SCALAWAGS OR GOOD CITIZENS?
Norman V. Kelly
Scalawags:
A scamp: A
Rascal: A Rogue
A Rapscallion
Civil War: A Scalawag was a white Southerner who
Worked for or
conspired with the Union Army.
Let’s start in 1940 in Peoria, Illinois and check out
the Citizens that were here during WW 11.
Now among those citizens were the VERY people that some fools have
described as gangsters. I have
maintained for 32 Years that we did NOT have gangsters. I define gangsters within the ILK of Al
Capone and all the real gangsters that were spawned during Prohibition. I have no idea what they did out side of
Peoria, Illinois. The truth is there is
not a living person that knows anything about Peoria gangsters. Every word they tell you about them they
heard from some grandfather or uncle, and the silly stories the local newspaper
has rewritten over and over. It was all
rumor, lies, and MYTHS. We had a hell of
a lot of dangerous and bad guys in Peoria and I have identified them in my many
stories and books. So let us start the
hunt for scalawags or citizens. Truth is
many of them got their start during Prohibition and established their gambling
and saloon businesses that flourished during the Tumultuous 1930’s reaching
their peak of money making during WW
11. All these myths were
perpetuated in barbershops all around Peoria, Illinois and perpetrated by the
silly stories that we still to this day read in the Journal-Star and local
magazines and monthly newspapers. These stories are written by writers who have
never done any real serious research other than just perpetuating the myths
that have been told and retold for seven decades at least.
Edward Nelson Woodruff: 1903-1945
Our Mayor 11 times for a total of 24 years during that period of time. He was an incredible man, a man of power and
political acumen that no one in our town has even come close to duplicating. He
was a major citizen of Peoria and did more to aid in the growth of this town
than any other living human. He was
honest, decent and a man of courage and convictions. The gangster fan idiots in this town actually
considered this man to be a “Crooked Politician” They were wrong then and they
are still wrong today. This man’s record is well documented in our archives,
but they would rather just make up stories from falsehoods than make the effort
to print the truth about a very special and prominent man in our history.
JACK ADAMS:
Here is a man that was a very successful business man, owning among
other things, The Clover Club. Just because he was part of the gambling scene
in our town, a lot of uninformed people considered him a ‘gangster’ Ridiculous. He was a flashy man, he had money
and he was certainly in ‘the know’ if you get my meaning.
‘FISHMOUTH’ McCrane:
Now here is a guy that was no more than a speck’ in the history of
Peoria. He was associated with Bernie Shelton so naturally he belongs on the
FBI’s Most Wanted. What a joke. He was a
police character, well-know as to his association with Bernie, but people hate
for me to remind them that the Shelton’s had a legit business called Shelton’s Amusement
Company. Bernie had a lot of ‘hanger-oners’
and believe me this guy was one of them.
Carl….was the business man and I can tell you that Bernie did not really ‘control or manage’
anything.
FRANK
KRAMER: Nice guy, well
established business man. One of the first tavern owners to STOP gambling in
his two places, Park-K-Club and The Spot.
Might as well put this fact here, Mayor Carl Triebel stopped all casino
style gambling in the City of Peoria
PHILLIP STUMPF:
Now here is a guy today we would call him a ‘gangster wannabe’ he sure
as hell was nothing but a two-bit, slot machine mechanic. He was listed as an iron worker, but was well
known as a local thug…he had his share of police run-ins. In 1946 he was out at The
Stork Club on Big Hollow Road. He fixed a couple of slot machines and when he
left a car pulled in behind him. He was
chased into a field by a car that was said to have four gangsters in it all
firing Thompson Sub-Machine guns…what a joke.
Anyway they fired at the car and one slug hit Phillip in the back of the head killing him. His companion was hit in the left ear. This
was part of the 1946 ‘ gang-land style’ murders, there were 3 of them. So of
course Phillip was a gangster, ‘Just like all the gamblers in downtown Peoria.’ Pathetic but that’s what our grandfather’s
told us.
JOEL ‘Joe’ Nyberg.
Now here is a piece of work. He was arrested so damn many times it was
truly pathetic that this jerk did not end up in jail for life. Unlike a
gangster, most of his stuff was petty until he picked up a KNIFE. He wounded a couple of people and killed a
man which finally got him a GUILTY verdict for Manslaughter. He was out on parole when his body was found
up at the Lacon Golf Club in 1946. He was beaten with a bat and hit with a couple .38 slugs for good measure. He was a small time worthless hoodlum and the
day he died was a relief for a lot of people and law enforcement guys. He was
one of the three ‘gangland style’ murders that changed the reputation of Peoria from a Lusty, bawdy, fun town to a ‘Gangster Town
DWIGHT ‘Snooks’
GORDON Amateur boxer, very well known
‘tough’ guy in town in and out of the ring.
He was a gambler in town and was a flashy guy that like to ‘flash his
bankroll.’ He was certainly a ‘downtown
character’ and of course he was labeled as a gangster, which was absolutely
silly. He was just one of the main
characters in our Downtown Peoria list of known characters. He was a businessman, a house builder and owner
of a few slot machines. That’s all you
needed to be labeled a gangster by the myth makers and do Gooders. Snooks was tried for murder in a traffic
altercation in 1947 with a man and was absolutely found NOT GUILTY.
VIC MICHEL: The
people that considered this man a shady character or a gangster should be
ashamed of themselves. He was a
magnificent criminal lawyer that “defended well-know gangsters and bad guys.”
The idiots that judged everyone as they stayed at home
and clucked their wicked tongues were the do nothings of our history. My God,
he was also a mayor of Peoria, Illinois.
He was Snooks’ lawyer that sued the City of Peoria to get back Snooks’
Slot Machines. Gangster, what a cruel
way to sum up a prominent man’s life. He
was wealthy, influential and a flamboyant man, most of his critics were people
that never set foot inside the City of Peoria except to Christmas shop.
GENEVIEVE
H. PAULSGRAVE:
Now here is an interesting lady, funny, the do-gooders
in town were never very tough on her. In
fact she was a very successful business woman, was a hair dresser and owned her
own beauty Salon right next to the Rialto Building which is now the Civic
Center. She was attractive, perfectly
groomed and very nice.
She was born in 1913, and if you went on the earlier
Historical Society Trolley tours they used to take you to her GRAVE at Park View
Cemetery
She bought the plot…and to this day it is STILL in her
name…of course she is dead by now…I would think…but if you want to be buried
next to Bernie call my wife at 688-5700
and Gloria will direct you to one of the funeral directors….maybe they have the
name of the current owner…
Rest in Peace.
CLYDE
GARRISON: Very well know guy
within the gambling circle which was centered in downtown Peoria, Illinois
In the 1930’s he lived on McClure. A car with four men in it attempted to kidnap
him. “Hold it right there, Clyde.” Clyde pushed his wife aside pulled his own
gun and fired. His wife CORA was hit in
the forehead and killed and Clyde was wounded in the leg. Of course this was a Machine gun attack as
all of them were. Ballistics never once
proved a machine gun was used in any of our murders.
RAY WALKER:
Another of Bernie’s so-called bodyguards
or Henchman, you name it. He was usually a bartender in several of the
places in town. I never ran across his
police record, but he could have had a
record I suppose. I do know that he was
shot and wounded by Charles Blackie
Harris…the man I mentioned back in the 1980’s as the best possible
suspect in the killing of more than one of the Sheltons, including Bernie here
in Peoria.
I RARELY talk about People that do not have a Peoria
MILDRED GILLARS…NOTORIOUS
DURING WW 11…KNOWN BY ANOTHER NAME…Any ideas?
Here name was AXIS SALLY a Nazi Radio personality. Here in Peoria once in awhile you could here
her talking from a recording on Armed Forces Radio…replayed here in Peoria to
make people mad…I guess. She used to tease and taunt our soldiers.
My brothers used to hear her on Armed forces radio
station radio station and often talked of her.
She was an American , Born in Portland ,
Maine
It was called “Home Sweet Home.” Truth is she used to say “This is Midge At the Mike” Our G.I’s gave her that Axis Sally Name.
After war she was arrested: 10 COUNTS
of Treason tried in USA
GUILTY: 10-30
years in Federal prison in West Virginia:
Two years later she was paroled and became a speech teacher. Died in
1988.
My brother Bud told me about listening to TOKYO
On the radio she called herself ORPHAN ANNE US Arrested her in a sense, anyway we
detained her for a year, then released
her but when she wanted to come back to America the G.I’s complained and the
FBI re-investigated her and charged her with 8 counts of treason. She was jailed…I don’t know for how long and
President Gerald Ford
PARDONED HER IN
1979.
ELI CUPI: He was only in his twenties when he roamed
the downtown area of Peoria
OH…By The way in 1945…when Eli Cupi was 26 years old,
a state court ruled that PIN BALL MACHINES were NOT considered gambling.
JACK
NAHAS: I guess it would be fair
to call him a shady character…he was in trouble with police a few times but
like most of them he was just a penny ante guy part of the downtown list of
characters. He did get some attention
when he did the city a favor and shot JOEL NyBerg…too bad he did not kill
him. Just another character that roamed
the downtown streets looking for suckers.
HYME LIPKIN:
Successful business man, certainly part of the gambling scene. He got a lot of attention during the war when
a couple of BOMBS were set off near his places.
No one was injured…it was just a scare tactic and gave Peorians
something to talk about besides the war shortages.
JACK and TONY PURTCHER: Great guys I knew JACK best he
died a few months ago. This man knew Bernie Shelton as well as anyone that ever
came in contact with him…. and I talked to him and even recorded a long talk
with him. Shelton had a horse named
Major and he was boarded out at Purtcher’s Stables off University. There is a street named after them and that
big white house is still there. He
thought the world of Bernie and told me that Bernie LOVED his reputation as
being a gangster. He rented horses from
Tony/Jack (Jack was a younger son His brother killed himself ) for his friends. He told me that Bernie used to buy clothes for some of the young men
that worked at Purtcher’s and gave money to the Crittenden Home…He laughed out
loud at all the crimes Bernie was supposed to be connected with. If you are looking for gangster reputation it
stopped when you talked to Jack.
PETE PETRAKIS:
Here is a guy that Jack Purtcher knew…Pete was a pal of Shelton’s and
worked for him in the rental place and of course killed people every day to
protect Bernie: Pete was virtually
kidnapped and taken up to a room at the Pere the day after Bernie was
shot. Ted LINKS the reporter from Saint Louis Peoria
GEORGE
GLAZEBROOK: Here is another guy
that just because he was seen with Bernie Shelton he was labeled the body guard
of gangster Bernie Shelton. If Bernie
was so tough why would he need all these so-called bodyguards? That’s because it is just another myth. George was into slots, certainly never had
any money to be a ‘big shot’ in Peoria. Oh he was machined gun…just kidding
this big gangster was shot by his girlfriend with a lady’s .25 revolver in the
stomach. He almost died: The lady that
shot him was arrested: Wow what a joke. She was fined $30.60 Her name was MARY
BLUNK. A GUN Mall I guess the folks around here called her…what
a joke.
GEORGE McNEAR:
Now this man was an extremely successful
Hard working owner of the TP&W
RR. I put him in here because a
lot of people considered him a man that would do anything to his employees to
turn a profit. The Union … there were 333 members in these Unions that
tried to fight him day and night. He was
a crook to some, a genius to others. He
could care less about what people thought of him. He was shot and killed by gangsters and most
certainly riddled with Machine gun slugs from a Thompson Sub machine gun. Just another MYTH. He was hit by .00 slugs
from a 12 gauge shotgun and hit 6 times
SIX holes, must have been a machine gun.
Sensational case and it was given National and International coverage. Gangster
Town USA
JACK
ADAMS: Owned several places in
town, and was a silent partner in a couple. Well Known, certainly part of the
downtown excitement. Best known for his
ownership of the Sportsman Club.
COTTON UNITAS:
If Bernie was a gangster I guess Cotton was too. Cotton was a ‘gofer’ within the local
gamblers and hooked up with Bernie. He
was just a small town guy that managed to make a living doing what he was told. Cotton was going to follow Bernie to a garage
so Shelton could get his oil changed in his black Buick. He followed Bernie outside on July 28,
1948…STOPPED and said. “Bernie I forgot
my cigarettes” and went back inside the Parkway DIVE…That’s when Bernie got
shot…personally I always thought he was somehow connected with the killing…but
that was just my theory.
THE CROOKED
POLITICIANS
What I am about to tell you is probably the most
disrespectable thing ever done to a group of men that were are Aldermen…we are talking
during WW11. Now when you read that
Peoria was Crooked, the politicians were on the take and the mayor was a crook let
me tell you who they were talking about.
Remember the town was full of gangsters, and the politicians were in
their pockets. That is the kind of reputation you gangster fans have
bought over the years and it is despicable behavior. You have confused gambling with being a
gangster’s Activity…that is your basic
problem.
MAYOR EDWARD
NELSON WOODRUFF. Mayor 11 times. So he is a crook, my dad and Roger’s dad and
decent honest folks elected him 11 times…are you telling us that our fathers
wanted a crook as our Mayor?
Members of the City Council…called ALDERMEN
AT THAT TIME We had ten wards…These
men ran for office, debated their opponents and were exposed every Tuesday
night at the Council meetings. The
record was kept and if you really took the time like I did
to read what was said perhaps you would see the real situation…but I
doubt it. You believe in gangsters and
all that myth making because you loved your father, grandfather and Uncles, and
believe me they like mine were story tellers…If it weren’t so cruel to
these men it would be funny.
Now here is the list…I’ll give you the last names
only:
They began their terms on May 8, 1941 TWO YEARS TERMS AND THEN OTHERS WERE
ELECTED….THE POINT IS THESE ARE THE NAMES DURING WW11 AND THESE ARE THE HONORABLE MEN THAT PEOPLE
REFER TO WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT Mayor
Edward N. Woodruff and all the Alderman being on the take and in the pocket of
the local Gamblers and Saloon owners in Peoria, Illinois Absolutely ridiculous and Libelous to boot. Of course this all started
during Prohibition and the 1930’s…but remember according to the gangster fans
in Peoria all these men were crooked in one way or the other. Perhaps some of you older guys recognize some
of these names; Honorable men…business
men…with long records of success and service to Peoria , Il
Ralph Van
Norman…Milo Nelson…Arthur Connors…Earl Greer…
Cloyd Johnson…Walter Grant…Edward Hulsman…H.W.
Stein…Bill Buchanan…William B. Fitton…Jim Manning…Jon Mittleman…Bill Gavin…Edward Hanlon…George
Saurs…Grover Calahan…
Bill Kumpf…Bill Biggs…Albert Schuh We had ten Wards and these leaders
and business men of our city stepped forward to represent the citizens in their
Ward…and fool that talk about Gangsters, Corruption and payoff are talking
about these honorable men. It is not
only libelous talk, but absolutely cruel.
During that four year period Peoria
ADAMS….BOSWELL…GAUSS…HILL…LaROCCA…Zack Monroe
MONTGOMERY…
SCHRIVER
Some of these men, including Roger’s father came on
the council in early 1945. Remember
Gambling Stopped in Peoria on September 6, 1946. So the gambling and gangster era was still going on…
LaROCCA
MANNING MONROE ( Roger’s father)
Zack
Monroe and Ralph Van Norman served together on the City
Council 1945-1951 Zack served 1945-1953
Van Norman 1937-1951.
I know most of those names…to say Peoria was a
crooked-gangster infested town is to LIABLE
and SLANDER these reputable members of the Council as well as Mayor
Woodruff…It is despicable.
CARL SHELTON:
Brother of Bernie…he is rarely talked about…WHY…Hell, he was the one
that headed up Shelton Amusement
Company…He was the so-called brains behind
what somne writers called the ‘Bloodiest Gang in Illinois’s History…so
why was he over looked. It is because
BERNIE loved the idea of being a feared gangster and it was HE that paraded
around town…Not carl.
He killed on a rural road with his car…he was
absolutely devastated over that and was totally absolved from blame.
He name was
Christine Warner and that happened in 1944.
JOHN KELLY: A
distant relative on my father’s side. Now here is a guy that would have loved
being called a gangster. He belonged in
a penitentiary…where he was a couple of times and in our jail numerous
times. He was among the very top
arrested creeps in our history. He was with Bernie Shelton in May of 1948 when
they pistol whipped an ex marine named Murphy.
He was arrested and he and Bernie were charged with 7 Felonies. Since hey were both X-Cons they expected to
be put back in prison. After Bernie died
I lost track of the felonies that were pending against John Kelly. Throughout his life he was just a
petty-police character and a gangster wanna bee.
CARL TRIEBEL:
Nice man…had a lumber company and was our Mayor AFTER Woodruff, taking
over in May of 1945. How he got that
great reputation as being a REFORMER is
just another bit of proof how all the Myth maker’s twist history. He came in Office in may and quickly stopped
taking the ‘Funny Money’ BUT he allowed gambling until 9-3-46. The first year his administration was $73,000
in the red. He allowed gambling but did
not take the ‘Funny money’ which was the so-called Sin Tax that we got from
gambling owners. Most people who were in
the know thought he was stupid. He
stopped gambling, and believe me it cost a lot of jobs and of course a major
loss to downtown Peoria…Funny…if the
People of Peoria wanted a so-called Reformer Why did he lose his bid for
Re-Election…I know why maybe you can
figure it out.
TED LINK: Since I learn to hate this jerk…a reporter
from The St. Louis Dispatch, I would have loved to label him a gangster…truth
is he did more personally to destroy Peoria’s reputation and label us a
gangster town than any other Newspaper reporter. He was in on terrifying Petrokas…in that
Pere Marquette
JACK ASHLEY ….
ANOTHER Bernie Shelton Side-kick no
difference than the rest of Shelton
buck. But a
gangster…quit trying to up grade their petty status in Peoria.
SOMOGYI, and Investigator connected with some kind of
Law enforcement agency and often on his own.
He was heavily involved with TED LINK…have to assume Link paid him. He was with Link when they took Petrokas to
the hotel. He was indicted along with a
sheriff, and 9 other people. NONE of
these cases were ever pressed or tried here in Peoria. By 1950 it was all forgotten about as far as
our new SA was concerned.
RAY HULL: Here was a devoted State’s Attorney…hated
along party lines and admired the same way.
In 1948 he was accused of taking a
$25,000.00 bribe from Bernie to get rid of the felons
charged against John Kelly and Bernie Shelton.
Some flimsy recording ‘proved’ it.
What a joke I read every word of that transcribed recording and it was
not even evident know matter whose side you were on. The ‘rigged’ grand jury went ahead and
indicted our state’s attorney, Ray
Hull…along with 4 other people including our county sheriff. Of course the SA had his own rigged grand
jury and indicted 5 other people including Ted Link. It was all a big Hoax and a ‘I’ll get even
with you scam.” NONE of these cases ever
got into the court house.
Charles
Blackie Harris…numerous arrests
and in 1948 he was arrested for Theft. I
thought that HE was the man that killed Bernie Shelton and maybe Carl Shelton. Just a guess.
LIST OF S0ME OF THE GAMBLING AND
NOTORIOUS SALOONS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.
Some of them were hot spots, which including serious gambling and a lot
of women…if you get my meaning?
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