quote:

He especially focused on their alleged connections to the North Minneapolis crime family of Isadore Blumenfield. He made accusations of corruption against Minnesota Governor Floyd B. Olson and said that Olson deserved to be impeached and prosecuted.

In response, Blumenfield arranged a meeting with Liggett and allegedly offered him a bribe to stop his exposes. When Liggett refused to accept the money or stop his articles, he was severely beaten by Blumenfield and his associates. Liggett unsuccessfully attempted to press charges.

Soon after, Liggett was arrested and prosecuted on kidnapping and sodomy charges, but was acquitted after evidence of perjury by the alleged victims came to light. Ligget escalated his attacks and began printing a list of reasons for Olson's impeachment on the front page of the Midwest-American.

In response, Blumenfield associate Meyer Schuldberg telephoned Liggett and threatened him with a lawsuit for slander. Ligget responded, "Go ahead if you think I can't prove what I say!" Schuldberg allegedly responded that there were other ways to shut him up.

Soon after, on December 9, 1935. Walter Liggett was murdered by a Thompson submachine gun in a drive by shooting outside his apartment. His wife and children were in a car only inches away and witnessed his death. Weeping and saying that she would never forget his grinning face, Mrs. Liggett picked Blumenfeld out of a police lineup as her husband's killer. Three other witnesses identified Blumenfeld as the shooter, too.