The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-05-01
PROSECUTOR IS
Killed With z
BEER RUNNERS
Gun Used in
Gang War

The mixture Of Illicit booze peddiInp
and politics In Chicago produced an
other crop Of murder Victims Tuesday
night and Wednesday morning. The
latest victims are:
William MeSwIggen, assistant to
States Attorney Robert E. Grove,
and one Of the political henchmen
Of the crowe-5arrett machine.
James J. Doherty, leader of a
Cicero beer running gang In compe-
tltIon with the surviving members
Of the cenna gang.
Thomas Duffy, Cicero saloon
keeper and precinct committeeman
Of the crowe-Rartett political ma
chine.
A fourth man, ieved to be "Klon-
dixie" oDonnell, b er running partner
of Doherty, escaped.
Assassins Use Machine Gun.
For the second time within a few
weeks the machine gun was used in
Chicago's gangland murders. It was
such weapon that was used Tuesday
night
McSwiggen, with Doherty, Duffy and
the unidentified person who escaped
death were touring in the vicinity of
Cicero in the car owned by the as
sistant states attorney when a heay-
lily curtained car drove alongside of
it and the rattle of machine gun fire
began. The assistant prosecutors
car came to a standstill and some
witnesses report that fire was re-
turned.
Bodies Removed From Scene.
Conflicting stories regarding the
events following the murders have
made it impossible to ascertain pre-
cisely what happened. One witness
says that two men in a parked car
across the street from the scene of
the shooting Immediately gathered UP
the bodies of the prosecutor and the
beer runner, Doherty, and drove away
in their car. Both bodies were found
an hour later in field near Berwyn.
Duffy, the third victim, was found on
the scene and was taken to a hospital
where he died a few hours later with
out regaining consciousness.
Grove "Dumbfounded."
States Attorney Robert e. Grove,
notorious labor-hater, union hall raider
and head of the political clique of
which McSwiggen hnd Duffy were
bright and shining 1fghtA is reported
to be "dumbfounded."- at the murders.
The police have a number of more or
less plausible guesses regarding the
cause Of the thing.
Those familiar with the mixture of
politics and beer running which has
become one of the outstanding social
factors in Chicago view it as a phase
of the warfare between the Doherty-
O'Donnel gang of beer runners and
their competitors, the Genna gang, for
a monopoly of their highly protected
and lucrative business.
Officials state that McSwiggen's
presence in the company of such men
as Doherty and Duffy is not clear. He
once prosecuted both of them for the
murder of Eddie Tancl, a Cicero resort
keeper. However, it is recalled that
the evidence seemed to vanish when
the trial approached and the two gang
sters were acquitted in short order.
Facts seem to indicate a close connec-
ton between the states attorneys Of
fee and the rival of the beer running
Gennas.
Considerable light is shed on the
intimate connection between the prose
cutors and the gangsters in the fact
that Duffy called at the home of Nc.
Swiggen and the prosecutor took him
in his cara Lincoln sedan-and left.
telling his parents that he was going
to Berwyn to play cards" That was
the last heard OF him until the shoot
ing.
AS usual the civic leaders of the
bourgeoisie are indignant and women's
clubs and similar organizations have
offered their services to the states
attorneys Office"
Civic Leaders IndIananat.
A wild orgy of arrests by police fol-
lowed the murders and there are some
200 already in jails in Chicago and
Cicero in order to create the fiction
of striving to clean up the gangsters,
most of whom are well protected by
various political machines and who
terrorize voters during elections and
engage in ballot box stealing and other
devices that aid the political crooks
retain power.