New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-09
CLOSING IN ON SHARKS.
OPPRESSIVE NARSHlLS LIKE
LY TO BE DISMISSED.
MORE INSTANCES OF RAILROADING IN
NorFNT MEN To PRISON-JJ STlCE
RoESCH PRAISES THE
TRIBUNE.

lhItHl-Nfs
, -r-iL,,,e rar,or-er YESTERDAY gathered batch
IF evidence which shows that many city mar
shsis. into whose methods The Tribune has for
several DAYS conducted a searching inTestlsa-
ton. are guilty OF more oppressive acts than
was ~ first suspected. L was learned that they
have made practice Of aiding in the incarcera-
ton If hundreds Of innocent foreigners. THESE
foreigners had come 20 this country TO secure
freedom IF person and property: they were
1riclzed by falsers in private life and by allied
triclssrers and agents in the very machinery
Of civic government to which they had looked
for protection. These statements have been
proved to the satisfaction of conservative men.
and preliminary reformatory steps have already
been taken. Mayor Low, the Legal Aid Society
and Sheriff O'Brien have expressed satisfaction
at The Trfbune's disclosures and are ready TO
rout out Of office the offenders who have so nota-
bly, failed in their civic duty.
More facts about the despica ble meanness of
East Side ''sharks'-noney lenders Who have
preyed on the poor about thern-were gathered.
and in many Of the cases collision between
these lawbreakers and the city marshals was
traced.
THE 1NSTALMENT GAME
AS has already been reported in The Tribune.
most Of the svindlers work the ''instalInent
game" They prey on poor men. charging them
with making instalment contracts and rushing
them off 10 prison without serving them with
sunmonses or giving them an opportunity TO ap-
pear in court to defend themselves
The case of Giuseppe Siano. whom Charles
Iuduin an instalment man. sued for s. a..
Is an instance of their work. In this case
there was fictitious charge successfully de-
Tended by John Palmieri a lawyer who has an
office in the Pulitzer Building, and who told OF
the case yesterday. Counsel for Ludwin the
plaintiff met the poor Italian shortly after the
suit was brought and informed him that Justice
Bottle in the Second District Court, had dis
missed the action because plaintiffs counsel had
failed 10 return the original summons. a few
days later a city marshal routed Siano out OF
bed and hurried him TO Ludlow Street Jail. He
was told that the case had been placed on the
calendar. and that Judgment had been given
against him by default In his opinion in which
he awarded 2 verdict in favor of Siano. Justice
Roesch sitting in the Fourth District Municipal
court, SAID
The action of the plaintiff in placing the case
on the calendar and procuring the judgment
under these circumstances. was fraud on the
court II appears that the defendant was sub
seQuenty arrested on Friday though nothing
was done in the intervening days since the rem,
dition Of the judgment. The defendant would
have been kept in Jail over the following Satur-
day Sunday and Monday Labor Day.. during
which time could have obtained no redress.
ROEsCHs OPINION AFFIRMED
TIE plaintiff appealing the case. Justice
Roesch's opinion was later affirmed in the APP
pellate Division of the Supreme Court This
example is cited because it shows the audacity
Of the men who carry on their conspiracy in
open court Not often. however. does the victim
Of trumped UP charges have an opportunity to
defend himself in courtroom, as happened
early in the proceedings of the case mentioned.
Here is a story of another Italian who was
falsely imprisoned because he would not pay the
price demanded by those who bounded him
CITY Marshal William H. Lee according TO Mr.
Palnieri counsel for the plaintiff. was one Of
the offenders in this instance Pasquale Bibora
sued Israel Wfnograd and Louis Sumner for
$1,000 damages for false Imprisonment. Thu
poor italian received award of 500 as dam
ages ana costs. hut, is usually the case, the
judgment was returned unsatisfed.
Ribona lives at No. 3 42S Park-ave. Last De
cernber an agent Of winograd and Sumer called
on Bihona and asked him where his godfather
was. alleging that the latter had not paid for
jewelry bought from him on instruments. BIZ
bona refused 10 pay the agent for the jewelry
alleged to have been purchased by his god
father Then The agent brought suit against
Bbona. saying that he mot the godfather) had
bought watch trial. and had signed install
ment papers acknowledging his indebted
ness. The agent got snap judgment on the
italian. Marshal Lee arrested him. and four
days passed before Judge Worcester. of the
Municipal Court. released Bibona from jail
Meanwhile somebody wrote a telegraph to BIZ
bona's wife. forging Bibona's signature The
message asked for $50 -. with which TO effect
the Italians release. The blackrnailers were so
sure Of their money that they addressed the
telegram Dear Tincenzia." The woman's real
name was Julia When the wife pleaded with
the money lenders they svvore they would keep
the husband in Jail until she brought them the
judgment money. il is alleged. Nr. Palmieri.
Mrs Bibonas counsel, obtained the prisoners
release.
MANY RAILROADED TO PRISON.
When Bibona reached open air he said he had
talked with scores Of instalment debtors who
had been rushed to prison on trumped-up
charges Body executions had been secured
against them under the contracts which il was
alleged they had signed
Justice George F. Roesch said yesterday that
he knew positively that many city marshals had
sone enough dishonest work 10 justify their i'm
mediate expulsion from office. Still, he insisted
that not all city marshals were bad
The Mayor is occupied with many more i'm
portent problems he said, and probably
would have difficulty In finding time to attend
TO these cases These men come into my
court shaking roll Of i'll gotten wealth in my
face. but ] can do nothing l have authority
over those connected with my court City
shalS should be appointed bv the Judges who