John Looney was one of the most colorful crime figures of western Illinois in the early 20th Century. In the new movie, ''Road to Perdition,'' starring Paul Newman and Tom Hanks -- the Newman character, ''Rooney,'' is patterned after Looney and the Hanks character, ''O'Sullivan,'' is completely fictional. The film is loosely based on the exploits of the Rock Island gangster with the time frame shifted up slightly to the 1930s. The setting of the movie is left vague, but one of the most dramatic actual historical events in Looney's life, the end of his career in crime, took place in Galesburg in 1925. That was when he went on trial for murder in the Knox County Court House.
Looney had previously had an encounter with the citizens of Galesburg. In 1912, men of Galesburg's Company C were among the militiamen who went to Rock Island to help put down a riot in which Looney supporters clashed with police. Looney was a lawyer and newspaper publisher as well as an underworld kingpin, and his Rock Island News had attacked Mayor Harry Schriver. (For some reason the mayor objected to such headlines as: ''Schriver's Shame: Night and Day in Peoria in Filthy Debauch with Ethel.'')
Looney was arrested; his newspaper was closed down and he was personally beaten up by the mayor in the police station. A riot, perhaps caused by Looney's followers, ensued, with two people killed and a dozen wounded before the Illinois governor called out the militia. The beleaguered Looney left town for his New Mexico ranch, where he stayed for the next nine years.
With Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties, however, the old publisher-gangster returned to his former stomping grounds and once again became a central figure in the Tri-Cities underworld of gambling, prostitution and, now, illegal liquor sales. Things began to turn against him, however. The Rock Island Argus carried out a long campaign against him. Looney, in turn, often attacked the Argus in his own newspaper, once with a headline ''Managing Editor of the Argus Paroled From The Crazy House At Watertown.''
Looney's son, Connor, was killed in a 1922 gang war shoot-out in Rock Island's Market Square and, soon after, Looney was indicted for auto theft and the murder of saloon-keeper Bill Gabel. The murdered man had been the proprietor of a ''soft drink bar'' which also sold illegal liquor. Responding to heat from federal law enforcement agencies, Gabel had furnished canceled checks showing the protection money paid to Looney and had apparently been gunned down in front of his saloon by Looney henchmen for that breach.
Looney again left town but was found in New Mexico in 1924 and brought back to Illinois. In July of 1925 he was convicted of conspiracy for his underworld activities. That trial was in Rock Island but for his murder trial Looney requested a change of venue and this trial was held in the Knox County Court House in Galesburg. (Ironically, his nemesis Mayor Shriver, had been convicted of vice protection conspiracy in 1923, along with the Rock Island police chief.)
It was big news when John Looney went on trial in Galesburg on Monday, November 23, 1925 for the murder of William Gabel. Galesburg's Evening Mail had headlines about the trial from the time it began until its close exactly a month later, and events of the trial were described in exhaustive detail, sometimes accompanied by the relatively new photographic illustrations. (Complete newspapers of the time are available on microfilm at the Galesburg Public Library).
Leading citizens of Rock Island had collected a fund of $75,000 to finance the prosecution of Looney and the prosecution team was formidable. Its leader was James J. Barbour, 56, a Republican State Senator from Chicago. Barbour, the son of a Baptist minister, was an experienced lawyer who had assisted in the Rock Island conspiracy trial. Also on the team were State's Attorney R.C. Rice of Galesburg and two other men. The defense team was also heavyweight, including O. O. Askren from New Mexico and R. D. Robinson of Galesburg, as well as two other lawyers from Peoria. The judge was Willis F. Graham of Monmouth.
A picture of Looney in the Evening Mail of November 21st shows a man with a definite ''deer-in the-headlights'' look, and that apprehension was justified, as it turned out. Over the next month a parade of former Looney associates -- from former Rock Island News editor Cy Hazlett to former partner Helen Van Dale (who with Looney was said to have controlled most houses of prostitution in the Tri-Cities area) to the driver of Looney's car -- all gave testimony that implicated Looney in the murder of Gabel.
The defendant, himself also a lawyer, vigorously protested his innocence. The diminutive Looney (five-foot-eight, 130 pounds) was the son of Irish immigrants at a time when Irish-Americans were the target of vicious stereotyping and discrimination, and he had once written and played the lead role in a play about the Irish nationalist and martyr Robert Emmet. He always seemed to see himself as a battler in the fight against the wealthy and powerful.
The prosecution team, however, emphasized to the jury that ''vice king'' Looney should be found guilty, even if he was not the trigger-man, if the gunmen were acting as part of a Looney-approved plan. The whole case was portrayed as a campaign to rid the area of vice and corruption that was undermining the morals of the citizens.
The prosecution prevailed, and a banner Evening Mail headline on Wednesday, December 23rd proclaimed ''LOONEY FOUND GUILTY'' and added that the defendant had been sentenced to 14 years in the penitentiary. It had not been automatic, however. It took the jury six ballots before they finally arrived at the necessary unanimity. The front page article printed the totals of votes on each ballot, almost like sports contest results, starting with 7 guilty and 5 not guilty, through the last unanimous vote. The vote on the penalty went a little quicker -- on the third ballot. (No one, on any of the three ballots, had voted for the death penalty.)
The newspaper also printed pictures of the lawyers, judge, bailiffs, many of the witnesses, the crime scene and the jurors, who were identified as: Clarence Jones, John W. Hobbs, Arthur A. Anderson, E.J. McIntyre, Joseph M. Baxter, C.V. Matson, W.E. Coffman, W.H. Craig, Vern Holmes, Arthur Myrick, E.D. Markham, and Harold Cline.
Prosecutor Barbour had said that Looney's punishment should be death, either on the gallows or by dying in prison, but Looney only served about nine years of his sentence. He had always been subject to health problems and after a time in the Joliet and Stateville prisons, he convinced the state that, considering his suffering from tuberculosis, he should be set free. He survived for quite a few years more, however, eventually dying in a sanitorium in Texas in 1947 at the age of 80. As far as we know, he never returned to Galesburg.
The citizens of Galesburg had probably been transfixed by the trial, if the intensity of newspaper coverage is any indication, but they were also apparently upset with some of the out-of-town press coverage once the trial was over. A Chicago newspaper, The Herald Examiner, in an article about the trial outcome, referred to Looney in a headline as ''Galesburg Vice King.'' There were a number of calls of complaint to the Evening Mail, and Galesburg Mayor E. W. Mureen telegraphed the offending Chicago newspaper to protest this slight on the city's reputation.
Looney has always had great interest for western Illinois historians. Quad-Citian Rich Hamer, who has researched the gangster's life, is writing a book on Looney that may be published in the fall. Looney's large stone mansion can still be seen at 1635 20th Street in Rock Island.
Looney's image has been somewhat paradoxical. By some, he was viewed as a sort of folk hero, an Irish-American rebel and entrepreneur who battled the establishment. On the other hand, he has been seen as a virtual embodiment of evil, a gangster who epitomized moral corruption. The movie ''Road to Perdition,'' based on a graphic novel by Muscatine, Iowa author Max Allan Collins, apparently follows mainly the latter ''myth.'' The real John Looney, though undoubtedly a rascal of the first order, may have been a bit more complex and remains a fascinating western Illinois character.
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
John Patrick Looney was a gangster in the town of Rock Island, Illinois, USA during prohibition. Looney appeared to be a successful citizen practicing law and running a newspaper in Rock Island. However, in reality he was a bootlegger, extortionist, and all around criminal.
Background
John Looney, son of an Irish immigrant family was born in 1865 in Ottawa, Canada. On his own he studied law and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1889. He practiced law (although not very successfully) with his partner Frank H. Kelly and had his first real brush with the law in 1897 when he and his partner were indicted for fraud over construction of a storm drain. They were indicted for conspiracy to defraud the city by using inferior materials. Eventually of the next decade all convictions were overturned on appeal.
Looney ventured into politics holding a promient position in the Democratic Party. He later went on to run (and lose) for the Illinois State Legislature. He attributed his loss to the Rock Island Argus, which wrote many negative opinion articles on him. Looney then founded the Rock Island News and his life of crime began about this time.
The Rock Island News
The Rock Island News served as a retort to the Rock Island Argus, which had published many negative articles on John Looney during his indictment. His two brothers came to Rock Island from Ottawa and helped him run the paper. He felt that the Rock Island Argus opinion articles had unfairly characterized him. Although the articles would bring to light important issues, they would often distort the truth.
Looney sold the Rock Island News in 1908 to W.W. Wilmerton, however he did not wish to relinquish the control of the paper. The night after he sold the paper a bomb exploded in the building. Although Looney did not own the paper, he did still own the building. Looney refused a $7,000 insurance settlement and in response, the insurance company canceled his policy. However, the day before the insurance was canceled, a fire broke out within the building and did $75,000 worth of damage. As could be expected, Looney was accused of setting the fire. After the fire Looney again began publishing his paper, this time from his home.
Crime
Other than publishing innaccurate news stories, Looney had a hand in prostitution, gambling, and extortion. Gambling and prostitution took place in the basement of the building which housed his paper, the Rock Island News. He had also been accused of extortion and/or blackmail of common citizens. He would have one of his prostitutes walk up to a man and throw her arms around him, and once she did he would snap a photograph of him. He would then threaten to publish the photograph in the Rock Island News unless a cash payment was provided.
Looney was the victim of several assanation attempts during his life, one time partaking in a gun fight with W.W. Wilmerton, the man who he had sold his newspaper too. The gun fight with Wilmerton occurred on February 22, 1909 in which seven shots were fired, one bullet wounding Mr. Looney.
Riots
In March of 1912, one of John Looney's lieutenants, Anthony Billburg, was arrested for extortion. According to accounts Looney asked the Mayor of Rock Island, Harry M. Schriver to not prosecute Mr. Billburg. After the Mayor refused, Looney published an article on the front page of his paper accusing the Mayor of having an affair in Peoria, Illinois. The mayor had Looney arrested and closed down the Rock Island News in retaliation on March 22. According to the Rock Island Argus the Mayor beat John Looney at the police station and extracted an apology.
Four days later a large crowd gathered in Market Square and was stirred and agitated by associates of Looney and opponents of Mayor Schriver. The crowd was angry that Mr. Looney was beaten and having the Rock Island News shut down. The crowd went on to storm the police station. Attempts by the police to quell the mob resulted in the death of two rioters.
The riots prompted Governor Charles Deneen to delcare martial law in Rock Island and order the National Guard to the city. Throughout the night there were minor disturbances which were resolved when the National Guard troops made an appearance. After the riots, raids were carried out on prostitution houses, all public gatherings were banned, and all saloons were closed. After the riots Looney left Rock Island to go to a ranch in New Mexico, and would stay there until 1921.
Homecoming
In 1921 Looney returned to Rock Island and regained control of his paper. With prohibition now the law, his former foes were now his friends. He had control of approximately 150 gambling dens and brothels. He extorted protection from local business and bribed police officers and local politicians.
Downfall
In 1922 before a national Grotto convention, Looney's thugs provided (sold) protection for law violators. Prohibition agents, following up on raids made during the convention met with William Gabel, who provided them with canceled checks endorsed by John Looney. Mr. Gabel was subsequently murdered on July 31, 1922 which prompted a gang war in which 12 people were murdered. Through editorials the Rock Island Argus labasted the community for having allowed gangsters to gain control of Rock Island. In return, Looney's paper published articles implicating the Argus in the murder of Gabel.
The gang war ended on October 6, 1922 when Looney and his son Connor were talking in their car in Market Square. Two vehicles pulled up behind them and opened fire. John Looney ran to the nearby Sherman Hotel and returned fire. Being shot multiple times, Connor Looney was killed.
On October 26, 1922 all stills (capable of making 300 gal/day), speakeasies, and brothels under Mr. Looney's control were closed down, and Looney's house was raided for weapons. Mayor Schriver and the former police chief were convicted of vice protection conspiracy. Looney was indicted for the murder of William Gabel and autotheft, however he had fled to Ottawa where he hid out with relatives for some time before fleeing to New Mexico.
John Looney was apprehended in New Mexico in November of 1924. He was convicted in 1925 of "conspiracy to protect gambling, prostitution and illicit liquor traffic in Rock Island", in large part to his former right hand man being a prosectution witness. Looney was later charged and convicted of the murder of Willam Gabel and prosecuted in Galesburg. The prosectution in the Gabel murder had many witnesses and by all accounts did a terrific job. Looney was sentenced to 14 years, serving 8 1/2 in prison for the murder. Looney died in 1947 in New Mexico in a TB sanatarium.
Looney would later be portrayed by Paul Newman as John Rooney in Sam Mendes's Road to Perdition.
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
