New-York tribune., 1902-04-11
SIGNS BILL TO CURB MARSHALS
MAYOR SENDS MEASURE INTENDED TO PROTECT foOh
FROM ns7ALMENT SHARKS TO ALBANY
ONLY ONE ARREST FOR DEBT SINCE CRUSADE BEGAN.

day. THAT and the tremendous reduction OF
the number of arrests for non-payment of in
staluents in the last week are substantial re
suits of the protest against the existing sltua-
ton and / believe The Tribune can take the
credit for this result
IAN Interesting phase in the investigation ol
the Legal Aid Society IS the difficulty we are
having in getting hold of the records of cases IN
the Second District Court. We have sent sew
eral men down to examine the papers, and each
time they have been informed that the papers
have been mislaid or lost. L think the result
of this will be that we shall have TO get out
mandamus proceedings That is a Sample VI
the difficulties in way.
INTIMIDATION FAILED TO WORK
Miss Loew, the attorney for the Legal Ala
Society. who spoke at the hearing also. was
greatly pleased at the result. THAT is lovely,
said she referring to the portion of the bill
that deals with instalInent cases
IAN interesting fact I should like The Tribune
to have is that respecting Tadero Basaric. the
Italian whose case was printed in The Trib-
une on Monday We find on investigation, grave
reason to suspect that instead of being ar
rested by a marshal outside of that marshaIs
jurisdiction. thought AT first. that Wit
nesses are ready to make affidaVits that some
one in1personated the marshal. with his knowl-
edge and brought Basario from Brooklyn TO the
marshaTs office We are investigating this
matter and will have something to say about
II later. After all. this is only one Of many
abuses that come under my notice in my work
Guio Speranza, whose opinions the City
Marshal abuses were printed I'm yesterdays
Tribune. spoke of an interesting example of in
limitation which had come under his notice
while working on these cases. His story
follows:
Ill tell you of a case that l had some time
ago that may serve to show YOU low these cases
are conducted. A young fellow bought watch
for some extortionate price After he had paid
part of the price he was obliged to go to
Philadelphia. and left the watch with his
brother The purchaser intended returning and
paying the remainder of the Indebtedness. but
the dealer sued the brother defended him, and
put in the plea that he was minor. This was
accepted and the case discharged. Some
time after the marshal and three men came TO
the boys house and demanded that he pay the
balance due. The boy refused. and then they
declared that he arrested. and took him TO
the elevated train. Then they told him TO buy
the tickets. The young fellow refused and they
paid for them after dispute They got OH at
Grand-st. and again tried to force the young
chap to pay the fare for the party Again they
told him he would get into trouble If he dldn l.
but he held out. Then they took him to the
door of Ludlow Street Jail and said they would
give him a last chance. When the CHAP per
sisted in refusing to pay. and convinced them
that they could not intimidate him by the pros
nect of Imprisonment, they told him they would
piz-a him another chance. and released him on
the threshold of Ludlow Street Jail. That's the
kind of business that is done
None Of the rnarsrals deny that their office is
2 very profitable one. Their assertion Is that
their profits come out of their other business
rather than the instalment work Marshal
C,onlskey told reporter that his income was
between 81 600 and $1,000 year, but only S2tp
of II came from inStalment cases.