New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-06-21
INDICTMENT FOR SHARKS.
THE STROMBERGS AND KILMET
CHARGED WITH EXTORTION-

found indictments against Isaac and SaInuet
Stromberg East Side instalment dealers, and
Thomas Kilmet. employe of the Stromoergs'
for extortiOn Their bail was fixed at 81, 800
each and they were remanded until ball was
furnished At the same time Kilmet was ar
rested for contempt an attachment issued
by Justice Truax. Kimet had been subpenaed
TO appear before Mayor Low in the case OF city
Marshal Comiskey. charges against whom have
been preferred. and failed to appear He was
arrested by deputy sheriff but was not taken
away. he had to plead to the indictment
When called to the bar to answer to the 1ndlct-
ment the Strombergs and Kilmet entered
plea of not guilty. On a motion of District At
torney Clarke, who appeared for the people, the
bail of the prisoners was raised to the above
mentioned figure.
The trial of the prisoners set down for
next Wednesday despite the strenuous objec-
tion of the defendants counsel Judge Crane
declared that there were many reasons why the
trial should be delayed until autumn, and
granted motion TO that effect by the District
Attorney
The story of the case in which the alleged ex-
tortion on the part of the Strombergs took place
has been told before in The Tribune An Italian
named Della Pia, who sued under the name
of Rose. bought watch of Isaac Strornperg-
He paid 81 down ard agreed to pay a weekly
instalment of 81. The collector did not call
although Della Pid ready 10 pay beIoIe
daylight on the morning of March , he was
awakened by pounding on his door. In MS
rooms he found three men, whom he afterward
identified as collectors. The had forced
their entrance and of them at once told
Rose that he was under arrest Ierrlned
by an assault on his wife, who was thrown 10
the ground although she was i'll at the time
Della Pia paid the men $6l. of which $1l was
for alleged court expenses" and took receipt
He never served with a summons, or any
process whatever.
This story was published in The Tribune. and
called to the attention of District Attorney
Jerome The latter recommended that the case
which he pronounced a good one. be transferred
TO Kings County. where the affair took place,
and Assistant District Attorney Robert H. Elder
took charge of the case The greatest dlfncuIly
experienced was in locating kilmet who was
known as Big Tom all over the East Side
At length Officers Brady and McCloskey, two
Brooklyn Central Office detectives. were put on
his track and he was arrested in Manhattan.
Since the time of the arrests of the Stronl-
bergs every effort has been brought TO bear to
keep the out of court. Senator Timothy
Dry Dollar Sullivan went to Brooklyn on their
behalf. and Alderman Marks, of Manhattan.
called on District Attorney Clarke with letter
After the attempt 10 reach District Attorney
Clarke that official was keenly alive 10 the
necessity of protecting Della Pia from repre-
sentatives of the instalment dealers. and com
muncated with the police captain OF Della 81 Fias f
Legal Aid Society. was also seen by representa-
tivts of the dealers.
Attorneys office in Kings County for the man
ner in which the case has been handled. MI
strong terms regarding the infquity of the IN
stalment business in certain phases, and Will
himself conduct the Strombers trial. Miss Loew,
of the Legal Aid Society, has spared no eI1Ort
in the attainment OF the end, and both The
Tribune and her society have sought the ex-
posure and repression of the Illegal conditions
in the instalment business on the East Side.
The present attack upon the inStalment bus
mess" said r. c. Ringwat to a Tribune reporter
&c H--y, tha first hat OPV
paper Of this city has attempted To The
Tribune. however. belongs the credit of having
engaged in the first definitely successful effort
II results count then The Tribune may rest easy
To-day the arrests have practically ceased
The Sherifs own statement shows that the
number of nStalment prisoners IN LUDLOW street
Jail has dropped from an average of twenty 20
thirty a week TO one or two l know personally
OF a number of dealers who have been forced
ont of the business by the publicity given to
their methods through the columns of The
Tribune Finally you have these indictments
bv the grand Jury. which | am confident
only the first of the cases 10 be brought up
Add to that the number of narshals now under
charges and before Mayor Low. and you are able
The Tribune has helped to accomplish
Besides the cases now pending, there are
number of other dealers who will presently have
to answer in court for what they have done. and
done with perfect immunity. until The Tribune
started out to expose the methods. The in
str,Ctions of one of the prominent of the
fnstalment dealers TO his pedlers is perhaps the
best indication of the cowardly and contemplate
spirit alllIildtlIlS sunni VI 'iiOO N'iN'0- ~ O-'
new empIoye he says:
Avoid the Jews: they are too shrewd. Let
the Yankees alone; they know their rights. Be
ware of the Irish: they will fight. But go out
and get me coed fat Italians; the lean ones are
too Door: but the fat ones make good suing.
This is the maxim of a man who has made
thousands of dollars in the business who repre-
sents the higher up of the inStalment buSl-
ness. In a little back tenement in PItt-St ne
herds his collectors. who are mostly green for
eigners To them he pays wage of some -
or 81 a week.
You ought 20 be able to steal enough from
tho Dagoes to make a living" said he TO some
of his agents But before long the Legal Aid
Society hopes to have this instalment maghate
also in the custody of the law.