The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-06-30
BY ROBERT TALLEY
NEA Service Writer

fCopYriRht. 1881. By NEA service, Incl
CHICAGO, June 3o-"Gangsters
are nothing but murderous mobs
and they know they must live by
the law of the tooth and the fang.
When robbed or betrayed they in
woke their own tribunal of death
without qualm.
"They have no recourse to any
other. And yet-in print and out
glamor Is thrown over these thugs
and killers by describing them as
beer barons,' crime kings 'alky
rulers and the Ike"
That is just what George E. @.
johnson, the United States district
attorney at Chicago, the man with
the perfect record" thinks about
the gangsters. Johnson is the man
who forced guilty plea from Al
Capone and who Is insistent on
keeping up his vice fight against
the vice leaders.
''They Are Cowards'
1.-THE most conspicuous and pow
erful men in gangdom are not bold
Robin Hoods. They are towards.
And yet, over this coward and this
purchaser Of murder, glamour has
been thrown. This is a menace"
johnson does not agree with shall
low thinkers who see in each gang
murder merely good radiance of bad
rubbish.
Unpublished gang murders breed
contempt for law and enable gang
chief offering money to profess
sional killer for a murder to say:
Look how safe 1t isl"
johnson has figured in a number
Of spectacular cases since he became
district attorney, but one Of the
most aggressive was in January,
1929, when federal agents under his
direction invaded and seized the
whole town of Chicago Heights, a
riotous suburb.
Jailed Police Force
Arriving at dawn they took over
the city hall, the police station,
jailed the police force and raided
practically every house in town.
They confiscated guns, rifles, am
munition, smashed liquor stills and
breweries and made numerous ar
rests.
Chicago Heights was a gang
stronghold. Prior to that raid the
village had had sixty-two murders
in five years. Since that raid 1t
hasn't had any murders.
First a country school teacher
and then a lawyer with a practice
consisting almost entirely of civil
cases, he gave UP this $30,000-a-
year practice five years ago to be-
come federal district attorney at
$4,000 a year.
He got his appointment through
Senator Deneen of Illinois and al
though Deneen was no longer in
the senate when Johnson's four
year term expired last year, Presi-
dent Hoover renamed him for an
other term.
Story Behind Name
There is a unique story behind
George E. O. Johnson's name. He
was christened just plain George
Johnson.
Among his Swedish neighbors in
Iowa in those days there were a
lot Of George Johnsons," so at an
early age his father-a great adj
mirer of Ralph Waldo Emerson
renamed him George Emerson John
son to avoid confusion.
This got along very well until
George E. Johnson came to Chicago
and found the telephone book and
city directory filled with other
George E. Johnsons. Something had
to be done about that, so to meet
this critical situation he gave him
self the additional initial 90" and
thus became George E. Q. Johnson.
what does it stand for?" he is
often asked.
Nothing" he replies, except
saving of questions as to which
George E. Johnson in Chicago you
are looking for"
Next: How the Capone mob was
Two mad