The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-04-28
Jack Diamond
 Grimlv Battles
tContinued from Page i)


 farmers are grimIy determined tc remove the Diamond gang from its stronghold at Acra. The gang Is driving the tourist trade from the district and running their business they claim
 The other move was started by Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt who ordered Attorney General John J. Bennett, Jr, to supercede the dis trlct attorney of Greene county in all matters concerning Diamond and his cohorts.
 Bennett has issued an ultimatum In which he said it was his avowed intention of routing every gangst CT in the Catskills. He said he would give them no quarter.
 Diamond will go on trial on charges of assault as soon as he leaves the hospital, Bennett said. He is at liberty on $25,O0O bail on charges made by Grover Parks, a farmer. Parks claims tha' Diamond and his gang seized him while. he was delivering a load of hard cider and took him to the garage of the Diamond estate. There, he claims, he was strung up by rope and hot brands applied to his bare feet. It is believed the torturing of Parks was behind the farmers intention to drive Diamond from the county.
 While these moves were made against his liberty, Diamond a cringing figure who feared his rivals more than they feared him--was begging doctors to save his life at sn Albany hospital. 1t was the sec cnd time ir six months he has had to fight for his life. Last fall he was arin olt, ;,,f Tato al tjcello in New York city.
 Although statements of his con- dition were conflicting. his physi- clans all said Diamonds condition was precarious. Dr H. H. bier, as- slstant superintendent of the hospi- tal, said the gangster's condition was fair and that he stood good chance for recovery if blood poisoning did Lot set in.
 Dr T. M. Holmes, Diamonds per- sonal physician, held grave fears for his life, however.
 II have just gone over his wounds and his condition is very, very bad. Holmes said. "He is in extreme pain. There is one wound in his back in which I could put a finger, and I am convinced it was not made by buckshot. A friend of his, l am told. was only one foot behind Diamond and he was not hit. That would indicate that buckshot was rot used. It is my opinion that Jack was shot down with machine gun.
 My examination of him and the N-ray pictures have shown a very lad puncture of the right lung. He also was hit by some kind of a shot, yet to be determined, in the liver. TIfc laff ov.y,n is hoA fro ocf,t o
 Sheriff Harold Every and District Attorney Harrison I. Gardiner. of Greene county. secured statement from Diamond in the presence of his attorney, ormer Judge Daniel H. Prior.
 Diamond said he was standing near door of the inn," Gardiner said. when he saw a flash out in t-'ont and then everything went black. He doesn't remember any thing after that and he says he has ho Idea who shot him or could want to shoot him.
 irg have revealed Diamond not as tlle fearless hcodlum ready to shoot and die at the drop of handker- chief, but rather as a minor gang stsr who writhed and called out in fenr and agony, begging to be spared when he was shot down.
 Police were working on several theories to-day. One was that AL Lany beer racketeers might be in- Nolved. Diamond is said to have been warned several times while visiting at an Albany hotel against trying to muscle in" on the beer racket here. shot in retaliation for torturing Parks and for trying to monopolize the applejack business. They also were working on the assumption that gangster was shot down by New York enemies who were at- tempting to complete the job they started in t''e Hotel Monticello. Bennett appealed to-day to the peo- pie of Green county who have any information regarding Diamonds ac- tlvities there to come forward and volunteer the information.
 We are gong to clean up rack eteering and gangdom in this coun- try as far as lies within our power," he said. "The governors order is g broad one and anything involving any persons named will be vigorous ly investigated and prosecuted"
 He promised every possible pro- tection to witnesses giving any infor- nation as to Diamond and his gang t. He declared if there was any evil dence of intimidation he would ask tC have Diamonds bail forfeited so that he would be jailed as soon as he left the hospital. Bennett plans to present to the grand jury to-day cer- tain information which he already has obtained against gangsters.
 He has placed a guard of twelve state troopers around the Diamond home at Acra, when Marion Roberts, Diamonds showgirl sweetheart, who was in the next room when he was shot at the Hotel Monticello, is re- rOrted 10 De sraying. Mrs Alice Dia- mond was said to have left the house when Diamond brought Marion there. She has been here at the hos pital several times since Diamond was shot.
 First Real Clue
 Catskill. N. Y.. April 2S - (UP) The first real clue in the Jack Legs) Diamond shooting episode was believed uncovered here today when state troopers discovered an abandoned automobile bearing New York license plates, within which were two loaded revolvers. two shot guns and a cap.
 The machine. buick 7-passenger sedan. was ditched alongside the highway on Prospect avenue, Cats- kills residential section. The front left tire was punctured. Residents said they had noticed the automobile since yesterday.