Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-27
EASTMAN IS SLAIN;
E:FEL0N AND HERO
Notorious Cunman Believed
Killed as Result Of
Gang Feud
WON HONOR DURING WAR

a war hero. was sam N'St'TUHN sup
posedlv rs the result Of a gang fcud.
Detectives today entered on tho trail
Of a score of characters known to hav"
been his associates at various times.
Eastman. who won distinction in thc
war under his real name. William De.
laney, and was restored to citizenship
by Governor SUIT on his promise to
hro straight " was found i"sd Mt the
corner Of Fourth avenue and Fourteenth
street within n block Of his cd under.
world haunts. his body pierced By five
bullets.
Leaders Of the score NJ detectives
assigned to the case. sH'l they had
learned Of recon- threat of Eastman
60 kill one Of hs companions after n
quarrel. Relations between the two men
had become more and more strained
they said. and each had enlisted the
support Of friends for defense.
Siayc- FIces in Tayicab
]. A. Ayrcs. rriutrr. who told re.
porters last .ght that hr vas one Of
sevpra eye witnesses tN the murder,
was expected 70 tell his story 70 the de.
tectivcS t"dHy We said 10 and tn"
Others rushed on of restaurant on
hearing n shot fired. aud saw four other
shots directed at thr nroStratc body
They saw, he said, Il man stand over
the body n moment and then run for
slowly moving taXiCab, which sped
away.
In the dead mans pockets were $40,
. watch and chain and a Christmas
card. The presence of the valuables
Indicated to the .nolice that the killing
OF Eastman probably was not part of
the prevailing crime wave.
Eastman had youthful career
that was dazzling even for underworld
annals The son of wealthy and indul.
gent parents. he chose as his compan-
ions the gangsters Of the one time
Toughest" district in New York near
Fourteenth street and Third avcnue-
only block from where be was killed
4 dozen years ago the "Monk" East
man gang vas composed of gunmen.
burglars and drug addcts. and the
police claimed to have traced score
Of murder mysteries to the zone in
which the gnngstCrs operated. Their
leader. however, served terms for lesser
crimes-burglRry, smuggling Of mar
cotics and dispoSins Of stolen goods.
Enlisted as Doughboy
The last time Eastman appeared on
police records was in 1919. when he
~ob VI A'FNtN, BItuut' kuIlJS u EpUDpTN
and was sentenced to two years in
prison. On his release in October. 1917.
he enlisted in the army as a dough :
boy in the l06th Infantry Of the Twen .
ty-sevcnth Division. lie then was forty
five years old.
After the war he was honorably dis
charged. but lacked the rights Of citi Q
senship because he had been convicted
OF a felony. Governor Smith, in re.
storing tho soldiers civic status, acted
on the recommendations Of the rrgi-
ment's officers The letter Of I.iruten
ant J. y. kcrrigau, Of Company q,
read:
During the attack on NicrS, IA,
Ridge. Eastman was wounded and taken
TO casualty clearing station. He re
manned there only three days. for upon
hearing TINT the regiment expected to
30 into the line again, be escaped from
the hospital. equipped himself from Il
salvage dump. Joined his company aud
vas In action throughout the entire Hin p
denburg line show. His conduct was
cIemplary and he has never been re.
ported for absence without leave or any
other Otfense
Another incident related to the gov =
ernor was that Eastman had goue lover
the toy on hands and knees. with hand
Srenadea with which to attack German
machine gun nest The enemy fire was
90 intense that his pack was scared
from his back, but he gained his OBJ
3ective.
Alleged Criminal Leader Held
The murder Of Eastman and the hold
ing in 800 600 bHil Of George l.. King
believed 70 be the leader Of u rrim'na
band Of nation. wide activity, were ont
standing features Yesterday in New