New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-07


There are dozens of similar in the evi-
dence which will be presented to the Mayor In
almost every instance the sum Of the orisinai
debt has been increased several times Ine
great difficulty in getting satisfactory evidence
has been the ignorance of the foreigners They
are afraid of the law after one experience with
the city marshas. and can hardly be persuaded
to make affidavits. The Legal Aid Society has
proceeded with great care. and believes that 1t
has evidence which will result in breaking
two three of the marshals-
r. c. RngwaIt, the attorney in charge of the
East Side branch of the society. at No. % Riv-
ington-st, said yesterday to Tribune reporter:
I'VE are about to bring before the Mayor charges
era1ing among the poor people of this section in
connection with the instalment dealers ! am not not
whom have evidence. but IL seems TO be con-
the East Side Is about the worst any ever
got into The dealers and their agents pester these
ornaments for which they have not the least need
and 31en 40 beG 4p5 rooms snd to buy cloth
ing which is beyond their means The payments
knows he is landed in jail, Usually he hasn't the
nevsr bee9 served with summons Another meth
cd. when the defendant appears is to Keep adjourn
st men ntbr neresting trick is to call man out
Of tbs cnuTfronm for the purpose of making set
tiement and to take Judgment in his absence,
render assistance in the cases that brought to
its notice m The l tToHbs know is t6t n IL only asVe s Tce
the new administration has come into power we
satisfactorily. Through the help and very active
cooperation of Sheriff o'Brien and Under Sheriff
as soon as any one is arrested IN an instanient
usually able to get the man out the next day.
CALLS CITY MARsHALS CHIEF EVIL.
HThe difficulty is however. that this is only
exredient 1t doesn't really touch the fGnda mental
the evils of this instaIment business [ should say
i lay in the conduct Of city n,arsha5 ~ sir y Is
work out his schemes Some of these marshalz
Summons Tithort Catching glimpse Of the man
supposed to be served In lac5 tney r 90 1o a an I'm IN
case of a young fellow who was obliged 70 leave
he refused to make these false adavits Of service
Then. they resort to all sorts Of methods to fright
theiP tn power They have irregular ways handling
other business ntrsted to 2 them but i we can
great deal will have been accomplished The mat
Bi-trict Tc Ht3ornsy after Mavor low has had
chance to take action regarding it,"
Justice George F. Roesch had strong words Of
condemnati ton for the manner in which many Of the
city marshals performed their duties.
JUSTICES COMPLAINTS USELESS
THE trouble is said Justice Roesch that there
is no way the justices to whose court the city
narshaIs assfgred hold them to account
for the performance of their duties They a
body who hold aioof from all authorities. They
cannot be held for contempt OF court by the JUS
tees "a the law gives them only statutory juris-
dction If a marshal executes a Judgment. and
the Justice. after reviewing the case finds that the
action was wrong and issues an order to vacate
the Judgment. then. if the marshal has collected
the money the court cannot hold him for contempt
and imprison him They cannot do anything ex-
cept in a roundabout way, and when a suit has
been brought and a Judgment secured against the
marshal then it is necessary to sue his bondsmen-
Even then. as his bond is for only s.00o. there is
likelihood that it may have been exhausted.
The chief source of trouble the justices find
with the marshal is in the he serves sum
monses or rather does not serve them. For the
marshal is not obliged swear that he has served
a summons all he has to do is sign the back
recording the time when the summons was de-
livered. Thus he say that the summons has
been devered-sisning his name is easy thing
and frequently the court finds that the summons
has never been served at all. Then I feel that
marshaIs let their assistants or any one they can
find to help them 90 the seryihg ,ii tho ,,a-.r.r.
ssvr-ifa method of marshaIs in these cases is to
tate the Tefendant 10 the office OF the plaintiff
and while he is there, to threaten him with long
Of Imprisonment if he does not pay up In
this way the ignorant man.. usually without
counsel IS iItndiled INTO pay Unjust @ @ -
OF course the larger NUMBER OF sucn Eases are on
the East Side. and the poor are victtmized and
;'The matter OF marshaIs is one that every jus
tice feels very keenIy about They are held ac-
the marshais attached to their court perform their
asl55 Gn,fi NO d nrisdieton over arshas Al that
they can do is prefer charges and only the Mayor
sees fit. but just take the record Ct the previous
administration There were a countless number oe
charges brought to Mayor Van Wyck against mar
shals and yet they were invariably dismissed and
the offenders replaced Then the matter is OF too
small consequence for the Mayor 70 attend TO- any
way.
the matter and it has chosen very good ,lIile h
The various laws under which the justices act nave
been codihed by committee of seven JustlceS rep
resenting the various boroushs Of New, York IN
the prepara ton of these laws. which nave oeen
passed as a by the legislature and indorsed by
the Bar Association as "a step IN tne rsh, dirsc Sc
ton attempt has been made 10 remedy tne
evils of the present marshal system The new pro-
visions give the Justice the power 20 present
charges. and provide that the Mayor may at once
suspend the accused until the CHARGES are fnveSt-
gated They also increase the mars hais bond from
81 600 to saoa0 the size OF Judgment he can
execute has been increased proportonately from
This bill was vigorously opposed by the mar
has Marshal Comisky as president They fought 70
mt in various provisions in their own favor. These
they succeeded in getting through the Assembly:
but they cut out by the Senate MS Will
come up before the Mayor TO sign sOOn- There will
be public hearing on the matter on April 10 at 10
O'Clock
great abuses. All the justices agreed on the
matter. and the action of The Tribune is sure 10
meet their approval"
There are thrty-seven city marshas in Manhat-
tan and The Bronx. and a proportionate- number IN
Brooklyn and Queens. Most or them are hOid-
over appointees of Mayor Strong The term OF
office is for six years. and for those I'm office
expires Nav I. 1893 The marshals receive no
salary. but the system Of fees under which they
work is liberal. When the bill of which Justice
Roesch speaks before the Legislature the mar
shals attempted to load IL with a provision giving
them per cent of the judgments collected by them
This was one of the features of the bill that was
cut out by the Senate.
DIES IN TRYING TO SAVE KITTEN.