Violence Common in Chi Cabarets
Newspapers Teem with Riots and Bloodshed in Cafes.
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Source: Variety, 6 August 1920, pg. 7.
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Since the "Daily News" expose of
the cabaret conditions, and Chief Garrity's order closing all of these
places at one o'clock, battles, fights and killings have occurred with
an astounding frequency.
There is the case of Paul Fosberg of 6147 S. Halsted street, who
was sitting at a table at the Hawaiian Gardens, a south side "black
and tan" cafe, when four men walked in without a word and knocked
him to the floor and beat him to death.
The police have been unable to discover any clue to the identity of
the murderers or any motive for the crime other than the possible one of
revenge. Ten employees of the cabaret—the floor manager, five
musicians and four waiters—were held by the police and all deny
knowledge of the affair, insisting that they did not see the fight. The
cafe has been closed. Capt. Ryan has recommended that its license be
revoked as it has caused constant trouble and the owner, Albert Ellis,
has been unable to control it.
Monday night the papers carried a story of a revolver battle
between a policeman and a couple of supposed gunmen at the Campbell
Gardens, Campbell and W. Madison streets. This place has been the
setting for a number of affrays and investigations. On one occasion two
policemen, locked in the place, shot a man, firing through the door. The
disturbance Monday morning was caused by a fight which a policeman tried
to stop. The battlers saw the "cop" and beat it, climbing into
a car, while the protector of peace stood and emptied his gun into the
back of the car.
The affair of Jessie Ray Brown, a former cabaret singer, who was
exonerated for the slaying of her husband last April, and Robert J.
Broch, an automobile salesman, who were killed when the automobile in
which they were riding crashed against a safety island, was given
considerable prominence in the dailies, connecting it up with cabaret
and jazz parties.
In handling the story of the Samuel Loftis death the papers played
up heavily on his "cabaret career" and his associations at
these places with Ruth Wood, the woman who was with him at the time of
his death, and other women more remotely connected.
The one o'clock closing order is being objected to strenuously by
some of the cafe owners. Ike Bloom, owner of the Midnight Frolics,
flatly refused to close. He was arrested and his case continued until
Aug. 8. He is at present operating under an injunction.
Judge Barasa discharged Fred Mann, owner of the Rainbo Gardens,
when the police admitted they had failed to serve him with formal notice
of the chief's orders. Deputy bailiffs reported they were unable to
locate Tom Chamales, owner of the Green Mill Gardens, to serve notice of
the suit, and the case was continued indefinitely.
City Prosecutor Harry B. Miller said suit would be filed against
Michael Potsin, part owner of Colosimo's, for his alleged refusal to
stop music and dancing in his place at 1 a.m.
[End of news article]
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Page compiled: 9 April 2000
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