"Go to Hell"

In Chicago the Incredible, the approach of April primaries brought about a recrudescence of the sort of things that have made the city world-infamous. Politicians hurled Chicago language of stunning crudity. Gangsters hurled Chicago "pineapples." The Chicago press hurled its disgust in a manner suitable to mass circulations.

Bombings. In Chicagoese, "pineapple" is a euphemism for an ugly, black, egg-shaped object known elsewhere as a hand-grenade. Since the first of the year they have been utilized 21 times by racketeers angry for one reason or another with fellow racketeers, politicians, bootleggers, gamblers. Last week "pineapples" exploded on the doorsteps of U. S. Senator Charles S. Deneen and Judge John A. Swanson. The results were mild for Chicago; no one was killed; only the fronts of two houses were blown to splinters.

Then, four days later, a thing too big to be called a "pineapple" failed to explode in the South Water Street market when wet snow snuffed out its sputtering fuse. It contained 17 sticks of dynamite, enough to wipe out an entire city block.

Who did the above deeds and why remained a mystery--the usual Chicago bombing mystery. Posters were tacked on fences and poles throughout the city, advertising $65,000 in rewards for information concerning the Deneen and Swanson pineapplers. Mayor William Hale ("Big Bill") Thompson, State's Attorney Crowe and others were sponsors of the rewards. Meanwhile, Chief of Police Michael Hughes reported: "It is almost impossible to trace bombers. There are 50 places in the city where dynamite can be purchased just as a person buys a package of cigarets."*

Gang Angle. Bootleg gangsters hold Senator Deneen responsible for a recent attempt at Prohibition enforcement, in which raids were staged on eleven cabarets that considered themselves immune from such treatment. That may have inspired the bombing as well as the assassination of "Diamond Joe" Esposito, gangster, Deneen henchman of the 25th ward, flashy hero of Chicago's Little Italy. Fortnight ago, "Diamond Joe" stood on a corner, five doors from his home, when an automobile drove up to the curb. There was a rat-tat-tat and the automobile drove away, leaving 58 slugs in the body of "Diamond Joe." He had a fine funeral. His coffin cost $5,000. Senator Deneen came from Washington to walk in the rain in a procession that stretched for a mile and a half.

Political Angle. No man in Chicago counts himself a politician of any repute until he has been pineappled or at least threatened. And no man is at present more entangled in Chicago politics than Senator Deneen. He is leader of the Republican faction that is fighting to oust the incumbent administration of Mayor Thompson, State's Attorney Crowe, Governor Len Small, plus Frank L. Smith who is again running for the seat in the U. S. Senate in which he was not permitted to sit. The "better element" and all the Chicago newspapers (except the two Hearst papers) say the Thompson-Crowe-Small-Smith faction is vile, vicious, responsible for Chicago's maladies. But, curiously enough, the maligned fellows have a habit of winning elections. It does not matter that, in 1924, Mr. Crowe called his present ally, Mayor Thompson, "the worst political derelict pestering Chicago." Nor does it matter that Senator Deneen was the good friend of Mr. Smith when the latter was trying to get into the Senate. Now Senator Deneen is supporting one Otis F. Glenn, the opponent of Mr. Smith for the vacant Senate seat. To oust Governor Small, Senator Deneen is grooming one Louis L. Emmerson. Everything will be settled at the Republican primaries on April 10, if the pineapples permit.

Things Said. The dynamite-play and the looming primaries caused a considerable twitter of bald words.

Alderman B. A. Cronson, supporter of the America First party, and Mayor Thompson: "Don't you worry, you guys, America First will be first on April 10 without any pineapple days."

State's Attorney Crowe: "Bombings have become a recognized method of creating public sympathy and increasing the flow of revenues for reform or political purposes."

The Chicago Tribune published an editorial with the headline:

MR. COOLIDGE LAMS MR. THOMPSON ON THE SNOOT

The editorial went on to say: "Citizens may be in doubt whether some supporters of Senator Deneen and Judge Swanson blew up their homes to elect their tickets, as Mr. Thompson and State's Attorney Crowe contend, or whether supporters of Mr. Thompson and Mr. Crowe blew up Mr. Deneen's house and Judge Swanson's house to elect the ticket of Mr. Thompson and Mr. Crowe. This is indeed a puzzle and a bewilderment, at this writing not near a solution. But it is nothing to the spectacle of Mr. Coolidge's gunmen coming in from Washington to put all the works on Mr. Thompson's friends, to advance the cause of Wet America First and the Draft Coolidge cause. Credulity can get a crick in the neck even in Chicago politics."

Mayor Thompson: "The Tribune can go to hell!"

The Solution. Forget trouble and have a few parades, was Mayor Thompson's solution of the Chicago frenzy. He called together representatives of 50 improvement organizations and business clubs, explained to them his plan of a big-improvement -parade -every -other -week until Christmas. Said he: "Holding parades is the only way we can attract the attention of the public to what we are doing. The papers never boost us; they always lie."

Concerning crime, the fat Mayor said, as he relaxed in bedroom slippers and short-sleeved, open-necked sport shirt in his hotel suite: "Sure, we have crime here. We always will have crime. Chicago is just like any other big city. You can get a man's arm broken for so much, a leg for so much, or beaten up for so much. Just like New York or any other big city--excepting we print our crime here and they don't."

"Better Element." Rich people made such remarks as "No one one knows has been shot."

*Later in the week, Chief of Police Hughes sent out 525 policemen in automobiles with orders to arrest not bombers, but U. S. Prohibition agents. Said he: "Bring in the whole gang. We'll see whether these roughnecks from the East can shoot up Chicago and get away with it." The reason for Chief of Police Hughes' sudden activity was that a prohibition agent had shot and wounded one William Beatty, political worker for Mayor Thompson, in a saloon.