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Hunting the Mystery Man, the press followed several likely figures, with "Boo Boo" Hoff's name always to the fore. Mr. Hoff remained smilingly nonchalant. "If they get too hot," he said, "I'm going to do a little talking. And then we'll see what happens to Philadelphia."
"Boo Boo." If District Attorney Monaghan was describing "Boo Boo" Hoff without naming him—and he was—his "giant spider" simile was harsh but not inept. "Boo Boo" is a comfortably built gentleman with charming manners. He has a generous, thoughtful disposition. His taste in dressing gowns and girl friends is catholic. He is a born promoter, especially of versatile night clubs and small-time prize fights. He has at least $1,000,000 and likes to surround himself with strong-armed young men. The young men are pugilists professionally and "Boo Boo's" boxing stable has often contained upwards of 100 likely bullies. He sends them from city to city to meet other boxers and he usually guesses or knows how each match will come out. Successful fight betting has been not the least source of the Hoff fortune. The Hoff "mob" brings him much news from far places and when the young men are not fighting he keeps them busy driving trucks and whatnot.
"Boo Boo" Hoff can sympathize with Chicago's famed Alphonse ("Scarface Al") Capone in the matter of the risk and privations a big promoter must suffer. Once "Boo Boo" felt it would be good for his health to spend weeks and weeks indoors. When the danger, whatever it was, had passed "Boo Boo" turned up again at his old haunt, a multi-roomed suite in a Philadelphia hotel. Once again the "mob" made whoopee. Once again "Boo Boo" played emperor among his rabelaisian underlings and generous host to out-of-town visitors. Visiting sport-writers among whom "Boo Boo" is universally popular, often received bottles of whiskey soon after they register at their Philadelphia hotels. There is never any explanation of these presents, but they have tended to increase the Hoff reputation for generosity. Few "regular guys" were glad to see "Boo Boo" land in hot water. On the other hand, few were surprised.
Action. The Grand Jury guarded its findings, acted with deliberation. Its first act was to have Charles C. Beckman, Captain of Detectives, suspended and ordered for trial before the Civil Service Commission.
History. Patently the integrity of Philadelphia's police has been impaired since the regime of Brigadier-General Smedley Darlington ("Gimlet Eye") Butler, Philadelphia's Director of Public Safety from 1923 to 1925. General Butler, taking time out from a rip-snorting career in the U. S. Marine Corps, so disciplined his men and so terrorized the gangsters that before he left he had made himself unpopular also with the pleasure-loving Better Element. His farewell to the city included the charge that the then Mayor, W. Freeland Kendrick, was unwilling to disturb rich prohibition violators or alleged violators, such as the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Since General Butler's departure, Philadelphia policemen have paid as high as $1,000 for the privilege of serving on the famed Butler Enforcement Unit No. 1. Such evidence reeks of bribery.