Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08
H|-JACKERS' CRIME
ST|RS LOS ANGELES
Murder of Broker by Gang OF
Liquor Thieves Causes
Widespread Panic.
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.

| Special Dispatch to The Star.
LOS ANGELES, February S.-The
/ murder of prominent broker and
clubman, shot to death in defense OIL
his cellar of pre-prohibition liquors.
has spread a feeling of panic among
| the weather. residents of this city and
the moving picture colony In Holly
wood.
Where yesterday 1t was q rad 10
boast OF ones bounteous supply or wet
goods, today the possession or an I'M
usual quantity of forbidden beverages
is regarded as a. risk as great as any
in the greedy days of the CallIorhla
gold rush.
Notice virtually has been served on
every owner of valuable cellar that
he is to be- dispossessed of his liquors
sooner or later, not by the police or
the Federal prohibition agent, but by
the hi hackers, who have determined
to get the whisky for subsequent use
in the bootleg trade.
Criminals Declare War.
The very worst type of criminal In
the community has declared open war
on the best citizens who cling TO the
olden custom of dispensing cocKlalIs
and other kinds of damp hospitality
to friends and guests in their homes.
Real WHISTLES, wines and gins nave
become so valuable under the tlShten-
| ing ring of prohibition enforcement III
this section and the demand mas De-
come so great in q community where
money seems to flow like water that
| the man who owns considerable sup
ply is literally sitting on powder keg.
Luther r. Green, wealthy STOCK
| broker, living in a beautiful home on
| Bonnie Brae avenue, had been warned
several times that his home was TO
| be attacked by hi.jackerS and his
| liquors taken away. Desperate men, II
| was said, would do the work. and any
attempt to interfere with them would
| mean certain death.
Homes of the Rich Robbed.
Other homes of the rich have been
robbed in Los Angeles. One merchant
of this city owning a large supply OF
| liquors which he bought before con-
stitutional prohibition became effective
grew so frightened at the robberies
and threats that he deliberately poured
out all of his stock and had his cellar
doors thrown open as a means Of per-
sonal and household safety.
Luther Green laughed at the fears
of his friends. He, too, had large
supply of pre-prohibition stuff which
under the stringent Wright act in eff
feet in this State. He said he would
not pour his liquors into the gutter,
nor would he yield to the hi-jackers
without a struggle. He bought pistols
and a rife for the protection of his
| liquors. Lou Chung, faithful Chinese
| servant in the Green household also
swore to defend the whisky with his
| life.
The hijackers studied the situation
well. Spies were sent into the Green
home on many pretenses-the exam
| ination of hot-water heaters by plumb
ing inspectors, Government detec-
| tives" engaged ostensibly in a war
against hijackers, etc.
Chinese New Year Opens Way.
No attack was made when both
| Green and Ching were on guard.
But the Chinese New Year came
around last week, as Chinese new
years will do, and within half an hour
after the faithful and patriotic Ching
had gone out to join his fellow
countrynfen in an orgy of fire crack
ers and what not the hijacking band
made its pounce.
Reading in his study, Mr.. Green
suddenly became aware of suspicious
| ilOASSo III CSlldTt lie suspected the
i worst. The attack upon his priced
stock of liquors had begun. Grabbing
the rifle and running onto the front
porch, he saw three or four men load
| ing cases of wine and WHISTLES into
! a Dig touring car somewhat out of
date but OF great capacity. The
| broker began to fire upon the robbers,
and Immediately his fire was re-
turned. Startled neighbors, including
a sister-in-law, saw Green crumple
| and fall to the lawn as the big car,
unmuffied, sped away with the roar
of racing machine.
Dies Almost Instantly.
| Green died before he could be car
ried back into the home, which had
been marked by a murderous lust for
| liquor and all the gold it would bring
| in the illegal market of bootlegging
| Green's tragic death in defense of
| possessions he regarded as so sacred
has cast pail over a goodly section
| of Los Angeles and Hollywood. The
young brokers' associates on the Los
Angeles Stock Exchange have offered
| a reward of $4,000 for the arrest and
conviction of his murderers.
| Word has gone forth that the hi
| lacking gang must be broken up at
any cost. The police authorities are
| giving pract1cauy their entire time to
the case. Panic reigns alike in the
| few homes where there is legitimate
possession of pre-war liquors, and in
| the many where recently-acQuired
wealth has enabled motion picture
stars and others to lay in great sup
plies from the bootleggers. Enabled
to live what they choose to call the
| old 1ife,' through guilty associations
with the illegal liquor merchants, the
wealthy possessors of big stocks are
/ today in mortal terror of a stalking
death. The era of prohibition is en-
| tering new and startling phase.