The Washington times., 1931-05-09
GangSter Suspects
Believed Burke Aides

CHICAGO, May 9 G.N.SD. .
Suspects in more than a score
of murders, kidnapings, and bank
robberieS which attracted nation
wide attention, six alleged gang
sters are due here today from
East st. Louis, ILL.,, where they
were seized.
The desperadoes, wanted by the
Federal Government and by Of
ficials in several States, we're en-
route to Chicago by automobile
under heavy guard. They spent
the night at Springfield, Ill, and
were to stop at Sterling, ILL.,, to
be viewed by witnesses Of bank
robbery there.
Authorities believe the six
may be the last remnant of the
gang of Fred "Killer" Burke, who
is now doing a life sentence in
Michigan for the killing Of a pO-
iceman.
Some of the men, Federal
agents said, are suspected of tax
ing part in the recent $2,008, 900
robbery of the National Bank
and Trust Company of Lincoln,
Neb., and the holdup in 1922 of
the Denver mint, when $4,000
was taken and guard killed.
Captured without Fight
Thirty postoffice inspectors,
the entire force of Sheriff Jerome
Munie of East st. Louis, score
of State police, and several
Chicago detectives combined their
strength, to bring about their
arrest without bloodshed late
yesterday.
Through tapped wires, investi-
gators learned, that the suspects
were to hold meeting in a hide
away flat in East st. Louis. After
warning tenants of every other
building in the block to leave the
scene, the officers surrounded the
quarters of the deSperadoes.
Machine guns were mounted on
neighboring structures to cover
all exits.
A picked detail, heavily armed,
then raided the apartment of the
gang, broke down the doors, and
took those within into custody
before they had time to resist.
Besides the six wanted, three
others were apprehended, later to
be released.
The suspects were identified as
Tommy Hayes, Thomas O'Con-
nor, Jack Britt, Howard Lee, Ed
Hawks and William McQuillan.
The first three are wanted in
st. Louis for the recent kid
naping for ransom of DR.. Isaac
D. Kelley, prominent physician,
who was supposedly released with
out payment of tribute.
d. C. Agents Assist
Roy McWhOrter, postal in
spectOr working out of Chicago,
was given much of the credit
for the arrests. He and his staff,
including operatives from Wash
ingtOn, D. c.. had worked in
tenSively to solve the Lincoln
Bank robbery and the raid on
the Denver mint.
The arrests were made on gov
ernor'S warrants. This unusual
procedure was taken so that they
would have been effective in Mis-
souri, in case any of the suspects
had fled from East st. Louis
across the Mississippi.
The Denver crime was one of
the boldeSt in history. The
bandits seized SO packages con-
tanning $4,000 each in currency,
killed Charles Linton, a guard,
and escaped. The packets were
being transferred to an armored
truck at the time.
Seven men. each equipped with
a machine gun, participated in
the Lincoln Bank and Trust Com
pany robbery. More than ST.
OOO, 900 of the loot was in Liberty
Bonds.
Among other crimes of which
the seven are suspected are the
murder last october of Mrs. Cora
Garrison, wife of wealthy
peoria, Ill, gambler; the kidnap-
ing of Fred J. Blumer, wealthy
Monroe CWiSJ brewer. and the
kidnapping of Jimmy Hackett,
chicago gambler, who said he was
released only after payment of
$15O,000 ransom.