, 1925-01-30
CRIME THRONE
IS EMPT|ED by
LATE KILLING
New King of Under
world Must Be Found
. In Chicago Life.

CHICAGO. Jan. 30.-Who ia, to be
the heir to the throne in Chicago's
plutocracy of crime? is the question
of deep concern today to this city's
society as well as Its police. There
is a report that Johnny Torrio has
slight chance to recover.
The fact hat INT after another
OF these kings of the underworld
gets bumped off" seems scarcely to
cause q ripple in the line of their
succession to the sea OF the mighty.
Always another is on hand to shoot
his way from comparative oblivion
and social degradation to the promi-
hence that calls for constant and
widespread publicity. just as 1t
brings riches and considerable social
recognition from some public Off.
Gals and the riding set
With Dion O'Banion out of the
way because he was getting too
strong for his superior. Johnny Tor.
rio. and now with Torrio supposed
ly on his deathbed because. police
believe. he had O'Banion removed
from his path. the spotlight is likely
oon TO turn on new characters in
this little kingdom of vice and
crime.
Louis Alterie. young and daring
protege Of O'Banion, is supposed to
have inherited much OF his lords
claim to power when the time came
for Dion to pass out of the picture.
But then Alterie might have diff.
Guilty in reaching that priceless
place among the mighty. because #
his youth n the probable nature
of the opposition.
OBanion also had among his fol-
lowers "Dapper Dan" Mccarthy, a
promising leader who has figured
widely in tho news about the huge
bootlegging syndicate which all of
these men are concerned over.
'D1pper nan," in turn, has Earl
Weiss and Vincent Drucci. two
other rising characters. to contend
with.
Over In Torrio's immediate camp.
Frank McEriane. a character of
considerable repute among the pow
erful and rich bootlegging set. may
challenge the right OF "Scarface Al
Capone to have u~ndisputed success
sion to the place held by Torrio, II
he succumbs.
"Scarface Az is now guarding his
chief against any possibility of at.
tack upon him while he lies dan
gerousiy wounded in a local hospi-
tai. He is Torrio's right-hand man
and may demand the place of his
chief later. But again, he has
Walter Stevens. a notorious charat-
ter. to deal with. since Stevens just
has received a parole from the state
%penitentiary and has Jack and
Harry Cusik.
Outside of these widely recognized
bootleg cliques. stands the Spike"
o'Donnell gang, which might decide
to hit out on its own and go after
the leadership in the liquor field.
Before he was shot down by an
automobile load Of men. Just as he
was about to enter his home in the
fashionable South Shore district
here. Torrio was considered undis.
puted lord of vice and crime in
Cicero and Chicago. He was sup
posed to have received n percentage
on every pint Of Illicit liquor sold
in the city, through his control of
b~ootlegging channels.
Torrio came to power after Jim
Colliseo, king of the underworld
was removed by a bullet back In
1920. He had imported Torrio from
New York to do some cleanup work
and, the story has Il, Torrio rose
rapidly 20 supplant his chief. He
has had tremendous political power
as well as great wealth.
TL.- ofD,
der Torrio and he went his way.
Now society Is waiting to see II
some other shining light OF the un.
derworld is to rise to take the place
OF Torrio. o'Banion had been quite
n f~avorite among some sets. He
took to riding clubs, some time be.
fore his death. and was n notable
figure when seen trotting through
the parks on his beautiful mounts.
Torrio was less for society, but
his money gave him a ready entree
into the better circles and among
the a~spirants for the leading role in
the vice and crime world are some
who shine In evening clothes.
One thing that prevents these vice
lords from rising higher in the SO.
cial swim has been the constant
turnover In their ranks. Once In
power, there appear to be so many
excellent shots always ready to re.
move them that their time is limited
in which TO work TO great heights
among the best people.
Always. though. Chicago shows
her lords OF the underworld the
greatest attention during their lives
and marked solicitude when the