The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-04-18

1V1 SCHLAGG, New York's Public
Enemy No /, attired like Solomon
in broadcloth, silk and soft leather
sat in the Swallowed corner of a
brightly lit room in a cheap up
town hotel a half block from Broad
way.
His was not a striking presence.
His face was dish-shaped and
heavy iowled under thinning straw
colored hair. His mouth slit straight
across it. His eyes, gray and cold
darted toward the door at the
slightest sound from outside the
room. There was no sound within
1t. Only the shadow of bodiless
impending terror.
Up to him through the two tight
shut and curtained windows came
the cacophony of the city 13 sto-
ries below. 1t came in a kind of
ghostly hum, the eerie clang of
street cars, the honks of motor
horns, the overtones of the late
night crowds thronging Broadway
just around the corner. They
brought with them a whispered
menace.
LIE shrugged the thought away
A Il Death couldn't get near him
here. Too many bodyguards. There
were two outside the door, two at
the shaft out of which rose both
elevator and stairs, two at either enc
of the corridor. Three more lounged
in the lobby below Two lookouts
lurked on the street near the hotel
entrance Nobody could get past
these thirteen. Unless
Unless one of these 10 turned
traitor, ratl
His trembling hand clutched the
butt of the automatic in it's Shout
der-holster. 1t came away, lifted a
leather cigar case from his pocket.
He lit an expensive panatella and
pulled it nervously. His wrist
watch registered 1920. Twenty
minutes after midnight. He took out
a large silk handkerchief and
mopped his wet brow. He was ner-
vous. Why the hell didn't some
body come?
Where were the six trusted trig-
ger-men ne had dispatched to cool
out Luck Louey Spinozza, his smart,
slim, dark, and deadly rival? They
had to get him because Louey was
the brains of the big Four" a
syndicate made up of the city's four
most powerful mob leaders, and the
big -Four" was out to bump him,
BLAST" Schlagg.
1T was either Louey or him, be-
l. cause Louey was too smart.
Louey was the only one smart
enough to put a price of so grand
on his, Blasts, head. And how long
could anybody on Broadway remain
alive with a 50-grand price on his
head?
He hated Louey with the cold,
merciless hate the cobra holds for
the mongoose, but he was hot, too,
with anger at himself. He should
have known enough to wipe out
Louey three years ago, as soon as
Louey climbed out of the ruck of his
mob and showed how smart he was,
how smooth he was with dolls AS
soon as he saw how they fell for
him after one look at Louey's hand
some pan.
\ Yeh, he should have had him
blasted as he had Ankles Lehman
and Donkey Reggie and Marathon
Sobowski, the three deadliest RI
walls he had conquered in his 10
year tenure of the throne as King
Racketeer. Them and 121 others,
besides the 90 of his own mob who
had died in reprisals.
Il
THEN the ruthless will which had
l. hauled him to the top of the
racketS and kept him there for a
decade attacked his lifelong weak
ness, physical cowardice. What was
the matter with him? 1t was either
him or them, wasn't it? If he had
double crossed most of them. it was
because they'd have done the same
to him. You couldn't trust nobody
in the rackets. Nobody!
Nobody except Helen. Helen, his
wife, the beautiful girl he'd pulled
out of Broadway floor show and
finally married. The doll who stood
away out from all the other girls
he had ever known. The babe he'd
buried a million in safety deposit
boxes for in caSe-in case he was
knocked off. The ghostly crowd
thronging the room dispersed at the
warning thought of her. God! Just
the way she said, 'Darling!"
And where the hell was she?
Why didn't she come? She was due
an hour ago! He jumped up and
started toward the door. And halted
as the bodyguard's knocks, two,
pause, and three quick ones, an
nounced her arrival. He unclaimed
and unlocked the door and let
her in.
Hello, Darlingl" she said huski-
ly and right away he melted and
wanted 10 cry ana love her.
CHE stepped past him, clad in
~ mink and silk, as his fumbling
fingers turned the key and she was
smiling softly as he came to her.
His hands lifted her wrap. They
threw it on chair and came back
to her shoulders. She stood lax. her
half-closed eyes drawing him. His
hands duested and her heavy mouth
turned upward. seeking seeking
"Darling!' she whispered.
'Darl-ing!" he muttered and bent
to her lips as weary. thisty desert
traveller bends to the clear sweet
pool of the oasis.
-Darlingl"
an hour later. he kissed her good