The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-07-03
BY ROBERT TALLEY
NEA Service Writer

. (copyright. 1891. hy rEA Service. Ine.l
CHICAGO, July 3.-A Capone,
virtually bankrupt by the bust
ness depression which has reduced
the demand for his wares, may have
paid huge sums for protection" but
more of it went into the pockets OF
a half dozen young federal prohi-
bition agents Of the college-trained
type.
Neither frequent offers Of brides
almost equaling their yearly sala-
ries Of $4,000 nor threats Of violence
swayed this flying squadron" that
finally caused him to plead guilty
to 5000 crimes against the pro-
hibition laws and admit, at the
same time, that he had failed to
share his profits thereon with Uncle
Sam.
Eliot Ness, a mild-mannered,
broad-shou!dered young fellow OF
%, who has been out Of the Uni
versity of Chicago only six years,
led the squad that worked up the
evidence under the direction of w.
E. Bennett. chief Of special prohibi-
ton agents for the Chicago area.
The members Of his squad were
young men Of similar type.
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 Dec. 20, 1922.
AS one of Torrio's beer runners
and passing under the alias of AL
Brown, he went to Hammond, Ind,
on that date and bought a used
truck.
Bought Another Truck
On June 5, 1923, he bought an
other truck from the same COM
pany, the motor number of which |
was 102079-A On July 90, 1923, this
truck was seized with load of beer
in Chicago. Such was the first link |
in the ten-year chain Of evidence.
1t is revealed how, last April, they |
barely missed engaging in gun
battle with a gang Of Capone
henchmen who later attempted to |
hi1ack the equipment of a $4,000 |
brewery after it had been raided. |
The first incident occurred when |
the agents were watching a Sis
pected brewery and a 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, quick
~ appeared.
Surround Federal Men
The gangsters surrounded the fed
eral men and the latter prepared |
Tor battle, but the leader of the |
beer runners ordered his men to
put up their guns.
Beginning with 5000, he offered
brides ranging as high as $4,000 and |
finally offered to let them name
their own price. Ness and his com
panions Spurned the offers, but let |
the gangsters go, since there was no
direct evidence against them.
But a few days later the agents |
raided the brewery. Fifty thousand
gallons Of beer were destroyed and
four prisoners seized, among them
Steve Swoboda, veteran Capone
brewmaSter, who had been arrested
a week before in another big brew,
cry raid in a different part of town.
Bert Delaney Appears
Several days later, Ness and his
agents were still watching the
wrecked brewery to see who would
appear.
Bert Delaney, superintendent of
manufacture for Capone's beer
making syndicate and the same
man who had offered the brides
a few days before, drove up to the
plant.
He and four others were arrested
by the agents while they were try
ing to load a big steel beer vat on
truck and make of with it.
tn Re Tor,fyVundN