The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1921-05-20
LEAVENWORTH, KAN.
TO Be new ADDRESS
CHICAGO VIOLATORS
Mike de Pike Heitler and Two
Others Must Serve Sentences
WERE CONVICTED BY JURY
IN BIG BOOZE CONSPIRACY
Each Must Pay $4,000 Fine and
Third Of Costs
HIGH PRICED LAWYERS FIGHT ON

HIGH PRICED LAWYERS FIGHT ON
On May Il Judge Evans in the
Federal Court at Chicago sentenced
Heitler, known as Mike de
Pike TO eighteen months in the
federal penitentiary at Leayenworth,
Kansas, and in addition fined him
$4,000. Nathaniel Perlman. another
OF the liquor conspirators. received a
sentence OF fifteen months and a
$4,000 fine. Mandel Greenberg, a
third conspirator, was given year
and a day in the federal prison and a
$4,000 fine. Each of the three con-
victcd violators must also pay one
third of the court costs.
New Trial Is Asked
Immediately after the sentences
were imposed Attorney Weymouth
Kirkland, who represented the de-
PENDANTS, announced he would appeal
the case to the higher court Judge
Evans granted ninety days to perfect
an appeal based on a writ OF error
and fixed bail for the sentenced men
at $4,000 each.
The "Heitler' case involved more
money, whisky, and alleged violators
OF the Prohibition laws than any
other in this part of the country since
the nation went dry. 1t was the first
big case before a federal jury. Des-
peratc efforts were made by the de-
fendents to prevent verdict against
the defendants. The liquor men were
determined not only to free the indi-
viduals on trial but to establish the
precedent OF no couviction in Jury
case in Chicago. The lawyers for the
liquor men were commonly referred
to by the newspapers a s the million
dollar defense An authority on the
membership OF the Chicago bar made
the statement during the trial that
only one prominet criminal lawyer of
the Chicago bar was absent from the
counsel table OF the vets.
History of the Case
The following brief history of the
"Heitler" case was printed in the Chi
cago Journal:
When the case of Mike dc Pike"
Heitler and his eleven codefendants,
four of whom were Chicago police
men, charged with conspiracy to il
legally transport liquor, came UP for
trial in February before Judge Evans
OF the United States District court,
the most stubborn legal battle over
booze since Prohibition became eff
fective began.
The indictments were returned last
November after the seizure of $l75,-
900 worth of whisky which had been
unloaded from freight cars in the
Rock Island yards and placed on
wagons and trucks for delivery
among various Chicago saloonkeep-
ers.
The whisky was brought, it was
alleged, from the Grand Dad dstillery
at Hobbs, KY, suburb of Louisville.
1t was claimed that part of the liz
uor was illegally seized by agents of
Heitler while it was being taken to
the saloonkeepers. and that the police
assisted in the seizure
Principal Defendants in Case
The principal defendants in the case
were Heitler. Nanny Greenberg,
liquor agent; Nathan Perlman his
partner; George Quinn and William J.
Trudell, saloonkeepers; Frank Nc
Cam, cigar dealer; 0. Z. Wathen,
secretary OF the Grand Dad distillery;
w. d. Knebelkamp. owner of the
Louisville Baseball club; Policemen
Edward Smale, George Hanes and
Eugene McCaffery and Detective Ser
geant Timothy Judge of the Engle-
wood station.
A large corps OF legal talent was
employed by the defendants and every
possible technical action was taken TO
delay the hearing
Their first step was the filing OF de-
murrers to the indictments OF their
clients, which were denied by Judge
Lands. Pleas in abatement were then
filed and proof that the indictments
voted carried wrong names of NUM-
Der OF defendants were submitted.
Vote New Indictments
This was counteracted by the gov
ernment when new indictments were
voted against the men. The attor-
neys then asked Judge Lands for
change of venue, and this was granted
and the case set for hearing before