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

Thursday, July 23, 2020

The Avengers

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The evening of July 23, 1926 found gunman Vincent McErlane, brother of trigger happy Frank McErlane,  hanging out in the rear room of a saloon with fellow Saltis-McErlane gangster John Conlon, age 25. Another twenty people or so were drinking and carousing when two men came up to the rear door. One had a pistol the other a shotgun. McErlane saw them and dove for cover. Conlon didn't have time and caught the blasts from the shotgun throughout his body and a pistol shot through the head. 

Conlon dropped dead as the saloon's patrons all headed for the front door. The gunmen ran back to their car and took off. When the cops arrived, it was only Conlon and the bartender. Police felt that the shooting was in retaliation from Ralph Sheldon for a killing from the previous April.

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John Conlon

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