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ram, Doeneslis rae eens : ;j a bweaty-four-hour Che wee } Wy oe which be ce etn otuth, . ' worn, they would emphasize thelr - argument with fists or revolver” butic. Few speakeasy owners held - — gut further. if . Lolle Ab exception was Jacob Gels, who sald, “3 Suy my beer from Capone am Torrie, 2nd Tm satistiog . Even fists could not change Jake's. waind, for his burly frame wes ‘Bittle too much for O'Donsell’s tee. drummers, who got bounced elabo - Geir neighborhood astoon at Th West Gist sirect earif in the eve —_ | hat Gels was taken to « hospital ‘ Ing kidnaping for raensom, then thivats of terture and death, He de at himself a bodyguard © New York for the pyr- was abort JBI. SRte bec’ a Wyearold med Johasy Torrio whom wn ag one of the elder he Five Points gang # gaid that ne wa, uffian. . . | He had ty, business pagacity, al imagination, He Flin Armd iniese dary ne nots Tribune photo) ; waiting glimpta of Capone on his way fo the Morgan Collins, Chicago police commissioner from “We WI front. And he wor... ambitious.” re On Totrlo's arrival in. Chicago, Colosimo's persecution teased — at least temporartly, Torrico ved by the gun. It waa his profession. When shortly after his arrival three Black Handers demanded that Calo. simo meet them with $26,000 under an Archer evenue viaduct, Torric sent four men to the spot with sawed-off shotguns. When the Black Mand leader approarhed the dark jouring car, asking, ° Where is our Package?" he suddenly found him- self looking down @ i27-gauge muz zie. For the Black Handers it was United States dishict attorney's office for questioning soared. Torrio, the business man, shrewdly left the retail business to others and began to expand a vast .wholetale business which rapidly took on the proportions of a south aide monopoly. To operate an Industry big enough” to satiety Torrio’s ambitlon would require able jleulenants and a pol- fey of ruthlessness toward ali oppo sition. ‘Who could “‘Torrio get to . help him? Torrlo was an expert- enced manager, and he thought the problem over carefully—then picked the s#leck Neapolitan boy who had been doing so wellin Burnham, Tor- rio knew that Al Capone was big and strong and quick in action, that he was intelligent, that he drenk ‘Ute, that he could be emooth on occasion, and that he was a natural leader of men. “How would you ke $25.000 a Year.” said Torrie to Capone one evening in the rear of a 234 street dance hell, “and to be my partner in the beer and boore business? We'll split the Hquer profits ffty-' Atty. Whai do you say?” or “O. K., Johnoy.” grunted bfg AL The deal was on. Capone stepped into his new position with con- fidence and alacrity, Soon he began to make hip mark. Men Joarned to | fear and respect him.. He never " afked a nan io do anything that he couldn't or wouldn't do himeels. He could be as tough as a mad ele- Phant one moment and as playful asa puppy the next The collection of fl-assorted crooks and criminals that he and Torrio were able to Prlist from all over the cliy quickly took on a measure of dtacipiine under his drill sergeant brand of leadership. His remarkable fair for organizing butlt up # machine admirably suited to the task set for It, The drivers, sharpshovoters, spies, watchmen, lawyers, and others on the pay roll knew what wes expect- ed of them. and they did it. Few ever deserted or turned traitor, ‘Tha nat ante pernratad thal] bane with @ fractured stul) and lay at the point of death for weeks. After thelr argument with Gels that ever hing the aroused O’Donnelia invad- ed Ave other recaleltrant beer sel *#re, administering various treat- ments, and then repaired to Joseph Klepka's saloon et 535¢ South Lin coln street, a sort of headquarters, to partake of refreshmenis, It was while they were relaxing in Kiepka's place that five men en- -terad and the leader, brandishing hile 38, roared: “BUck up your hands ar Fl blow you to bell.” The O'Donnelle scattered for the doors and were pursued closely: to the street, where, shooting wildly at their atiackers, they made their eacape—all except Jerry O'Connor, who lay dead on the sidewalk, shot through the heart. In the official records Jerry O'Con- nor’é death ig indexed as the first killing of the bootleg war. Jt wae followed ten days tater, Sept. 17, by the murders of his associates, Mee shen and Bucher. Tre repercussions of the O’Don- neil purge, however, would have been enough to worry a commander of lesser stature. The late William E. Dever, then six months in office aa mayor, was g0 shocked by the klltings that he revoked the licenses of 2,000 “soft drink partors,” cum moned Chief of Police Colling to his office, and aseumed personal charge of the eltuation. His official state ment said: . “The police will follow this case to # Gnlsh as they do all others, This guerrilla war between hijack- ere, rum runners, and illicit beer peddlers can and will be crushed.” Tt was a brave wtterance—but it wes alinost equally futile, There were to be @ more kitings similar te that of O'Connor In the fall of 1823, 16 tn 1924, 46 in 1975, and 64 In 1995, Mr. Devers last year In office. In this tote! of 135 gang murders during the rise of the young pocl Player from Brooklyn only six men were to be brought to trial. Of the aix all were to be acquitie? save one—Sem Vin, who chase the oce casion of a coroner's inquest to dis- patch John Minatii with « 45-cali- ber autometic. His explanation