ount ed ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁Fight ing ▁the ▁Under world . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Philip ▁Van ▁C ise ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Dead wood , ▁South ▁Dak ota ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁Den ver ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 6 . ▁He ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Colorado ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁and ▁received ▁his ▁law ▁degree ▁two ▁years ▁later . ▁From ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Colorado ▁National ▁Guard , ▁where ▁he ▁att ained ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁captain . ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁intelligence ▁officer ▁in ▁France ▁and ▁remained ▁in ▁the ▁Officer ▁Reserve ▁Corps ▁as ▁a ▁Lieutenant ▁colon el ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁ ▁District ▁att orney ▁Van ▁C ise ▁took ▁advantage ▁of ▁a ▁split ▁in ▁the ▁Den ver ' s ▁Republican ▁Party ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁Republican ▁primary ▁and ▁the ▁office ▁of ▁district ▁att orney ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 1 . ▁He ▁immediately ▁set ▁out ▁to ▁clean ▁up ▁the ▁con ▁men ▁who ▁pre yed ▁on ▁Colorado ' s ▁summer ▁tour ist ▁trade . ▁The ▁gang ▁was ▁well ▁connected ▁with ▁polit icians ▁at ▁all ▁levels , ▁but ▁had ▁no ▁control ▁over ▁Van ▁C ise , ▁who ▁was ▁not ▁beh old en ▁to ▁the ▁political ▁power ▁structure . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁Van ▁C ise ▁received ▁little ▁backing ▁in ▁his ▁effort ▁from ▁either ▁the ▁mayor , ▁De we y ▁C . ▁Ba iley , ▁or ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁officials ,