The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-07-13
BY G. G. NICoLET
Copyright, 1898, by the United
Pressl


Copyright, 1888, by the United
Press)
Detroit as proved that a metrop-
oils can exist in America without
kidnapings, payroll holdups, bank
robberies and kindred crimes Of
the organized underworld, but the
racketeers are as busy there 81
elsewhere.
Since the fall of 1880, when Wig
orous prosecution broke up the old
purple gang" and ended q regime
of underworld domination. Wayne
county has been free Of the kid
naping terror and from major
thefts of the marauding gang type
The profits from racketeering'
which amounted in the wealthy
motor city to 100000 or more
a year in the boom days, rhave
dropped to a 100000 a year pace
now, but with the revival OF bust
ness the racketeers are stepping
up" their demands and striving
desperately to horn In on prospec-
tive prosperity.
new. discovered the beginnings OF
the racket boom early In June
when the pickup in the motor IN.
dustry put cash back in circula.
ton. At his request, a one mar
grand Jury was called into session
in the recorders court and secred
investigations were begun. The ont
man grand jury went into session
June s before Judge w. McKa,
Skillman. On June the first war.
rant resulted, and on June rs Alex
ander C. Davis was convicted OF ex-
tortion. He had attempted to oper-
ate q racket against shoe repair
men.
The one man grand jury uncov-
cred within a month racket IN
federal building contracts; a waste
paper racket; an attempt to obtain
a monopoly on distribution of legal
beer; a new cleaning and dyeing
extortion scheme; an arson racket
and attempts of racketeers to cor
rupt legislators.
The one man grand jury, Pros
ecutor Toy points out, Is always
available on short notice to hear
testimony Of victims before they
can be reached by the racketeers
and silenced by threats or bullets.
AS a result speedy indictments and
prosecutions are possible and VIC
tins tend to lose their fear Of
making complaints against rack
eteers.
Legitimate business executives"
says Toy, always have displayed
courage in refusing to pay racket
GERS and in prosecuting them when
they could be assured by the con-
duct of prosecuting officials that
they were sincerely committed to
the task Of prosecuting the racket
GERS aggressively, fearlessly, and
without regard to political affilia-
ton of the racketeers. The single
deterrent to effective prosecution of
racketeers Is the lack of q ruth
less and aggressive policy toward
them on the part Of law enforce
ment officials"
The depression, though It cut to
q tenth the intake of the racket
GERS in Detroit, brought many new
ed the amount of petty racketeer-
prey of the underworld has been
the small business man doing a
cash trade--the cobbler, the clean
er, especially cut rate shops.
Cleaners who refuse to pay de-
manded fees to protective associa-
tions" are attacked in subtle FASH
ion. The racketeer sews discs of
PHOSPHORUS into the padding Of
the shoulders of q coat, ana sends
It to the victim to be cleaned. In
the heat of the drying tumblers
the phosphorous ignites. ana dog
ems Of suits and dresses may be
ruined. Sodium and potassium are
sewed into seams and explode when
they come in contact with clean
ing fluid. The cleaner must pay up
or lose his business. II such meth
DDS fail, bombs and bullets often
are called into play.
But violent crime has dropped
amazingly in Detroit, considering
that In the boom days when the
city was mushrooming into mill
lions It was al gangster-ridden as
Chicago.
Though many Chicago and New
York gangs won brief footholds In
Detroit, It was the home town pur-
pie gang which made underworld
history there. II started as a group
OF minor racketeers, practising ex-
tortion against cleaners and dyers,
providing thugs as drivers for conf
petitive plants and practising in
other training fields for gunner,
Before II was broken up It had
branched into kidnapping arson,
robbery, murder, and the Inevitable
alcohol.
Early in 1880 a train Of murders
started which reached q climax in
the assassination six months later
Of Jerry Buckley, famous radio an
nouncer who had attracted wide at
tentioi by denouncing gangsters'
guns In those months Of ffenzied
assassination. But for once the
gangsters went too far and the
public became genuine aroused. In
September. 1880, while the Buck
ley murder still was fresh in the
public mind, the purple gang as
sassinated three members of the
rival little navy gang and three
leading members of the purple
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