The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-12-20
BY FORREST DAVIS
Times SpeciaI Writer


world It's lumber has been pretty
well depleted.
In the major cities, Minneapolis,
st. Paul and Duluth, the citizens
conform to the general run of mid
western American types. The popu-
lation is principally Anglo-Saxon
and northern European, with
strong admixture of the Scandi-
navian. They are not foreign"
cities in the sense that New York,
Pittsburgh and Chicago are SO
termed.
But here in this fair Northwest
ern province, politically radical, but
economically vigorous, organized
crime has reached an aScendancy
unknown in other sections. The
crime here, as well as the political
insurgency, is native.
Crime Epidemic Launched
Gang Minnesota" is a
phrase. an expressive phrase, which
the better element uses deplcringly
Minnesota, under the regime OF the
outstanding radical leader in the
United States, Gov Floyd B. Olson
undoubtedly suffers under a cruelty
venal alliance between politicians
and the mobs.
In order to understand the Lig-
gett case we must turn back to
the epidemic of crime which plagued
this section from 1882 until the G.
men, FOSTERING, unprecedented and
gallant as any mercenarieS in his
tory either drilled or seized the
principal mobsters. Kid Cam was
among the mobsters taken by the
G-men. 1t was the fashion then
to call them public enemies" The
Kid didn't rank very high on that
list.
The roll of major crimes and the
roster of major criminals who in
tested these pleasant cities reaches
an impressive total. Banks we're
'histed" in the DakotaS, Wisconsin,
Minnesota. Kidnapings became
commonplace.
Olson Backer Also Victim
Morrie Eutman, minor liquor
runner, was kidnapped and tortured
unbelievably. Leon Gleckman, the
top mobSter of the Twin Cities and
a stanch political ally of Gov. Oh
son, felt the heat. He was hauled
away to a lake 40 miles from st.
Paul and held for $500 ransom.
Three of his abductors subsequently
were rubbed out by gunner. The
fourth, a Greek named CzmiS, is
serving life for the job.
Gleckman, the shreWdeSt lad ever
to engage in the racketS locally, now
is in New York awaiting the result
of an appeal of an income tax
evasion conviction.
The mobS became ambitious. They
''snatched" Haskell Bohn, of the re-
frigerator family netting $4,000
Bill Hamm came next. He was sole
heir to the brewing and real estate
fortune believed to be one of the
most opulent in the Northwest. The
family paid 100000.
An attempt was made on Herb
Benz, scion of rich liquor family
1t fell through, largely because of
the watchfulness of Oscar G.. Hall,
a Oman.
Bremen kidnapping Climax
Then came the Bremen kidnapping.
Edward G.. Bremen, son of a brewing
family was held for % days before
a 100000 ransom was paid. The
Northwest was in a turmoil.
Wise observers laid the fault with
big Dick" O'Connor, longtime po-
lice chief in st. Paul. Chief O'Con-
nor had believed it advisable to shell
ter criminals ION the run" in st.
Paul, The practice spread to Min
neapolis. What happened, as a mat
ter of routine, was that yeggs, pick
pockets, house burglars, snatchmen,
etc, came to the Twin Cities to
cool Off" to hide cut. AS long as
they reported upon arrival to the
police, giving their address, specify
ing their companions and telling
which women were with them, the
police did not disturb them.
st. Paul-and Minneapolis-be
came to all the criminals roaming
the Midwest and the Northwest
what Toledo was for so many years,
a haven.
Haugout for big Shots"
The Who's Who of gangland who
dwelt in Twin City apartments, at
tended the theaterS, frequented the
speakeasies and shops during those
last years of prohibition included
virtually every public enemy in
the land. There were Alvin Karpis
and Harry Campbell. the only mid
continent mobsterS still at large.
There were John Dillinger, John
Hamilton, Lester ellis, otherwise
known as "Baby-Face" Nelson; Ho-
mer Van Meter, shot down by police
in st. Paul: the Bankers, Harvey
Bailey and Machine Gun" George
Kelly Barnes: Fred Goetz known as
Shotgun" George Ziegler,. and
Verne Miller, who took part in the
Kansas City massacre. and whose
body was found in Detroit.
All the lads nested here. They
spent their money, bought motor
cars, went to the night spots,
planned new jobs-unmolested.
Atty. Gen. Homer S. Cummings
had that situation in mind when
he called the Twin Cities the poi
son spots" of American crime.
Big-Time Mobs Dispersed
This type of sensational crime is
stamped out. Not a single big-time
mob survives in the Northwest,
thanks to the Omen. But the or
binary. local kind of crime-enor-
mously profitable if it can be or
ganized under a few heads-con-
tinues. The Twin Cities foster slot
machines, and gambling halls COM
bined with night clubs; the legal
liquor business has fallen into the
hands of pre-repeal mobs; proSuita-
ton is a racket.
All this while Floyd B. Olson has
functioned in public Office. either