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

Monday, September 27, 2010

Room to let

Fred Kautz heard a loud noise coming from the rooming house next door (Paper thin walls you know) at 6:20 pm on this date back in 1922 so, being a good neighbor, he went next door and told Joe Epst the rooming house keeper.

Epst went up stairs and opened the door to the room in question and there found two bodies on the floor. One belonging to burglar and Sing Sing alumnus Benny “Big Nose Mannie” Rosner and a twenty-two year old sweety named Lillian Schmidt known as “the Polish Queen”. Both had been shot through the head. The fact that a bureau had been over turned (the noise Kautz heard) and some clothes and other articles had been tossed about the room lead police to believe there was a struggle before the murders.

Oddly, though the over turning of the bureau was heard no shots were. The pistol probably had a silencer. Word went out to pick up a John Farone who was renting the room. (they didn’t find him though they found a box of shells in one of his coats) As to why the murders took place. I’m open to suggestions…

3 comments:

Alana said...

not much has changed, the walls are still paper thin. Maybe they was blasting Sheik of Araby on the phonograph and someone snapped.

Helen Ginger said...

No idea, whatsoever. Maybe Lillian got tired of Benny sticking his "big nose" in her business and they got into a fight, knocking over the bureau. Then Kautz shot them both, using a pillow to silence his gun.

Patrick Downey said...

I like both scenarios. Kautz as the killer is a good twist. Pillow as a silencer is also a good touch.