Upon the wistful departure of Alphonse ("Scarface Al") Capone, famed ganglander, for a winter vacation (TIME, Dec. 16),* Chicago announced itself to be convalescent from the civic disease that had made it the most notably criminal city in the U. S. Even Mayor William Hale ("Big Bill") Thompson stopped shouting about Chicago's virtues to announce that its vices were on the wane. Chief of Police Michael Hughes gave out figures to the effect that Chicago was 66% less criminal in 1927 than formerly.
While Mayor Thompson shouted and Chief Hughes compiled figures,...
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