hit the mob" said
Harry, the Yot,' alluding to the
gamblers. I've got the goods on
the main man"
The next Mr.. Smith heard, Cohen
was dead, with three bullets in his
body. A Negro hall boy furnished
the police with a description of the
slayer, whom he had pursued as
far as Central Park, where the man
made his escape by boarding a car.
Cohen was 3S years old.
Mr. Smith said he assumed that
the gamblers had planned to swim
die a prospective sucker" through
their crooked methods tTis after
noon and that Cohen, having learn
ed of it purposed to give the dis
trict attorney information which
would lead to a raid at the proper
time.
One phase of interest to the po-
lice is a statement made by the
Negro hall boy that he saw money
passed between Cohen and the man
who shot him, as they stood in the
lobby The boy was not certain
which man received the money.
Information that the gamblers
whom the district attorney is fight
ing had gunmen ready to kill any
person who played the role Of in
former was placed in MT. SWann's
pOsScsSIOH On SATURDAY Light IiIS
prosecutor announced.
1T is the same old story" Mr..
Swami said History repeats it.
self. On Saturday night a man
whose identity | cannot now re
veal, came to me and said: Boss,
you've got us licked This mal
has been a gambler for 25 years.
He gave me valuable information
in the form of a confession. He
said further that the gamblers had
gunner ready to get anyone who
This gambler adGed
If it became known that ! am
here my life would not be worth
a PIN"