Murder of a Journalist: The True Story of the Death of Donald Ring Mellett

11. McDermott Has the Last Word

168 · murder of a journalist· 168 · 11 McDermott Has the Last Word J ust two weeks after saranus A. Lengel’s acquittal in Lisbon, and in a surprising turn of events, Pat McDermott decided to break his public silence. For months rumors had reached Canton that Pat was telling his fellow inmates at the ohio Penitentiary his version of the slaying of Don Mellett.1 Now he was willing to go on the record. However, Pat didn’t want to talk to anyone from Canton. instead, he granted an interview to a pretty young newswoman from the Youngstown Vindicator, ella Kerber resch. Pat’s choice of resch was no accident, nor was the reporter a disinterested journalist. resch, whom Pat had met a year before, was a friend of Ben rudner’s family through his sister. some in Ben’s circle thought that he had a better chance of getting out of jail courtesy of the appeals court in youngstown, which had been so helpful to Lengel. The notion that Lengel’s acquittal would help rudner was long odds, but the family was willing to try anything. For that reason, rudner wanted Pat’s confession to break in a youngstown paper, not an unsympathetic Canton one. For her trouble, resch would have the best story of her young career when she went to Columbus.2 The interview was published in its entirety on saturday, March 10, 1928, beginning on page one of the Vindicator, which didn’t fail to take advantage of its pro- mcdermott has the last word · 169 motional value. The paper claimed that it was reporter resch who had gained McDermott’s confidence, which led to the exclusive interview.3 Like any good irish storyteller, Pat embellished his rambling and self-serving tale. Nevertheless, there was the ring of truth to much of it. He said he decided to talk because some of his fellow conspirators had done so. His silence thus far had been a matter of principle; he was keeping his word. He explained to resch that sometimes he was known by the nickname “Boston red.” However, in the Atlanta federal lockup, where he had been a barber for the “aristocratic” prisoners , including the well-heeled rudner, he was known by the generic “Butch.”4 Loafing around Cleveland’s “Little Hollywood” neighborhood in the early summer of 1926, he heard rumors of a fellow in Canton looking for a couple of tough guys to beat up someone. McDermott needed a partner for the job and by chance ran into hometown acquaintance steve Kascholk, also out of work, and suggested they check out the Canton scene. But a wary and streetwise Pat knew of no one in Canton he could trust to ask. However, he said, he did recall that former fellow Atlanta prisoner Ben rudner lived in nearby Massillon where rudner’s father had a business. so steve and Pat went to Massillon, where a helpful cabby directed them to rudner’s store. At first Ben failed to recognize Pat, who had only been a prison barber after all; but when prompted, Ben remembered him as Butch. once Pat’s bona fides as an ex-con were established, the ever-helpful rudner drove Pat to a pool hall in Canton, where he introduced Pat to Louis Mazer, Carl studer, and Max Kane. McDermott said he took an instant dislike to Kane, whom he disdainfully described as a “doper.” Next, according to Pat, Mazer drove him out to Don Mellett ’s old address on Broad Avenue and offered him $300 to beat up the editor. offer made and accepted, the two men returned to Massillon to retrieve steve and their luggage. The trip to Massillon and back was made in a black Hudson automobile, Pat remembered. Pat said he wasn’t in Canton very long before Mazer introduced him to Detective streitenberger. Mazer also suggested McDermott get rid of Kascholk, whom Mazer correctly sensed was weak and unreliable . it was Mazer’s advice to Pat that he tell steve he was going to Chicago as a hint for steve to leave Canton. Pat said that this ruse 170 · murder of a journalist figured in Kascholk’s decision to leave town as much as any moral qualms about employing violence. McDermott admitted that they found the trunk of clothes in the hotel room before steve left and stole them to sell later. Pat added what...