Page:Letter from Hodgins, Westrich, Clagett to IRS Agent in Charge regarding Al Capone, 1931.djvu/2

 cemetery, took a vacation in the hospital. On getting out Toorio evidently thought discretion the better part of valor, and migrated to New York. This left the field for Al Capone, who promptly moved in., and due to free advertising in the newspapers became the "Big Shot", Capone, the immune, Capone the idol of time hoodlum element, Capone, the dictator, free from arrest and prosecution by the local police, due, no doubt, to his lavish spending of money on giving bribes. Some time ago Capone was arrested on a vagrancy charge, and the states attorney had to dismiss the case for the reason that no policeman could be found in Chicago who knew Al Capone! That Al Capone is shrewd, there is no doubt, which, together with his native Italian secretiveness, has, made this case a most difficult one to handle. Al Capone never had a bank account and only on one occasion could it be found where he ever endorsed a check, all of his financial transactions being made in currency. Agents were unable to find where he had ever purchased any securities, therefore, any evidence secured had to be developed through the testimony of associates or others, which, through fear of personal injury, or loyalty, was most difficult to obtain.

This examination, along with the cases of various other Chicago gangsters, was assigned to Internal Revenue agent W. C. Hodgins about two years ago. With the assistance of Special agent N. E. Tesseom and A. A. Martin. considerable work was done, such as making an analysis of the Pinkert State Bank remittance sheets and deposit slips for the years 1924 to 1928, from which lists were compiled of all clearing checks deposited or cashed showing the marker and last endorser.Bank accounts were analyzed, witnesses were interviewed, and every scrap of evidence possible was secured, on any of the gangsters, always with the object in view of eventually getting enough evidence together to successfully prosecute Al Capone.

This case caused such wide-spread interest that during May, 1930, Internal Revenue Agents H. N. Clagett, J. L. Westrich, and Special Agent Frank J. Wilson, were sent on from the east to assist in bringing this case to a successful conclusion. from this time on Special Agent Frank J. Wilson took charge of this case, and an in, intensive campaign was prosecuted, developing further evidence already secured and following up every possible lead that might develop into anything of vale. Outside - 2 -