The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-02-16
AL CAPoNE GANG IS BLAMED
Moran Mob Massacre Blamed
to City Government by Cru
sader Against Criminals

Two women ana q man living
across from the garage where the
gang massacre took place made the
Identification. From q score of pho
tographs they picked three which
they said were Of men who had rent.
ed rooms overlooking the garage
rooms which they occupied during q
period Of days Immediately preced-
ing the assassinations.
Harry and Phil Keywell, brothers,
and Eddie Fletcher were the three
whose pictures were identified.
The prospect Of early and definite
police action was overshadowed by
several sensational aftermaths Of the
crime.
Reporters Beat Police
For one thing, George >(Bugs)
Moran was found, not by authori-
ties but by newspapermen. The sew
en- who were slain were Moran mobs-
men.
For another, fiery shaft of CEN
sure and warning was hot by
States Attorney John A. Swanson
at the law enforcement agencies Of
Chicago and Cook county.
The states attorney told Police
Commissioner Russell. other high po-
lice officials, sheriff's officers and
county police their departments were
to blame for the gang massacre.
Those murderers, he Said, and the
list of unsolved ones that preceded
II. were committed gangsters to tcol-
lect.
It was followed. by swift action.
The police set out to make Chicago
bone dry for the first time since pro-
hibition.
Issues Closing Orders
Shortly after midnight sweeping
order went forth from Commission
er Russell's office. All police cap
tains were instructed to "close and
keep closed all gambling houses, vice
resorts, soft drink parlors, speakeas-
les, beer flats and any place where
alcohol is handled"
! Frank J. Loesch, president Of the
Chicago crime commission, crusader
against politico-criminals and first
assistant states attorney, dropped
blame for the Moran mob massacre
on the city hall doorstep. The IL
censing of 1000 soft drink parlors
in Chicago. he said, has the approval
Of city officials "who knew that the
applicants were men who would sell
liquor"
The Loesch statement p1ralleled
the comment of his chief to police
officers. The states attorney had
said that "there is no such thing as
q soft drink parlor."
George Bugs Moran, who left a
hospital only . few days ago after
an attack Of influenza, blamed the
murder Of his seven associates on
the AL Capone gang. Capone him
self, the outstanding figure in Chi
cago gangland, is in Florida.
Blames Capone Gang
"There is only one gang that kills
like that-one gang that would line
up seven men against . wall and
then shoot them down through the
back" Moran was quoted BY the
Herald and Examiner as saying,
sand that is the AL Capone gang"
IF there were any policemen in
the shooting" Moran added, ''they
were Cicero policemen" Cicero is
Capone's place Of residence. The al
fusion to policemen was in connec-
ton with eye witness stories that
two Of the slayers wore police uni
forms and that the escape was made
in police squad car.
The theory Of Frederick d. Sillo-
way, assistant administrator Of the
federal prohibition law in Chicago,
that actual policemen took part in
the crime, had not been dropped to-
day, although police said their in
vestigation tended more and more to
disprove it.
Silloway made it clear that his
theory was without substantiation,
but that it was being investigated.
It was based on the hypothesis that
police officers conspired with men,
bers Of the Moran gang in hijacking
enterprises and shot down the seven
when in danger Of exposure.