Evening star., 1928-12-11

for ignorance and venanty The recon-
mendation was made to the following
special Jury to inquire into the politi-
cal activities of the police.
! The trial of the Eller men went
steadily forward. Witness after witness
| took the stand to tell of beatings, kid
napings, frauds, and Of the murder Of
Octavius c. Granady, the negro lawyer
who had opposed Boss" Eller at the
polls.
"Floaters" were taken about the ward
in automobiles at the April 10 primary,
testimony showed, voting early and
often. One man cast 20 votes that
day. Several others cast nearly as
many.
Witnesses Charge Brutality.
Others charged brutality by the "Eller
| militia" said hoodluns had set upon
opposition workers, that score were
dragged off to a prison" in a tene-
ment In the ward, that armed rufaans
slugged them In the prison" and robbed
them of their valuables. One OF the
defendants was declared by three prose-
cution witnesses to have been q member
Of the band that killed Granady. An.
other charged that Boss" Eller hao
made a speech to his precinct captains
on primary eve, in which he mao salo:
"And you can ret guns at Emanuels
Judge Emanuel Eller is his SOM house
II you want them"
A weakness Of the prosecutions case
was that most OF their witnesses were
illiterate colored persons, many OF them
gamblers, disorderly house keepers, and
such.
Throughout the trial came constant
reports of witnesses threatened with
beatings and worse because Of tneT tes-
timony, A brother Of the States star
witness. a GIRL had defaed threats or
death. The witness collapsed and was
unable to take the stand.
The burden Of the defense was large
ly Of an alibi nature, sort OF "it must
have been two other fellows" and many
of the witnesses themselves were men,
bers Of the Eller organization.
/. The fury on November % returned a
verdict of guilty against Is Of the 10
defendants, including Senator Leonardo.
No prison sentence was Yneted out but
the defendants were fined, the fines
ranging from $400 to $1,250. Leonardo
was fined $3.50. Civic leaders condemn
the jury for failure to send the de-
PENDANTS to prison.
Newspaper reports of the trial stirred
the people to- fresh realization Of the
hoodlun1isln that had been practiced
In the Eller stronghold, and, as a result,
10000 volunteer watchers were at the
polls on November 8. The day passed
without any serious violence. The po-
lice were on the job, aiding the watch
ers.
Despite the presidential election, the
voters split their tickets lntelligently
Judge John A. Swanson, who had beaten
States Attorney Grove IN the primary,
was elected States attorney by 10000
majority. He was pledged to fight on
the hoodlum element in politics and out.
He was "knifed" by the Grove -Thomp-
son Republicans, but won handily.
So important did Special Prosecutor
Frank ]. Loesch consider Judge Swan
sons election as States attorney that,
despite a broken ankle. he made two
| speeches In his behalf and In behalf OF
| cleaner Chicago.
Hoover carried Cook County by 100,-
600. Swanson carried 1t by 100000
Despite this huge Republican vote
Democrats opposing Republicans of the
Crowe-Thompson faction-six of them
won by huge majorities, one of them DR.
Herman H. Bundesen defeating the
Grove Thompson candidate for coroner
by 10000 votes.
Eller, seeking election to the sanitary
district board, was showed under. SC
were four other Grove -Thompsonites
who had squeezed through in the April
primary.
Thompson Board Issue Beaten.
Nor was the defeat of his six lench.
men and the consequent loss of patron.
age the only blow at Thompson. He
asked approval of $4,000, 900 bond is.
sues and the people turned thumbs dowr
ON his plea as decisively as they hac
refused the SAL 100000 issue in tn,
Spring.
All indications now are that the hood.
lum and the "racketeer" are in for tbs
toughest Winter they have faced in Chi.
cago for many years. The fight against
them is not yet won, for the hoodlun
world has money and power.
(Copyright. 1928. by North American News
paper Alliance.)