"The Gut"

Between Capitol Hill and the Hudson River, stretching five or six blocks south of busy, important State Street, is that district of Albany known as "The Gut." The underworld of many a city knows "The Gut" and draws gangsters from it, contributes gangsters to it. Women without escorts do not walk through "The Gut," by day or by night. The district is "segregated," and over it rules a Democratic ward politician, unofficial boss of Albany County, close friend of Lieut. Gov. Edwin Corning, by name Daniel P. O'Connell.

Great was the regret of short, round-faced Boss O'Connell when the spatter of bullets broke the peace of his demesne on an early morning of last week. Into the heart of "The Gut" had marched Prohibition Agents Irving Washburn and Wilfred Grisson, bent on arrest. Suddenly, a group swarmed from an open doorway. Guns were drawn, fired. Agent Grisson escaped uninjured. But Agent Washburn fell to the pavement, mortally wounded.

Echoes of the shots were heard many miles from Albany. This had been no ordinary Prohibition raid. A very definite understanding had existed between the Federal agents and Boss O'Connell. If not molested, "The Gut" had promised to restrain itself from too-overt alcohol smugglings and rowdy boozings. Following the political tirades of Theodore Roosevelt the younger that a slimy trail of vice and corruption had crawled "to the very steps of the State Capitol," Boss O'Connell and his friends had been "making character" for the sake of Governor Smith.

Last week's visit by Agents Washburn and Grisson seemed to indicate pressure from high Federal powers. "The Gut's" murderous loss of self-control boded ill for the Brown Derby.