Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-26

Bureau of Investigation in the Department of
Justice examined every criminal record in its
files covering Chicago person. There were
more than 5000 of these records alone. Each
was studied for a possible connection, direct or
remote with Capone's operations.
At the same time, experts in the Wicker
sham Commission were asked by Assistant At
torney General G. Aaron Youngquist for q
special report on Chicago gangster activities
The commission had devoted long study to
racketeering organization and methods and had
at hand voluminous case material from a dozen
more cities.
These two preliminary inquiries were COM
pleted as long ago as April, 1880, indicating
that the whole project had been conceived and
set in motion in the Fall of 1929.
4 AEANWHILE, four special accountants in
wi the Bureau of Internal Revenue had been
detached from their regular work and assigned
to searching the card indexes and returns for
records of Capone's personal reports and those
of his known confederates After six weeks
this staff reported to Commissioner of Internal
Revenue David Burnet that at least since 1924
the Scarfare had made no income tax return.
Obviously, if all the stories about CaponeS
fabulous operations were true, here was an
open and shut The mere failure to
report on a taxable income is felony. But
here. too, was difficulty which the layman
might easily overlook.
failure to file income tax return, it must
be prepared to show, with evidence and testi-
mony that the defendant actually had a
taxable income. This is the task that called
for detective work of the highest order.
Accordingly, Frank Wilson, veteran intelli-
gence operative of the Bureau of Internal
Revenue, was sent to Chicago from Washing
ton, early in 1880, to organize plan to trace
down Capones income since 1924. Then it
was that for the first time positive word went
out from Washington that the Federal Gov
eminent was out to close down hard on the
super-racketeer-so far, at least, as lay within
the federal province.
Technically Washington can have no legal
interest in such manifestations of racketeering
as first degree murder. That is q matter for
prosecution under the State laws. But if an
overload of the underworld fails to pay income
tax on his earnings" then that Is a matter
which only the Federal Government can
prosecute.
pUT how build up tax case against a man
- who does not keep money in the bank, at
least not under his own name? Face Wilson's
problem in your own terms and you have the
worlds greatest substitute for the evenings
crossword puzzle.
And bear in mind, you devise your plans,
that the job is to corner a man who is known
even by school children to dominate the most
elaborate and far-hung organization for
systematic lawlessless in modern times. He is
ruthless, surrounded day and night by two
gun bodyguards. He has all the power of great
wealth, all the influence of a politician who
can swing decisive bloc Of votes in a State or
city election. He has, moreover, q reputation
for swift and decisive action when people cross
his path.
Your job, then, is to find out how much this
mans income has been since 1924, and then to
prove it in court And If he finds out what you
are doing, your head will be blown of before
o'clock tomorrow night.
Not only do you have TO establish the specific
amount of taxable income for each year, but
you have to build your case in such a way that
when you get to court you can prove it with
documentary evidence and word-of-mouth
testimony of people in the witness chair. You
have, furthermore, the secondary problem Of