Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-18
BY F.. 7. HUNTER.

| written Exclusively for The Star and the
North American Newspaper Alliance
PHILADELPHIA. May 18.--Did Scar
face" Al Capone. known far and wide
through the United States as a king
Of the Chicago underworld and a leader
of gunner and bootleggers. deliberately
accept years prison sentence fIom
the Philadelphia courts to save himself
from being shot down by rival gang
.Sters? The Philadelphia police through
1 Maj. Iemuel B. Schofield, director of
public safety. deny this report, which
IS common gossip in the city's under
world.
They assert that Capone and his
6-foot bedysuard. Chicago Frank"
Cline, were captured ''on the level:
that they had no deal" with Capone
whatever, and that the sentencing OF
"Scarface" and his professional gun
man protector is simply an exemplifi-
cation of the new order of things" in
Philadelphia following the long probe
by special grand jury, which resulted
in Kidding the police force of grafters
and cutting off their alliance with
racketeers
There are certain aspects of the case.
however, which give an atmosphere OF
! plausibility to the whispers in the
underworld that Capone planted" the
arrest of himself and Cline.
10 begin with. Capone had a hard
tlme explaining how he happened to
be caught, and the crude way in which
he supplied the evidence that finally
landed him in prison has also created
suspicion. For several days Capone ana
Cine we're enjoying the ocean breezes
at Atlantic City.
Peace Treaty Is Signed.
'Scarfaee" says that while there he
met other Chicago gang rulers. among
them being Bugs Moran. leader OF
| the North Side gang. seven of whose
men were stood up against a wall and
shot to death last St. Valentines day.
Capone says that peace pact was
signed by these various gang powers at
the seashore for what might be called
the Limitation of ornaments"
He says they all signed on the dotted
line" that they were to stop all gun
play that no gangster hereafter was
TO be taken for ride" that machine
guns and other weapons OF gang war;
fare were TO be dumped in Lake Michi-
gan and that all were to join forces in
a defensive alliance against the common
enemies, the police and the flock of
! stool pigeons" who were suspected OF
informing ON them.
Here Capone's narrative" became
| SLsHtly HyStllyiig. ne eApiAHleu tial
Bugs" Moran and the other leaders
had started post haste for Chicago to
notify their followers of the peace
pact" and to direct them TO get rid
Of their guns.
But Cepone according to his own
talk. didn't hurry so much. He fingered
at the seashore for a dav after the
others had left, then he started leisurely
by motor car for Philadelphia where he
4 tad 10 taly ThipoCn
On the way up the White Horse
pike, about Is miles from Philadelphia
something happened to his automobile
and the man who for years has always
been able to overcome greater obstacles
was left helpless on the road. His
motor car wouldn't go. and despite the
fact that there are scores Of busses
taxis, trains, etc. in that general vi
entity he was unable to move an inch
Missed Chicago Train.
. The consequence was that he missed
a train leaving North Philadelphia al
pm. on which he had made reserva-
tions for Chicago. Having missed the
train, the motor car took on new
lease of life and he was able to reach
Philadelphia at $50 pm. two and &
half hours before he could get another
fast train for Chicago. Having all this
time to while away, he and Cline went
! to a movie at Nineteenth and Market
streets, about 4 miles from the railroad
station at North Philadelphia, from
which he was scheduled 10 take the
train.
Half an hour before train time he
came out of the movie, with Cline. They
ran right into the arms of two de-
tectives, Creedon and Malone. Cree
don says he once saw Capone at Miami
Beach, at the time of the Sharkey-
Stribling fight and he remembered the
Chicago gang chief right of.
What happened then Is one OF the
queerest episodes that has been chroni-
cled in "racketeering" annals.
You're AL Capone, aren't you?" said
Malone.
yes" said Capons genially, WHO
are you?"
The detectives then. according tt
their stories each showed Capone g
/, police badge, while keeping their free
hands on-their revolvers."
Surrender Guns Voluntarily.
ooh. bulls. eh?" said Capone, still
smiling, blandly "All right then, here!
my gun" and he handed over 3d.
,, caliber pistol.
,, Cline who was some PAGES behint
Capone, came up. and when he wa!
assured by his chief that they were
bulls" he, too. pulled out pistol ano
politely presented the weapon to tn
detectives. Thus the two men actual.
/ handed over. voluntarily. the only eVl
dence OF lawbreaking that the detec
tives were able to show against them.
Had they kept quiet, and continued
to conceal their guns" it is doubtful
whether the detectives would nav,
taken the chance of Juggling them or
to cells in the City Hall.
With the arrest of Capone and nj
guardian Runman, the underworld
asserted that sit was all In fun" ant
| that before many hours had elapsed
the Chicago gang king would "bea
the rap.
To the underworld, it was just an
other one of those cases where a goo'
bright criminal lawyer would go in, ant
by the aid Of habeas corpus and lou'
voice, tie the law and the police de
partment into numerous knots. "Blah,
said the knowing element when the.
S heard that Magistrate Edward Carney
u at a midnight hearing held at tn
D direction of the safety director, hat
. held Capone and Cline in $4,000 bal
| each, that merely means that Capon
is paving a weekend visit to our beau
: tiful city. When's his train to leave?
y Somehow, the Capone legal batter
l didn't function according to expecta
{ lions. His lawyers, Bernard L. LemiScl
= and Cornelius Haggerty, jr., know al
. about the writs and processes commonl
used to spring a prison" but Someho'
thew couldn't get started.