Roanoke Rapids daily herald., 1948-10-24
Post As Special
Prosecutor Began
Political Rise
TUCKER

answering readers questions of
general interest on national and
international policies and pers,n-
alities. Questions may be sent
direct to Ray Tucker at 6308 Hill
crest Place, Chevy Chase, Mary
BY Ray Tucker
Washington, Oct. 24-The ex-
pectation of Dewey victory in
the presidential race week
from next Tuesday apparently
accounts for the fact that most
of the readers questions this
week are concerned with puzz-
ling or obscure phases of his life
and public career.
R. F. of Brooklyn, N. Y, for
instance, thinks he has read
somewhere that the prospective
President owes his start in New
York politics to Democrats and
New Dealers, suggesting that
his present-day opponents dam
aged their own nest when they
taught him to fly high many
years ago.
The writer had never given a
thought to this aspect of the New
York Governor career, but
some research discloses that R.
F. is partially correct. Mr.. Dew
ey might not now be heading for
the White House if it had not
been for strong assists on the
part of Herbert H. Lehman, his
Democratic predecessor at Al
bany, and the late F. H. LaGuar-
dia. former Mayor of New York
and always an admirer and sup
porter of F.D.R.
Changed However, it was
George z. Medalie, prominent
member of the New York bar
and a distinguished Republican
of the elder statesman variety,
who, according to Mr.. Dewey,
changed the course of my life"
from law to politics. Here is the
fascinating story:
In 1880, as an humble men,
Der of a leading law firm, the
28-year-old Dewey was earning
So, 900 a year. He was assigned
to complicated hotel suit, and
he sought out Mr.. Medalie for
advice on handling it. The elder
man was so impressed with the
youngsters grasp of the law and
knowledge of the facts that their
first conference lasted from 10
o'clock one morning until 2 O.
clock the next.
Drafted Toward the end of
the trial, Mr.. Medalie was named
U. S. District Attorney for the
Southern District of New York.
He virtually drafted young Dew
ey as his assistant. 1t wr an
ideal assignment for a newaom-
er to New York seeking to pro-
gress in the law and politics.
1t gave him his first exper-
ience in executive work, IN all
fields Of federal law and in un-
derworld politics, especially ILL
cit alliances among politicians,
judges, police and big-time rae
keteers. He also had to bone up
on criminal offenses involving
federal statutes, information
al trade, immigration, shipping,
gold boarding, taxes, tariffs and
treaties.
Judgment He imprisoned the
cruel killer, Jack ("Legs") Dia-
mond, who had hitherto been i'm
mune from the laws attacks and
assassins' bullets. He jailed a
Tammany official for shaking
down City Hall newlyweds and
their contributions to
his own acounct.
He got on the trail of such no.
torlous gangsters as Dutch
Schultz and Waxey Gordon. AL
Capone's successors in the East.
Playing no favorites, he obtained
a 1000, 900 income tax judgment
against Charles E. Mitchell, ar
rogant socialite, banker and one
time millionaire.
Record He established such
a sensational record of convic-
tions that Mayor LaGuardia,
fearing defeat in his 1887 reelec-
ton campaign, asked Mr.. Dewey
to run for the office of New York
County. Attorney, Leading Dem
ocratic lawyers, as well as Fu-
sionists and the American La
Dor Party, offered their support.
He ran almost 10000 votes a
head of the popular Fiorello. He
continued his winning ways as
prosecutor of rackets He expos
ed crooked labor leaders exploit
alton of their own unions and
employers. In numerous impor-
tant industries the toll they
had enacted imposed a heavy
burden on all consumers.
Known But it was Governor
lehman, whom Franklin D. Roo
sevelt once called my good
right hand" who put Mr.. Dewey
into bigtime politics, albeit re-
luctantly. When a special Grand
Jury became disgusted with the
Tammany prosecutors presen-
tation of evidence linking the De-
nocratic organization with crook
ed judges, police and racketeers.
he foreman asked Governor Leh-
man to name a special prosecu-
tor.
Four prominent Republican
lawyers declined to serve and