"He must have done something. They don't kill you for nothing." - Chicago Gangster Ted Newberry. Rubbed out January 7, 1933

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Only Moe knows

In the past twenty-six year old Moe Schwartz was involved in a number of transportation companies and was currently half owner of sight seeing business. On this date back in 1923 Moe told his partner that he had to meet some people on the lower eastside at 9:00pm.

While Moe was waiting at the designated spot two men slipped up behind him and fired three bullets into his back. Schwartz fell face down on the sidewalk as the two gunmen escaped in the pandemonium that followed.

Two cops who happened to be near by took him to the station and then thought it might be prudent to take a man with three bullets in his back to the hospital. Moe cashed in before making it or saying anything about the shooting.

Authorities were perplexed by the shooting because Schwartz didn’t have a police record and was known as an upstanding citizen. Other than the fact that Moe told him that he had a “business engagement” his partner couldn’t (or wouldn’t) shed any light on the murder. Like a lot of the murders on the lower eastside that summer this one was chalked up to Kid Dropper although no motive was given.

Seeing that his killers knew exactly where he was going to be at a certain time it is obvious that he was set up. Perhaps he was a legitimate businessman and was bucking The Dropper’s attempts at extortion or even though he had a clean record, maybe Moe was involved in some dirty dealings after all he kept mum till the end.

No comments: