Queen of the Underworld The Remarkable Story of Chicago May, an International Criminal Whose Exploits Made Police History, as Retold by R. M. Fox in the “Gardia Review”. JNE OF THE most notorious figures in he criminal world was Chicago May, vho died in a Philadelphia hospital about ighteen years ago. She had a record in \merica and in France, but she would ever have become world famous except or the case which linked her with Eddie juerin, whose sensational escape from Jevil’s Island, the French penal settle- nent, was recalled by Chicago May’s own rime. Both Guerin and Chicago May started heir criminal careers in Chicago, the gun- nan’s city. Yet Chicago May claimed to e an Irishwoman in the story of her life, vyhich she wrote after her gaol sentence. \nd when she was in Aylesbury prison he met the Countess Markievicz, serv- ng a sentence for her part in the 1916 ‘ising. Her real name is said to be May thurchill, but she had many aliases. When he first met Guerin in London in 1901, he was known as May Latimer. In her book she says they met at a nief’s funeral. Both were prosperous nembers of the profession and they opined forces, living together for some ionths. Then they went to Paris where ney concocted a plan for robbing the ffices of the American Exchange Com- any. With the assistance of another ian they tied up the caretaker and tried ) blow up the safe with dynamite. Some- ling went wrong with the plan and they ere arrested. At their trial in the French ourts, Chicago May was given five years nd Guerin received a life sentence on evil’s Island. After serving some years, Guerin es- 1ped and made his way to America. By us time Chicago May had finished her tence. She was out and living with nother man. Guerin came back to Eng- nd and met her again. The other man 1ought it prudent to disappear and the vo were together once more. But after few months they began quarrelling and - Aix-la-Chapelle they parted in anger. gain they met in London and Chicago lay seems to have decided that she could ackmail him and demand his protection ‘ the price for not handing him back to ie French police. Guerin must have known that he was “aling with a dangerous woman. In New ork, she had been charged in six cases ' grand larceny. She was involved in urteen other cases in New York and etroit, the charges varying from simple sorderly conduct to robbery under arms. ut he decided to be quit of her. Shortly ‘ter he reached this decision he was IGHTEENTH EDITION arrested on the information that he was an escaped prisoner from Devil’s Island. Extradition proceedings were begun and he was kept in Brixton Gaol for thirteen months while all the facts about his American record were investigated. GREAT Britain REFUSES EXTRADITION Finally it was decided that he should not be handed over to the French police and he was set free in London. This was bad news for Chicago May, who feared that Guerin might execute some reprisal on her for the attempt to send him back to Devil’s Island. She spoke of her fears to another gentleman friend she had ac- quired, a Mr. Charles Smith, described as a tinsmith, aged 25. Mr. Smith was an American who went to South Africa during the Boer War but was expelled from Cape Town in: 1907. He came to London and soon found himself in Brix- ton prison where he met Guerin. At first, Smith sympathized with Guerin over his treatment at the hands of Chicago May. But when he was released he joined her and became a fierce partisan against Guerin. One evening Guerin and a lady com- panion were seen at the Hotel Provence in Leicester Square. That evening Chi- cago May and Smith visited the same hotel and heard that Guerin had just left. May told her champion that she was afraid Guerin would throw vitriol over her. The two followed Guerin in a cab. Smith had a loaded revolver and May an ugly knife. They caught up with him near Russell Square tube station, for he was walking. Chicago May signalled the cab to stop and they both jumped out. Smith began blazing away in best Chicago gunman style. He fired six shots but only suc- ceeded in wounding Guerin in the foot. The police came dashing to the spot when the shots were fired and, after a futile attempt at resistance, Smith was arrested. While all this went on, Chicago May was hiding in a doorway but Guerin had seen her and limped to her hiding place. “When you could not send me back to Devil's Island you try to murder me,” he said. “Ves,” she answered bitterly, “and I am sorry that we did not succeed!” THIEF AND BLACKMAILER The plot would have succeeded if she had only picked a man who was a better shot. As it was, they were both arrested and stood trial for attempted murder. The story of the Devil’s Island escape and Chicago May’s notorious career drew much attention to the trial. In London she was known as a woman who com- promised and blackmailed men, driving some of them to suicide by her demands. She had travelled much on luxury liners, staying in South America, in Paris or New York. At the trial she pleaded that she was in fear of her life from Guerin and an attempt was made to show that he had started the shooting. But the facts did not bear this out. Smith—the foolish young man who took up her quarrel— received a life sentence for his part in the attempted murder. She was sentenced to fifteen years. While Smith broke into a volley of curses when Mr. Justice Darling pronounced the sentence, Chicago May only smiled. She served a little over ten years in Aylesbury and was then deported to America where for some years she re- mained a problem for the police. Smith served fifteen years and was finally re- leased—she says in her book—after the intercession of Lady Astor. Not long before her death it was announced that Chicago May was to marry Charles Smith who had received the life sentence for his blundering intervention in this crooks’ quarrel. Telephone 97 M. C. CASH GROCERY M. RAHAL Fernie’s Better Food Shoppe FERNIE, B.C. TRINITY AUTO SERVICE J. A. Cameron Dodge and De Soto Sales and Service Goodrich Tires Firestone Dealer Texaco Products PHONE 199 FERNIE, B.C. ROYAL HOTEL Fred Zelonka, Proprietor Rooms With Running Hot and Cold Water Licensed Premises e Dining Room in Connection FERNIE, B. C. Page Seventy-one