On this date in 1935, newspaperman Walter Liggett was murdered in an alley behind his home in Minneapolis. Liggett, editor and founder of a weekly newspaper called The Midwest American, published stories that exposed the links between government officials and organized crime. Liggett persisted, even after multiple warnings that included an assault and a trumped-up prosecution for a rape that never happened. On December 9th, Liggett’s enemies took action to silence him once and for all: they shot and killed him as he returned home from a shopping trip that evening. Liggett’s wife and 10 year old daughter witnessed the shooting. Mob boss Isadore “Kid Cann” Blumenfeld and one of his associates were identified as the shooters, but a (possibly intentionally) sloppy prosecution prevented their conviction.
Further reading:
“Hunt Gang in Slaying of Crusading Editor” – Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 10, 1935
Stopping The Presses: The Murder Of Walter W. Liggett, by Marda Liggett Woodbury
Wikipedia – Walter Liggett
Wikipedia – Kid Cann
Nobody Move! 
John D.:
A damn shame that those who print the truth get the short end of a very crappy stick.
And, it would appear that the prosecutor’s office WAS in someone’s back pocket (just mu opinion).
Corruption seemed to rule too many days back then.
Good story and links.
Stay safe out there.
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I guess that’s why they call assassination the ultimate form of censorship.
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