The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-03-04
GangIand Chiettain to Be
Spirited to HideaWay st.
PatriCk'S Day.
CHICAGO IS HOT SPOT
Capone Wins Affection of
Officials for Many Acts
of Charity.
BY PAUL HARRISON
NFA Service Writer


PHILADELPHIA, March at
will be the same old "Scarface' Al
Capone, master mind of gangdom,
who will walk out Of Eastern peni-
Tertiary here on St. Patrick's day,
March II.
The ten-month exile behind those
gray walls has not changed his plans
materially, according to men who
have been close to Capone during
his imprisonment There still are
millions to be made, rackets to be
organized and some affairs of UNI
derWorld honor to be settled.
Not that this supergangster in
tends to continue the Journey to
Chicago which was so rudely in
terrupted when two Philadelphia
detectives found him carrying a
gun. No; he'll wait, just as he did
last spring in Miami, until various
federal officials and a grand jury
are ready TO interview him about a
subject on which he is the supreme
uthority-Chicago crime.
Won't Go to Chicago
Capone knows it wouldn't be
healthy to rush to Chicago imme-
diately after his release. He knows
what sort of coming out party
has been planned for him there.
So when the big iron gates swing
wide for him on St. Patrick's day,
trusted friends will be waiting to
whisk him to a safe and secret
destination
It may interest the Bugs" Moran
gang, or what is left Of it after the
st. Valentine massacre last year. to
know that "ScarfaceH is coming out
of prison in fine physician fettle,
It will interest everybody who
doesn't know him intimately that
Capone is leaving behind him scores
of admiring friends-and they're not
counted just among the prisoners.
either.
DR.. Herbert Goddard, for instance,
vice-president of the board of trus-
tees and a distinguished surgeon, Is
one. Penology is a fascinating
science to MIN. He spends much of
his time at the prison hospital and
in interviewing convicts.
Not Unhappy
Believe it or not" said the
ruddy-faced surgeon, "Capone has
not been unhappy here. He has had
a chance to indulge himself in lot
of human qualities none of us ever
guessed he had. His mind is of the
highest type and his nature Is
kindly.
He has been a splendid prisoner.
and he has done a great deal for
the rest of the men"
The racket chief had plenty Of
money in Eastern penitentiary,
where convicts are permitted to
carry accounts at the Office, but
are not allowed to buy luxuries for
themselves from the outside. Here
is the way Capone spent part of his
funds according to a prison official,
who said:
Not So Hardboiled
At Christmas time, Warden
Herbert Smith who isn't so hard
boiled as he likes to believe) was
tearing around interviewing in
mates about their needy families.
Capone did some investigating for
himself and paid for twenty-five
heapipg baskets of food
He heard about a campaign for
new children's hospital and sent
$1,000. Thinking about it later, he
decided that wasn't enough and he
gave $500 more.
Through the prison chaplain he
has sent money to aid poor families
outside. One woman with eight
children who was about to be evicted
from her home received 5000. He
paid another's hospital bills and Of
fered her husband a job This was
declined with thanks, nobody know
ing just what the job would be.
He has helped a lot of the pris-
oners, too. but they are the only
ones who ever say anything about
his good turns"
Quarters No Better
Capone and his cell-mate. forger.
had no better quarters than scores
OF other men. Prison made rag
rugs, gaily colored, covered the cold
concrete floor and there were a few
pictures on the walls.
A small table and two comfortable
cote comprised the furniture. A
cheap radio and photograph had
been purchased from the prisoners
who previously had occupied the
cell.
The ace of gangland wrote scores
Of letters in the eyenings-to his
wife and relatives and friends. He
received many morerbegging let
tiers, threatening letters, friendly
letters-almost everything but life
insurance prospectives.
Each Of these was carefully CEN
sored, and prison officials have
laughed at the report that he was
directing the activities of racket
GERS.
Capone, they say, always looked
eagerly for letters from a certain
neighboring town. They were writ
ten by a quiet, studious-lookinp
youth who bears no resemblance to
the racketeer. He is his kid brother
and Scarface is putting him through
college