New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-05

~,ou APPLICANTS FOR NATURALIZA-
TION ARE TREATED.
.,scp Ac1zruL SCENES IN THE FEDERAL BUILD
,SG-1NsULTs. BLOWS AND BRIBE-TAKING-
A WITNESS ASSAULTED WITHOUT
PROvOCATION.


A WITNESS ASSAULTED WITHOUT
PRovoCATIoN.
rornlaints have been heard in the last few
sovs from various sources of the rough and dis
eurteous treatment to which applicants for
.o,uralization papers have been subjected by
che deputy -marshals employed to Keep the
as g., order in the corridor of the Federal
hrud,nc Yesterday. with a view TO ascertain
~. truth or the falsty of these reports. a Trb-
rne reporter visited the Naturalization Bureau
and the scenes that were witnessed by nm
.resced TO demonstrate that the complaints Of
brutality and bullying on the part of some OF
the deputy-marshals were we'll founded.
FLOW OF VILE LANGUAGE.
Those attendants, who from their appearance,
.aemed TO have been specially selected for the
,,ort because Of their animal strength, ala not
hesitate Yesterday TO use their fists upon the
.,,chtest nroyocation. while the language that
roured from their lips in continuous stream
,o,,d have disgraced the lowest tough" to be
,ound in the worst haunts of the city. The
wealth Of invective that some of these men had
-. chair command Was stunning and ir-
;s,,hla IN It's effects that the average man.
,a,,iny once run a tilt against it, was thereafter
,too,ua1lv cowed and never risked second
tnstalment.
Yesterday was the last day for the hearing Of
.,nlications for citizenship, and during the day
,ha corridor on the third floor was filled with
scnoe 700 or 500 persons. coming from nearly
oil the nations Of the earth. To keep such
motley crowd in line was undoubtedly for the
,narshals task Of easy character, but
nevertheless the throng orderly and
obedient and for the most part its members had
IN them the making of creditabe citizens In no
single instance where onslaughts were made on
these people by the men from the United States
Marshals office the assault provoked or
3ustihabe.
TYPICAL CASE OF ASSAULT.
One aggravated case of brutal treatment which
The reporter witnessed was fairly representa-
tive Of many others that occurred. A man
named NJ. Goldsmith. living at No 1ol Clinton
st.. was standing with his witness. Frank Gers
ten notary. of No. ia Clinton-st.. in about the
middle Of the line that led to the entrance OF the
clerks office. Suddenly for no reason that was
perceptible n burly deputy marshal halted in
front of the pair, and ordered them to the end
of the line Gersten quietly objected and
pointed out that he and his friend had been in
the building since o'clock In the morning. and
that they had fairly earned the place they held.
Without more ado. the marshal. whose name it
was afterward learned with difficulty was
Maurice Wilkinson. pulled Gers.en out Of the
line, and on the latter's resenting. Wilkinson
forcibly dragged his victim. who was less than
half his own weight TO the head of the stairs
The elevator HAP pening TO reach the floor al
that moment. Gersten with final push, was
thrown headlong inside This performance on
Wilknson's part was watched approvngiy by
of his colleagues. who alternately urged
him TO Throw him down the elevator smart
and kick of him.
--Gersten afterward returned 10 the building by
the entrance on the south side and again took
up his position with his friend. but this time
at the end of the line. Quickly, however ne
observed and recognized by another mar
shall, who had taken part in the previous
affair Striding up TO Gersten, the marshal APP
piled disgusting epithet to him, Whcreupon
Gersten retorted: Il am nothing Of the sort.
and you are a liar if you say so" Without
further pariey the marshal raised his fist and
struck the man three heavy blows in the face.
Gersten made a rush for the Commissioners
Office to lodge a complaint. but was seized be-
fore he got there by Wilkinson who. after run
ming Gersten down the stairs. literally threw
him into the street
SYMPA rHETIC RUDENESS.
This the reporter learned was only one Of
the many similar incidents that have occurred
daily in the last week two. For downright
studied inciyity. these deputy narshalc. un-
derlings dressed in little brief authority. can
not easily be paraeleG. The alien who had the
tenelll} 10 ask question OF one OF lncln
was Invariably consigned II regions said to be
somewhat hotter than the tropics. At all
times the people whose only desire-Or offence
was 10 become citizens of this country were
addressed, cursed and pushed about though
they drove Cf hogs rather than human
beings. 1t is questionable whether any Of these
seekers for naturalization ever experienced more
arbitrary treatment from subordinate ofilcials
even under the most despotic government under
which they had previously lived.
Whenever the doors leading TO the clerks Office
..l. 90
at a time, those people in the rear instinctively
pushed forv ard. with the result that it was
sometimes found difficult to close the door
again Then the brutal instincts OF the deputies
would break loose with unbridled ferocity. Not
content with usins legitimate force to Feep the
crowd back these men would push their knees
into the stomachs OF those IN the IRON, Iahk'
and needless Of the yells of pain, would shove
away until the line was as far back as they
Wished II. In one Of these rushes, one young
fellow was thrown of his feet and was tranped
On but as he fell on the fringe of the crowd he
was soon pulled TO his feet
NO REGARD FOR AGE.
Old and young were treated alike and elderly
men with white or gray hair, whose ase. at
least should have called for consideration re-
ceived none. James Wilson, Of No POI Nassau
ave. Brooklyn. is an old man who will not read
sly forget the code of manners that holds good
with the United States Marshals officers Mr.
Wilson was present as witness for another
man, and, having temporarily left ms place III
the line, wished 10 return to II. This he was not
allowed 10 do and he therefore started In to
explain matters. The deputy marshal to whom
he spoke refused to listen. and ended by calling
Mr Wilson - sinking ioafer, and
threatening to throw him out of the building
ms same marshal, by-the-way, was the one VINO
naa struck Gersten little While DeI"re rms
man and Wilkinson were the two. most consplcu-
Gus Offenders In heaping indignities upon the per-
.ohs IN waiting Such specimens OF representa-
'ne oHiclals deserved to go on the record, anu
r,'er vanly endeayoring Ia obtain their names |
!he Tribune reporter went 10 the office or the |
,s.arshal with the same inquiry. United states |
"arsnaI John H. McCarty was absent, ana the |
ohiy satisfaction the reporter secured from the |