Vendome Bell Captain Reveals All

On March 26, 1920, Louis Schwimm told Special Agent Green that while employed at the Vendome Hotel, whiskey was sold to guests and others in the hotel under the direction of Mr. Steinhilber, the manager. As bell captain, he was told to be cautious about who he took liquor orders from.  All orders were taken through him personally because the bell boys were not trusted to handle this business directly. Whenever someone in the hotel placed an order for liquor, he would go to the desk and retrieve the liquor from the clerk on duty. The whiskey was kept in a safe behind the desk. The money for the whiskey was turned over to the hotel like any other receipts and not kept separate.

Schwimm also told investigators that he delivered whiskey to parties in the hotel at which parties Mayor Bosse was present. On other occasions when parties in rooms upstairs wanted whiskey in bottles, he would deliver it and collect payment.