The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-03-07

ransom money, $1,000, and Mrs.
Gecht was held as hostage. Two
days later DR.. Gecht paid $4,000
and his wife was freed.
1t happened that one of the
kidnapers, Gus Sanger, fell for
Mrs. Gecht in a big way, and
after the couple had been released
Sanger called her up and asked
her for a date.
She went to Roche about it,
and he advised her to make a
date and let him know the time
and place.
She did. The kidnaper arrived
to keep it, and promptly was ar
rested by two of Roche'S officers.
Sanger named his associates, and
shortly afterward former assistant
states attorney Ward Salwell,
William Thomas, John J. Pingera,
Edward Finnan and Louis Alteri
were arrested. Together with
Sanger they now are awaiting
trial.
THE transformation of kid
Il mapping from crime by in
dividualS into an organized racket
really began in Detroit, about
seven years ago.
Fred Burke and two hoodlum
pals named Joe O'Reardon and
Johnny Reid decided that the big
time gamblers in Detroit might
as well start paying for the privi-
lege Of freedom.
AS their first victim, they
picked a prominent gambler, from
whom they had little trouble in
mulcting $4,000. They tried 1t
again, picking another gambler.
At first he refused to pay, but
when they tied him up in barn
and fired a few rounds of ma
chine-gun bullets at spot foot
from his head he changed his
mind. They got $4,000 for his
release.
Then Burke moved on to Chi
cago and Reid got killed, and the
gang was reorganized. Harry Hal
lisey took charge and extended
the gangs activities.
HalliSey ran a speakeasy in
downtown Detroit and had a lot
of well-to-do business men for
patrons.
In that way he got a line on
a lot of reputable citizens who
had money and whose movements
could be easily learned. So he
soon had his hoodlums kidnapping
his own patrons.
THE scheme worked beautifully
4 until the kidnapping of David
Cass, son of a wealthy merchant.
Cass' father reported the matter
to the police, and during the
search that followed the kidnap-
ers murdered the youth.
One of them, Joseph Lamar,
was caught and sentenced to
thirty years in prison, and after
his sentence had been passed he
decided to tell all he knew.
AS a result, Hallisey and his
eight leading confederates were
rounded up, convicted, and sent to
prison for terms of approximately
fifty years apiece.
Michigan does not have capital
punishment, but it does have ex-
ceedingly long prison terms for
kidnapers.
Before Hallisey's arrest the ring
maintained half dozen prisons"
as they might be called, for keep
ing its victims while the ransom
money was being collected.
One house they owned, for in
stance, contained an attic room
especially fitted for the prisoners:
in another house, a special cell
was built in the basement.
TN most of the operations con-
Il Quoted by these mid western
kidnapers, the method of Selling
the victim is the same.
The gangSters find out when he
is apt to be driving along
certain street and wait for him
there in their own car.
When his car appears, their car
speeds up and forces him to the
curb. There he is bound, gagged,
blindfolded, put in the big car
under the feet of the gangsters
and carried off to one of the
prisons" to be held there until
his friends or family can raise
money for his release.
NEXT: How the racket is
worked in Kansas City and st.
Louis.