CHICAGO’S BOMB WAR.
It was the spirit of competition and the rivalry of factions that led to the bomb throwing epoch which has left such a deep stain on the history of Chicago.
Dynamite, gun cotton, nitroglycerine and other dangerous combustibles were used to whip the enemies into line.
The bomb throwing era which was the talk of the nation, was nothing more than the outward expression of the gamblers’ hate. The bombs thrown were the means of eliminating the competitor and bringing the enemies into the ranks of the favored as mere slaves.
In three years, fifty bombs were hurled by gamblers in the city of Chicago. A million dollars’ worth of property was destroyed, men were maimed and families broken up in this terrible war. The first bombs were directed against the men in command of the gambling forces. These men then realizing the power of the dynamiters, employed them to destroy the enemies of the protected organization.
As a result the gambling combine today is based on dynamite and gunpowder. The police knew who threw the bombs but dared not arrest the criminals.
Every form of gambling controlled by the gambling combine can be found in Chicago. The high-priced forms are found in the loop district, the gambling handbooks are found everywhere, and the cheap forms can be met with in any part of the big city.