Allman for Alcock

In ten years Chicago has had six new police commissioners. Each change has heralded a fresh campaign to "clean up the city," but Chicago today is as crime-ridden as ever. Last week's news was that Alphonse ("Snorkey") Capone had organized the city's saloons into such a perfect chain that he was selling them not only their liquor supplies but everything down to ginger ale and table linen. So Chicagoans were not excited last week when Mayor Anton J. Cermak abruptly ousted Commissioner John Alcock and appointed in his place Captain James P. ("Iron Man" ) Allman. Mayor Cermak called his City Council into special session to whip through the appointment, had the new commissioner sworn in immediately, ordered him to crusade at once against organized crime. The new commissioner laconically remarked: "I'm not tickled to death with this job." Last of loud William Hale Thompson's appointees, retiring Commissioner Alcock held his job for six months after Mayor Cermak took office. Observers said that this period of grace was granted because Alcock refused to take orders from Mayor Thompson after Mayor Cermak was elected and before he took office. That Alcock confidently expected to be ousted sooner or later was suggested by his care not to relinquish his civil service rating as deputy commissioner. He never drew the commissioner's larger salary. Last week he calmly went back to his old job as first deputy commissioner. Back to his old job as lieutenant went Commissioner Alcock's Chief of Detectives John Norton. To succeed him Commissioner Allman named Captain William Shoemaker.

If Chicagoans were blase about Mayor Cermak's crime drive they at least felt sure they had an honest man at the head of the city's 6,500 policemen. Oldtime newshawks used to say: "If there's an honest cop in this town, it's Allman." Tall, lean, grey, he is 56, has been a policeman 31 years, a captain since 1917. He is called "Iron Man" because of a legend that he never smiles, is an excellent marksman with his pistol. A student of criminology, he is brainier than most policemen. No less honest, if not so brainy, is his chief aide. Captain Shoemaker. Students of Chicago crime predicted that Commissioner Allman would not attempt to eliminate beer saloons, cigar store bookmakers, or other small grafters, but would concentrate on organized crime, make the city safe for the 1933 World's Fair. Commissioner Allman would make no predictions.

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