The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-06-16
SCARF ACE AL
CRINGES AS He
FACES JUSTICE
GangIand's Emperor Is at
End Of His Rope, U. S.
Officials Assert.
PRISON WALLS LOOMING
Capone Crime Syndicate Is
Crushed, Federal At
torneyS Say.
PRISON WALLS LOOMING
BIZ United Press

Bb Unted Press
CHICAGO, June 16.-The federal
government brought Scarface Al
Capone to justice today to answer
for ten years of crime.
Prosecutors said it was Capone's
last stand in his long criminal
career. The corpulent underworld
leader dropped his customary in
difference to law, forsook his char
acter as invincible ruler Of the
gangs and rackets-and took on the
appearance of a terrorized criminal.
1t was the first time Capone ever
has faced the probability Of spend
ing several years in prison. Govern
ment agents expressed confidence OF
conviction under the indictments
which Capcne must answer late
today.
Two Indictments Serious
The indictments, representing
months of careful and dangerous
work by federal agents, charge tna'
Capone
DefraudeG the federal govern
roent of S215,000 in taxes on almost
81 moo 600 income n five years. Inc
hiehest o2ss,ble penalty is shlrty-
two years in prison and an $0O'O''
fne. ,- =,
2 Directed a super-business N
liouor when brought in 5000 ,OOG'Oou
over a ten-year period. Two years
in prison and a $4,000 fine Is the
noininnum penalty for that o1tense
His alternatives in answering
either Of the indictments are 10;
/. Disregard the advice Oh nus
b,gh-uriced attorneys, plead guilty
and accept the penalty with the
hone that the government will be
lenient. ... ...,o
2 plead not guilty, attempt nego-
tiations for leniency over a perloo
of five days, which delay Is per
mitted by the law, and then change
his plea to guilty.
3. Plead not guilty and ngnt tlle
case despite the governments over
whelning evidence, a procedure
which might delay the hnal recK-
oning for two years.
He viii Be Convicted
oCapone will be convicted" said
George E. @. Johnson. OnlUeo
states district attorney, who direct
ed gathering Of the evidence. we
don't care whether he PLEADS guiiCy
or not guilty, but we will grant nm
no leniency for guilty plea.
"Our evidence is complete. MOI
only are we sure Of convictine
Capone on both charges, but we are
also confident Of sending siXty-elgnJ
other gangsters, named with MIN
In the liquor conspiracy case to
prison" ,.,,,..
Capone's chief attorney, William
F.. Waugh, announced that his client
will plead not guilty. 1t was re-
ported, however, that Waugh mac
made advances to prosecutors to-
ward obtaining leniency for Capone
in the event he pleads guilty. :.
Behind Capone as he was CAMEO
before court lay the most amazing
crime syndicate in history, its trail
splotched with the blood OF more
than 300 victims. This crime Jug
gernaut engulfed cities, fringec
Chicago with vice resorts, murdered
with seeming impunity. reared IT.
self above the law Of the nation
second largest city and the state
of Illinois, and reaped a harvest OF
gold that staggers the imagination
Lives in Continual Fear
This super crime state ramiflec
from ocean to ocean. 1t was sc
highly publicized that college stu
dents voted AL Capone the best
known in the country. Travellers
reported Capone the only American
talked about in far places where
little outside news filtered.
The first question asked by visitors
TO Chicago was where is A
Capone?"
Lurid, inaccurate biographies III
continental journals depicted Capone
as picturesque, jovial gangster
flinging money to the poor, attend
ing the opera in formal dress ano
holding open house for all who
cared to come. To those who knew
the inside of his life. Capone was
anything but what the articles sci
forth.
Now 80, he is a leering, flashily
dressed, thick lipped criminal, living
in continual fear that at the next
corner he will be greeted by burst
of machine gun bullets - the
medicine he has used to cure" Sc
many of his enemies.
Myth" Coming to Light
To the average Chicagoan, Ca
pone is a myth just now beginning
to be understood. Not one person
in a thousand has seen him to know
who he was.
Yet every Chicagoan who has hac
his pants pressed, housed his auto
mobile in a public garage, bought
beer or 'hard" liquor. waggered or
a dog race, or belonged to certain
labor unions has paid tribute In
cash to Capone and his gang.
AT some time or another during
the ten years Of his reign. Capone
has controlled or extorted money
from all those sources.
Today, however, with the govern
ment smashing gang rule and
spreading on the official records the
gigantic profits OF the rackets, Chi
cago is beginning to realize how
much OF hold Capone really had.
Tax Payment Sets Record
BY Times Special