The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-12-24
WRITER PROBING
LICCETT KILLING
IS GIVEN GUARD
Reporter for The Times
Finds He Stirred Ire
of Underworld.
DEC. "a, 1886
BY FORREST DAVIS
Times Special Writer

MINNEAPOLIS. Dec 24.-The
Minneapolis underworld is bitter"
over the Liggett investigation. Out
siders seeking the truth about the
editors murder are not made well
come. My experience here has not
been comfortable.
For the first time in my life I
have had a bodyguard 1t was not
my idea. Furthermore I removed
hastily from a Minneapolis hotel,
going 20 more law-abiding st. Paul
on The advice Of former Oman,
WHO forced me to pack and depart,
leaving A false forwarding address,
after receipt of telephone call
The caller tipped me off that GER
tain influential persons intensely re-
sented my dispatches.
Specialize in Beatings
They won't give you what they
gave Liggett and Guilford," the for
mer Oman said, but they may
beat you up. This is a bitter town.
You may find yourself on the curb
waiting for a taxicab; a couple of
musclemen will appear from no.
where, slug you and beat it before
you know what is happening. They
specialize in those tricks around
here"
Earlier, Mrs. Edith F. Liggett, the
editors widow. urged me to leave
Minneapolis for the safer precincts
of St Paul. An official of the Law
and Order League suggested serious
ly that I have bodyguard.
The situation seemed fantastic -
yet these advisers knew the under
world.
Just Like a Movie
My departure from the hotel was
like a sequence from a detective
film The former agent and
agreed on forwarding address in
Indianapolis. When the bell boy
came for the luggage, my friend be-
gan to talk for his benefit about In
dianapolis
He begged me to carry his re-
CARDS to supposed mutual ac-
quaintance, lamenting the &C
quaintances recent domestic diff
ficulty. He continued talking of In
dianapolis until we reached the
taXicab.
The one time Oman, now a law
yer, was in charge of the expedi-
ton. He directed the driver to the
Union Station. There, a redcap
took the luggage into the waiting
roor and was dismissed. We sat
in the tourist section for five
minutes until our redcap had van
ished into the train she'd then we
picked up the bags and departed
through another entrance. We took
a cab for St Paul.
Warned Not to Leave Hotel
was warned not to leave my no.
tel except on business. Once 1 ig-
nored the warning. Dispensing with
the body-guard, I went to dinner
Sunday night at a restaurant a
block from the hotel 1t is a we'll
known, respectable eating house. l
was accompanied by a resident of
st. Paul.
We had no sooner taken our
places at a table before a man at
the bar beckoned to my companion
Who is that with you?" he asked
My companion identified me.
Il thought So said the man at
the bar. Hes here on the LiggeUt
case. Tip him off to be careful
where he goes The man at the
bar was lin the know" During pro-
hibition, he had connections with
the liquor-running syndicate operat-
ed by Leon Gleckman.
Underworld Is Bitter"
set these circumstances down
with no comment except that the
underworld is bitter" and persons
who should understand the situation
believe 1t unsafe for a newspaper
man investigating the murder of an
editor to be at large alone.
In more than 20 years AS a news
paper man, l never before encount-
cred threats to my personal safety
in line Of duty.
The Liggett case aptly is de-
Scribed today in an editorial in the
st. Paul Pioneer Press as a clear
challenge from the underworld. :"
The challenge to newspaper men
who seek to expose and describe the
underworld seemingly is continuing.