Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-24
wer, and they used to

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in some cases even q sewer, and they used to
riot their way to small profits
To-day the gangsber has the same political
protection, but since prohibition has financed
him he has turned into q ccrruptionist of the
first water.
I'm the cid days All he could efer was 50
or leo repcaters blackjack artists ut the
polls and for this service the district leader
kent him from the consequences Of his acts.
New he has millions taken i'm bootleg
revenue, with the result that the district leader
has to look to him to be kept out Of troube.
The tables turned.
AS for n good comparison, the best can
think of at the moment is AL GScaxfaces
Capone and Monk Eastman. Monk was q
builet-heated roughneck, literally covered with
wounds of his profession He personally would
blackjack q man for SIS.
sScarface Az is none of these things. He
is q racketeer who has millions, lives upon
the fat of the land and wields an unbelievable
political power. Yet in gangland he isn't SO
great leader as was Monk Eastman, OF the
late ninetieS and the early part OF this century"
On the same day that the writer On crime
subjects made this comparison between tive
gang leaders, one of q past generation ana
the other of this one, news came that Florida
officials had quit their night to drive "sScarface
AL" out of the State. County Solicitor Nc
CaskM announced that two perjury charges
would be dropped against Capone "befeRSe
they cannot be successfully prosecuted"
This quashing of the two perjury eases
brought to an end, for the present, at least,
the Official campaign in Miami to drive cut
the gangster.
The night before the charges were dropped
q Lake Worth contractor announced that has
firm had been given . contract for work en-
a $375,OoO estate for Capone in BroWard
County.
Thus. lust as Charles Francis Coe says. the
big gangster of today lives among the Grange
blossoms and the oranges, . millionaire in his
own right with his own easy place in the sum.
HNJO," continued Mr.. Coe firmly. "the person
who says the crook has deterierated
doesa't know crooks.
"Auv one who predicates his Judgment OF
crooks ON the notsam and jetsam that &rift
into police stations is looking at the crime
problem through roSe-colored glasses. There is
only one type of crime that has deteriorated,
and that is the forger. Because OF the easy
money to be made through Bookkeeping and
kindred rackets, criminally inclined man no
longer needs to apply himself 10 the studicas
efforts required in the perfection OF free-haAd
forgery or the skill Of check-ratsing.
why, when a whole criminal class can
thrive and grow prosperous in single ire
mendous industry such as bootlegging, should
criminals bother to burn the midnight oil
doing night school work to learn their trader
It isn't necessary.
Perhaps they do not specialize. as they
Tsed to do. with one type of crook doing
nothing but picking pockets. another safe
cracking, another Second-story work. and 90
on. But what's the need of all that ardnouS.
smal-time work in these days when the rackee
is conducted on q big time scale?"
The telephone bell rang. While MIR. C0e
talked the interviewer glanced through the
days news.
Says Kidnapers Demanded $4,000" was
one headline. The story told Of six armed
men in a car who kidnapped a doorman of q
cafe, taking him by mistake for his employer.
who was supposed to have "double-croSsed" the
kdnapers' boss. Several years ago the brother
of this same cafe owner was shot to death In
his Office, and the police theory was that rum
running was involved.
Bank Robbers in Two Cities Get $64, 600
Loot" was another front page headline with
a Minnesota date line. This hold-up had to do
with five robbers who armed with a machine
citizens after robbing bank of $4,000. Be-
meath this robbery story was another under an
Alabama date line, which told of three unmasked
robbers holding up bank and escaping with
approximately $4,000.
Another story told Of the arrest OF Jack
0egS) Diamond, who has been identified with
several sensational criminal cases. He was
questioned in connection with the RothStein
case and the murders at the Hosty TotSy Club.
The Newark On. j. police said Diamond was
wanted for questioning in connection with twO
other crimes, a bank robbery, and a murder.
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sn94JtdCo1lkintS4dsd a Ftifyteenth Paoe.