Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-12-05

New York, Dec. 1.-Two mysterious
Sayings, one bearing evidence of
vengeance wrought by members Of a
blackhand society, the other a ira
Sedy of the hazardous bootlegging
game, We're high spots today in a
period of criminal activity in which
rum-runners, highjackers, holdup
men, pickpockets, burglars and for
gers took part.
All the elements of the underworld
seemed at work and as result all
the forces and experts of the arms
of the law were spurred into action.
Customs agents. coast guards. pro-
hibition enforcement officers, men,
bers of the police homicide and plain
clothes squads, We're occupied.
Dominick Maggion, known as the
singing cobbler. was shot dead in
his bed in Brooklyn after he and his
wife and three children had been
sprayed with chloroform. Three
weeks ago Dominick, while tapping
away at a boot sole, saw a piece of
paper with a black hand, pushed
under his shop door. His little boy
handed it to him. 1t warned that his
enemies were determined to have
vengeance for an act unstated. but
that his life would be spared if he
paid $1,000. Dominick laughed and
burned the paper.
His murderers entered his home
through rear window, sprayed the
drug and fired. The first shot struck
Dominick in the chest and he leaped
from his bed in an attempt to pro-
tect himself. Another shot felled
him and he died. His wife only part
ly overcome by the drug, screamed
and ran to him. but she was struck
down with the butt of gun. The
murderers then fed.
Anthony and Joseph Masgion
cousins of the cobbier, were arrested
and held as suspects
The body of a well dressed young
man. the throat cut. was found on
the edge of Staten Island woods by
Il schoolboy The body had been
dragged some distance. Papers
found in his pockets indicated he
had done business with bootleSgers.
Highjackers laid Il trap near Mas
sapequa. Long Island, waylaid
truck bearing $4,000 worth of liquor,
took its crew of two to another town
and drove away. n Seaford garage
man was dITSSlCu ItiltI do lilS lStio-
ing highjacker.
Three holdups were attempted in
Manhattan before daybreak. The
proprietor and six patrons of di-
vision street restaurant were lined
faces to the wall by three masked
men and robbed of their money and
jeWelry.
Staggering into an uptown drug
store, groaning as if in pain, Il youth
aroused sympathies of the druggist
and his clerk. They started minis
tering to him. He kicked them to
the floor, bound and gagged them.
took their jewels, robbed the cash
register. filled his pockets with mar
cotics and fled. A novice tried to
hold up a taXicab driver but was cap
tured and taken to a police station.
He told the police he had dreamed
he was a successful hiShwayman and
became inspired.
A bold operation was reported by
the Ajax Rubber Company which
announced that stock valued at S17o,-
900 had been stolen from its office
and sold through various brokers
after the names of registrar and
transfer agents were forged.
The activities of the government
forces working against rum and beer
smugglers centered in the eXamina-
ton of all trains bound from Canada
in an effort to curb Il conspiracy to
smuggle hundreds Of thousands of
dollars worth of beer. Six carloads
of real beer already have been dis
covered in local yards of the New
York Central lines.
Customs men and coast guards
continued their activity against the
smugglers of liquor from rum row.
One capture was made. The motor
cruiser Herreshoff was taken after a
running gun battle off Port Reading,
N. j., and her crew of six arrested.
The Herreshoff's crew was said to
have jettisoned her rum cargo as she
fed