The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-07-07
BY ROBERT TALLEY
NEA Service Writer
(Copyright, 1881, NEA Service, In

& iCOpyflgnt, 1851, NEA ScfNCe, IhcJ
Chicago.-Al Capone, virtually
bankrupted by the business depres-
sion which has reduced the demand
for his wares and facing LeaVen-
worth penitentiary for violation OF
the income tax law and the prohibl-
ton law, may have paid huge sums
for "protection" but none OF 1t went
into the pockets of a half dozen
young federal prohibition agents Of
the college-trained type.
Neither frequent offers of brides
almost equaling their yearly salaries
of $4,000 nor threats of violence
swayed this flying squadron that
finally caused him to plead guilty 10
5000 crimes against the prohibition
laws and admit, at the same time,
that he had failed to share his
profits thereon with Uncle Sam.
Their evidence, recounting his beer
operations over a 1O-year period
brought about the indictment of Ca
pone and 68 of his aids in the great
est prohibition conspiracy case on
record a few days after Capone's IN
dictment for income tax evasion.
Eliot Ness, mild-mannered
broad shouldered young fellow of Is
who has been out of the University
of Chicago only six years, led the
squad that worked up the evidence
under the direction of w. r.. Ben
nett, chief of special prohibition
agents for the Chicago area. The
members of his squad were young
men of similar type, but for va
rious reasons they must remain
anonymous.
First Link in Chain
Welded 10 Years Ago
The evidence that Ness and his
associates obtained paints picture
of Capone's activities for a decade
in catering to Chicagos prodlglous
thirst.
Some of their experiences in get
ting this evidence in the latter
stages rival the exploits of fiction
detectives. Tapped telephone wires,
offers of brides, near gun battles
with gangsters all enter into it.
Their evidence alleges that the
conspiracy has been in existence
continuously since 1921, but the
first overt act charged against Ca
pone occurred on December ~,
1922. AS one of Torrio's beer run
ners and passing under the alias OF
al Brown, he went to Hammond,
Ind, on that date and bought used
truck. On June ), 1928, he bought
another truck from the same COM
pany, the motor number of which
was 102O79-A. On July 20, 1928.
this truck was seized with load
of beer in Chicago, Such was the
first link in the 1O-year chain OF
evidence.
Using the records of former in
vestigations, none of which ever
agent -
filled in the past but for the more
recent developments they supplied
their own material.
Barely Miss Battle
With CapOne Gangsters
II is revealed how, last April
thew barely missing engaging in a
gun battle with a gang of Capone
henchmen who later attempted to
hijack the equipment of $4,000
brewery after it had been ralded.
The first incident occurred when
the agents were watching a sus-
B pected brewery and truckload of
empty beer barrels, conveyed by a
car with two men, drove up. The
convoy stopped and four Other
autos, each bearing two men
quickly appeared.
The sangsters surrounded the
federal men and the latter prepared
for battle, but the leader of the
! beer runners ordered his men to
put up their guns. Beginning with
$500, he offered brides ranging as
high as $4,000 and finally offered tc
q let them name their own price
Ness and his companions spurned
the offers, but let the SanSstors sc
since there was no direct evidence
against them.
But a few days later the agents
raided the brewery. Fifty thou
sand gallons of beer We're de-
stroyed and four prisoners seized