Evening star., 1928-12-01
CRIME IN CHICAGO
FACES HARD FIGHT
Battle to Begin Monday
When Swanson Becomes
States Attorney.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, December l. Crimes
~Big Three" - gangsters, racketeers,
gunmen-face a rebellious electorate S
drawn sword when John A. Swanson
becomes States attorney of Cook
County Monday.
Swanson was swept into Office No
Vember 6 at the crest of the rebellion
that had its inception with the bombing
of his home and that of his political
sponsor, United States Senator Charles
Deneen, just prior to primary election
April 10 last.
1t was during the particularly ruth
less period in Chicagos history, imme-
diately after the bombing. that Swan
son promised to purge the city and
Cook County of crime.
The bomberS never were caught.
Neither have police been able to find
the perpetrators of more than 100 other
bombings, which have occurred during
the past II months.
COlOred Lawyer Slain.
Murder followed. Octavius Granady,
colored lawyer who opposed Morris
Eller, city collector, as candidate for
committeeman in the bloody twen-
tieth" ward was burned down" with
machine gun fire on primary election
day. Poll watchers were kidnapped
slugged and intimidated, and there
was stuffing of ballot boxes 70 make the
day one of excitement throughout the
city.
Fifteen men, including a policeman
and a State Legislator, have been con-
victed and fined on conspiracy charges
nfff of h HhlnndU w OF
ward terrorism
Days of violence continued, causing
the wave of public indignation, which
evidenced itself at the primary, to grow
in size to defeat what was called the
'urholy alliance" of politics and crime
There was the shooting to death of
~Big Tim" Murphy in his own door
yard; the spectacular staying on one of
the worlds busiest thoroughfares of
Murphys friend, Tony Lombardo
Neither crime has been solved.
Wins on Cleanup Pledge.
It was on a platform that promised
. stop such crimes in Chicago that
Swanson, a judge of the Circuit Court,
was nominated and elected. The COM
plete cutting of all party affiliations
was demonstrated November when
Swanson, a Republican, was elected
on the same ballot that gave Herman
N. BundeSen, Democrat, more than a
million plurality over his incumbent
Republican opponent in the contest for
coroner.
Al c"Scarface"O Capone, whose name
frequently has been linked with gang
land, remained in the background, but
the special grand jurieS, authorized by
the State and paid for by private sub
Scription, continued their investigation
of primary day violence.
Then followed the Staying of a cab
driver, the bombing of several cab COM
pRny garages and the destruction by
nre of the racing stables of John Hertz.
chairman of the board of directors of
the Yellow Cab Co.
kidnapping of 10-year-old boy, Billy
Ranieri, further incensed citizens His
alleged kidnapers are now awaiting
trial.
Clay Staying Follows.
Terrorism continued unabated with
the Staying of John G. Clay, a power
in the dry cleaning business. He was
''potted" through window by machine
gun fire as he sat at his desk. Police
saw in his death retribution for the
Staying of big Tim" Murphy.
Before and after the Clay killing
numerous dry cleaning establishments
had been bombed, as well as several
cafes and saloons.
Swanson will attempt to prevent a
recurrence of such outlawry. AS his
chief aide he has appointed Frank j.
Loesch, 76-year-old president of the
Chicago Crime Commission, who direct
ed the work of six special grand jurieS
fnpaneled since the April primaries.
The first work of the new prosecutor
and his assistants will be the cleanup
of "hangovers" from the administration
of Robert E. Grove, whom Swanson
defeated for the Republican nomination
for States attorney in the primaries.
Wreckage of the political machine
which Grove jointly headed with Mayor
William Hale Thompson was one OF
the results Of the April and November
voting
Chief among the tasks requiring the
immediate attention of the new States
attorney is study of recommendations
by the last of the special grand juries,
which reported and was discharged yes
terday. The jury asked that the police
department be investigated and charges
Of corruption and graft Sifted.