The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-10-19

$3.50.
At the outset, the Capone mob
countered Ragen's opposition by
starting a rival wire service called
Trans-American Publishing an
News Service. Through its superior
gang connections, Trans-American
made deep inroads into Continen-
tails business. In Chicago opposi-
ton to Continental was spanked
by the mob's wire outlet, a mysteri.
Gus outfit known as "R&H."
A less stubborn man might have
let the Capone mob take over the
nationwide bookie racket. Possibly,
If he had, Ragen would have been
alive today. But he kept on fighting
until, on June "a, 1916, just as he
had predicted, he was ambushed
and moved down with shotgun
blasts on Chicago street.
Ragen's murder is one Of Chi.
cago's many unsolved gang slay.
ings, just as is the more recent
murder Of former Police Lieutenant
William Drury. Drury was shot to
death the evening before he was to
have talked to an investigator about
appearing as a witness before the
committee.
Then suddenly in May 1947, Mic
key Mcbride came back into the
picture. He bought Continental back
from the Ragen interests. The price
was $3.50, 900 payable over a period
Of 10 years, and the business was to
be the sole and exclusive property
Of young Eddie.
With the Ragens gone, Trans
American folded the very next
month, and peace was restored. All
the bitterness apparently was for
gotten and many Of the old Trans
American-Capone crowd came right
in with Continental
Mickey Mcbride and all the Con-
tinental crowd vigorously and EN-.
phatically deny the existence of any
deals or connections whatsoever
with the Capone-C Chicago syndicate,
but evidence before the committee
indicates otherwise. The rawest bit
was the case of the syndicate domi-
mated R&H outfit in Chicago. Al
though it had been the driving force
in attempting to run Continental
out Of business, R&H was able to
obtain news from the Mcbride out
fit.
R&H even fixed its own rate for
such service at $3.50 a week, which,
by comparison with amounts
charged other non-mob outfits for
similar service, was a ridiculously
low figure.
Mickey Mcbride today says he
has no connection with Continental
Press. He insists that the "sole
owner" is his son, Edward J. Nc
Bride, age %.
But finally Mcbride agreed that
'the seniors did all the talking" and
that young Eddie, at least, didn't
open his mouth at any time"
The committee reported to the
senate:
From the preponderance Of evil
dence conclusion is warranted
that the Continental Press service
is controlled not by Edward Nc
Bride but by the gangsters who
constitute the Capone syndicate :.
that Arthur Mcbride is deliberately
making gift to the Mafi-affiliated
Capone mob in Chicago Of about
$4,000 a week, which represents the
difference in price paid by the Ca
pone-controlled R&H service and
the price paid by their competitors
in the same city" In my opinion,
the way to cope with the problem
would be a bill placing a legal
straitjacket on Continental and on
any other wire services that might
spring up.
Whatever type of law is passed
will require vigilant and iron-fisted
enforcement. California banned use
of communications facilities for un-
lawful purposes, which had the eff
feet Of knocking out the use of Con-
tinentals wire. After a while, the
authorities found couple of horse
parlors operating just as if they had
the old service. The gamblers had
tapped Continental's wire, which
still ran through the state, and were
stealing the information.
In 1912 when California feared air
| attack by the Japanese, a vital
telegraph circuit which served an
air force field was knocked out by
a plane crash. Continental Press
managed to get its wire service for
the gamblers resumed in something
like Is minutes. 1t took the Fourth
army, responsible for the defense Of
the entire West Coast. something
like three hours.
Next week: Chicago: The Heri.
tage Of Al Capone.
Condensed from the book, "Crime In
America" by Estes Kefauver. Cpr. 1851.
Pub. BY Doubleday, Inc. Dist General
Features corp.-WNU.
Z = y 81