New-York tribune., 1902-06-13
ARRESTIN BIG SHARK CASE
BIG TOM" IDENTIFIED AS JOHN DOE
IN INSTALMENT AFFAIR
pPrsONER.s MIND BECOMING DERANGED
ATTEMPT MADE TO TAMPER WITH
ANOTHER VICTIM.

\ final step has been taken by the Legal Aid
Society in the De Rosa case. now being prose
cuted by District Attorney Clark. Of Kings
County against TWO prominent instalment deal
ers of the East Side. accounts of which have
been published from time to time in The Trto-
une Originally warrants were issued for isaac
stronberg. Richard Roe and John Doe Later
Samuel Stromberg. brother Of Isaac, was tdenu-
fed as Richard Roe The two Strombergs were
held for the grand jury the charge Of extor-
ton but for a long time no trace could be had
of John Doe who was believed by the Legal Aid
Society attorneys to be one Of the best known OF
the people connected with the instalment deal
ers. and who passed under the name OF Big
Tom"
Finally, after a number Of weeks OF futile puI-
suft the detectives connected with the District
Attorneys office in Brooklyn were placed on the
case. and after a two weeks search Big Tom
was arrested and promptly identified John
Doe This now completes the arrests to be made
in connection with this The three men
above named have been held on a charge OF eN-
tortion and are out under bail, which was
fixed at 81 900 in each case. It is expected that
the cases will he brought before the grand jury
c. Monday or Tuesday Of next week
Interesting and significant details have come
TO light in the case of Vincenzio Marino. an ac-
count of whose misfortunes was published IN
The Tribune recently As described at the time,
Narino was thrown into Ludlow Street jail De-
cause OF his alleged failure TO meet the terms
of his contract under which he had purchased
a watch and chain of Titelbaum. an East SIDE
fnstaIment dealer The prisoner declares tnat
he never was served with a summons. Marlno
has q sick wife and several small children. All
| Of whom have been absolutely without means Of
support. and have been in dire want during his
confinement. When seen by an agent OF the
Legal Aid Society at Ludlow Street jail yester-
day, Marino betrayed evident signs OF mental
| arrangement. On being questioned about the
situation of his family ne burst into tears and
begged his visitor piteously not 10 remind him
any further Of the affair When ne was asked
to sign a paper in connection with the securing
Of his release he manifested no interest
IT hear so much say about my gettin' out,
he said and then l stay, stay. stay Wnat
| difference does it make now2 If stay the in
stalment dealers can do me no harm here-if l
go out who knows what they do NOT even tLls
| prospect Of seeing his wife and ch1ldren coulC
| arouse him so heavily had the mental strain OF
| his long imprisonment told upon him he evl-
IDENTIFY dreaded even to hear OF mis- 1arrliy' eA
pecting only the worst possible news
| Interesting. too. is the information that an at
| tempt made 70 tanper Win De FSoSa. 5
| through whom the Legal Aid Society ana the
! District Attorney Of Kings County are proceed
| ing against the Stromb bergs- person VINO !
| known 10 be in close touch with De Rosa vas
met yesterday with the suggestion that a I[M
hundred dollars would be willingly expended py
certain persons II De Rosa would consent 10
y-irbdraw the case. This offer was, OF course
( reiected and the watch Of the Legal Ald so
ciety was redoubled How greatly The IT'D
uue's exposure TO public attention OF eXsIlns
conditions has terrified the instalnlent dealers
may be Judged by this attempt 10 dispose 'I a
case that has been brought 70 the courts oS
| the Legal Aid Society and to public nouce oS
The Tribune --, --4t
In the mean time. the main effort or Ihe Ito
| me and the Legal Aid Society, the prosecution
| of the city raarshals against whom charges OF
rniscoDducr in connection with tnstalment cases
/ have been brought, has not been lost slsnt Oh
| For more than ten days these cases nave oeen
| before the Mayor. and new charges continue %
| oo-ra in Both the Legal Aid Society ana FarI-
Gus other bodies are busily engaged IN pressing
! these charges z 49,, or=i- -
| the holding for the grand jury and the PosSl-
hle conviction Of the StrOmbergs is one OF the
say-aras+ blows ever given 10 the instalment
business OF a certain class on the East sue AS
one of the large dealers said yesterday;
so long as the proceedings were only clVlI we
f1sraIr7ent dealers didn't mind We can SI9ilg
- @r,,,s,- judgement or We can settle ne added
L-roy,fns-v But when il comes 70 criminal
s.I,7i5y, that is a different and more serious
matter What the Stromhergs VIII 90 @ don
trrovy but for myself I am sick OF the business
and wish that could get out OF II this minute