The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-06

lecture, cOnSumpioH anu ooio oA alcoholic beverages were much worse in several other places than in Chicago. There was much more young society drinking in Memphis than is true of the junior social pop ulation of the Illinois metropolis. And the young people of Kansas City. when it comes to drinking, could make the Chicago youth want to 20 out in the back yard and cry.
 ''The- apprehension or conviction of individual bootleggers is so much time wasted. Individual bootleggers have nothing to do with creating al- collie consumption. Forty million drinkers in this country create boot leggers; if, every bootlegger in the United States were caught and 1m- , prisoned tomorrow, the situation would not be clarified one fota. In less than one month new crop would take their place, every bit as cunning, every bit as vicious, every bit as powerful. This fact has been proved time and again.
 Pressure brought to bear by the prohibition department in New /, York has resulted in growth of from fourteen thousand speak easies in 1924 to thirty-two thou sand speak-easies in New York that the police knew of in February, 1928. Father Knickerbocker has since witnessed still greater ln- crease. There are now thirty-siX thousand establishmen ents where" the thirsty of the nations greatest me, tropoiis may secure any kind and every kind of alcoholic beverage they fancy most.
 How long will Capone last? Thousands of citizens throughout the country really believe that 1T the government should succeed in putting Capone away, it will mean . fatal blow to bootleg power Tn America. Such an illusion is worse than silly. A year and a half ago Capone was arrested in Philadel- nhia. sentenced to jail for one year, and served his term. Gang power in the United States did not dimin- ish one iota; in fact, it increased on all fronts. The Chicago machine functioned every bit as smoothly the chief himself was present. Gang under Capone leaders as 1t did when history repeats itself. Colosimo, Es- posito and Torrio in turn were shot or killed. Other leaders took com. mand as smoothly as if nothing had ever happened. If Capone and all of his lieutenants are eliminated from the scene of action. other lieu tenants unknown at the present time will take their places. The millions and a half citizens of Cook county who want liquor, and will turn over heaven and earth to get it, will automatically create another leader.
 "But I want to point out one more sicnificant fact; more than a hun- dred thousand. people in Chicago are praying for Capone's demise. Thousands of so-called law-abiding citizens are waiting for organized activities to cease, so that morgan ized independents are eager for the same thing that the organized gang sters are after-profits alone, In the manufacture of and selling of al- coholic beverages.
 After years of successful large scale liquor operations in and around Chicago under two city ad- ministrations, the bootleggers grew shrewder, richer and bolder.
 "One of the handsome sheik so- ciety bootleggers conceived an idea: If the leaders of the underworld could scare some eight million dol lars per week out of certain hard headed business men week after week, month after month and year after year without prosecution, why not 20 one better and take the most popular members of the great city's business and social strata into ln- direct partnership "a partnership wherein the partner was not aware of the actual nature of the reia- tionship? So in 1926 the commis- sion tipster business was lnaugu- rated.
 .'To be partners with the so- called upper crust of American so- ciety supplied the gang element with one more link in their politi- cal and business power chain. Four wears ago one of the smoothest gang sheiks sought a prominent society lady of Gold Coast residence. This ladv was one of the real "Who's Who" of society. She had social position, but owing to financial reverse was short of cash. The gang sheiks negotiated an appointment and opened up way for the social leader not only to recuperate her fortune, but to become exceedingly popular by doing so.
 ''The lady had hundreds of friends in the most select circles and her success was assured from the start. All she was required to do was to tell her close friends, whenever the opportunity presented itself, that she knew the most wonderful, trust worthy and gentlemanly liquor-pur- yeyor, a man with Atlantic and Ca nadian affiliations guaranteeing pure and seasoned liquors of the most de- licious vintage. Of course, she con sidered it 6 rare privilege to let MT or Mrs So and So in on this remark able entree to perfect liquors. All that was necessary for her friends to share in her good luck at know ing such a wonderful man was to phone certain number, order whatever they wanted, and be iden- tified by giving the name of the society matron.
 "Our society leader received 20 per cent cash commission for all liuuors purchased from the gang Sheik, and got her money in thou sand dollar bills every first of the month. She not only cashed i'll on direct contacts, but received 10 per cent commission on all the bus mess her friends gave. the gang sheik. To make long story short, the society lady made thirty-eight thousand dollars clear the first year.
 within a year the sheik became the recognized right-hand bower to one of the gang leaders. and had over a thousand business partners who supplied him with thousands of responsible cash customers. His commission tipster partners num-