I defer to Gene and others as the wealth of information and resources. I started to collect before I knew about my Grandfather's activities and have allowed my interest to be hooked by his activities and the fact that I was born in Springfield.

I know that my Grandfather's intended players were the legislature representative, that for the most part lived in the Chicago area, but had to visit thye Capital now and then.

The Corner club was but a block or two from the State Capital Building and many of the visitors stayed at the hotel. My Grandfather's protection was to be the Mayor and was the then Chief of police.

My Mother recalls that her Father specifically identified Harry Eilson as a potential Mayorial candidate and backed/financed his run. My Mother recalls a $10,000 donation to the Eilson campaign in the form of quarters! She, along with her Father and Eilson visited the area schools and passed out one quarter for every student, as part of a campaign promotion. (No, they did not do all of them, there were other workers to help.)

Anyway, my Grandfather died a week before the opening of The Corner and there was no one to fill-in. His two older boys had returned from the War and were taking advantage of the GI Bill. His youngest son was not of that spirit, and my Mother was not in a position to do anything, as she was 17 at the time.

Turns out that Eilson won the election, and since his 'backing' was dead, he was un-affiliated and owed nothing to anyone. A free spirit!

My Mother married a few years later and my Father was brought into the law enforcement clan as a Reserve Officer as a function of taking care of Tull C. Lasswell's little girl.

My parents are long divorced and my Mother moved away long ago, but my Father still has his, now retired, police officer friends.

Jim