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ee eee é apigy i 4? “'¢5 convict Capone seemed a simple <= i : ; i i matter, And po, thirty minutes pfter the murder, » generel order wag fiashod to all police stations te ar Peat him, But Al Capone was nowhere to be found, and at the inquest the next day the witnesses to the crime ware ajl asiricken with mysterious aie ments. Helnie Jacobse thought It over, Then he took the witness stand and testified as follows: “TI was called to a rear room to answer a telephone just before the shooting. I don’t know nothing about it.” Runelebeck quiveringly insisted: “FT wouldn't be able to identify Capone even if brought face to face with him.” Bilton could pot be found. Two ciher possible witnesses to the kill. ing. eald to have been in Jacobr saloon at the time, were Tony “Mouth” Bagnols and one Ciiford Eaton. Both denied having been there, and no one could give proof to the contrary. . The inquest hed to be continued indefinitly, and a month later, when things had quieted down, Capone sauntered Into the Cottage Grove police station to remark to Captain McMahon: “Lhear the police are looking for tne, What fort” aww Phe caeisie nestios Sonar gown be questioned by a young assistant state's pttorney named William #L BicSwiggin. “Shue wateed for the murder ef dce Howard,” sald McSwiggin, “Who, me?" replied Al with a puszied lock. "Why. Tm a respecta- ble business man. I’m @ second: bead fuenthire apaler,”™ This wag tn 1923, after the pork- faced Capone already waa well wn the seid lo success, How was he able to fix the witnesses se purely that he ceuld welk into ths hands of the jwcica a few weeks Igter with. out ife mightest fear of teking the rap? What wee his background? What sort of tuiicing qualified this men to win out aver ell others tn the freucie 7 geram le to gontrol the $60,000,000 w-year bootleg Ilguor busi- ness Which glarted with the advent of orohibition in a city that war on efi z Tribune photo.) Alphonse Capone, boss criminal, First sala already a quarter to §, and Al toi- lowed an iron. bound rule about going home at 16:30, "Ll lay twe hundred on a game of straight,” proposed Al to the coufident slieker, “Want to play : met” “rt'e a ket,” grinned the other, “How about ia. hundred more on the Afteen ball?” “0. K.," seid Al. The two at to work. The specta- tors peered excit- edly from adjoin- dng “teblen, By 10:30 Al had the F800 back and $156 of the stranger's money--and then he seid he must gO, as he was due home. The stran- ger wpe paturatly resentfu] at being left in this hu. tmiilating position and demanded that Al remain, but Al put on hig coat and singoth gray hat. Without a word the stranger pulled a Jong-bladed knife from his pocket, opened it, and gave Al tu understand he'd play pool or else! Ai did not hesitate one second His right - out to the man’s chin wHh all his 200 pounds behind it. The man dropped and fay motion less. Alian for home. Twenty minutes later a misin. formed friend from ihe poulroom + Courtroom scene at trial ef Sam Vinci for the Krueger, Vinel, Deputy Sherif William Gallagher, at the height of hic carear, Capone's 83 @ partner of Johnny Torrie in the beer and boote busi- nexs was $25,000 a year. Seon his organization wat dealing in millions, He ricant It, and shartiy sold his broom for a job in a café, He al ready was learning how to turn his frlendships with “Bathhouse John" and “Hinky Dink” into @ golden. egg-‘lsying goose, and In short order he owned his own poolraom. A year or two tater saw young Jim a pre cinet captain with various privileges Abpertaining to the old levee diatrici located within the boundaries of the ward and bisected by the mighi-lif: whoopee spots of 2ad street. From Pooircom proprietor he became honkytonk owner, then pariner in s{Tribyac photo, murder of John Minatti. ‘ Left te right: Br and (standing) Vinci's attorney, Fra carlain red-light apterprises, and finally Big Jim of bis own Colosly mos café at 2128 South Wabest: avenue. + Eventually Big Jim became (he acknowledged boss of the soyth side. underworld, and his revenue came not only from the resorts he owned » himself but also in the form of tri: ule from all other iHlega) resorts inj the district. But wealth brought with it beth comfort and complications Big Jim was viclimized hy the American Mafia ea eeanteen ad bade i at aes ed Ao ‘ aa ? a Reh eee tnt