New-York tribune., 1903-04-11
TH4T WAS HIDDEN
Part of Protected Vice Facts the
Committee Kept Secret.

The Committee Of Five was born as result OF
the general public outcry against East Side con-
ditions existing under the last Tammany Hall
rule While the press was filed with examples
OF the outrageous situation for months the Tam
many officials were content with denying its
existence Finally this position became unten-
able. and Richard Croker. on the eve Of his de-
parture for Europe. appointed the Committee OF
Five. consisting OF Lewis Nixon Colonel VI c.
Murphy, John W. Keller. NJ Marley Platzek and
George c. Clausen. to investigate the complaints
and punish the guilty. if it found cause The
committee did investigate-the following docu-
ments Will establish that fact-bUt it neither
punished nor reported its findings. It finally
got so hot the trail Of vice that it was dis
missed. suppressed in some convenient way
disposed Of for the good Of the service"
The campaign which followed both in detail
and in result established the fact that the people
Of New-York and the East Side accepted as
true the shocking arraignnent OF East Side con-
ditions and held Tammany Hall responsible.
But. evidence of the condition. the documents
employed at that time by the fusion candi-
dates lose weight because OF their political char
acter.
To furnish adequate and at the same time
impartial account Of the situation in the red
light district under Tannany Hall. The Trib-
une purposes to print certain significant extracts
from the great mass OF testimony collected by
the Committee of Five. This evidence has lain
hidden from public knowledge for nearly three
years No suggestion Of it's character has ever
been printed. These extracts are printed now TO
illustrate from Tammany documents rather than
from partisan account the actual abuses OF Tam
many rule as II was administered by Tammany
Hall officials.
The following testimony is by no means the
complete tale it was unfoIded 10 the re-
luctant and tncredulous committee which
appointed 70 administer a dose OF whftewash-
Much remains 70 be printed. but enough is
shown 70 furnish a basis OF contrast with
listing conditions and an opportunity for COM
ment on the long silence Of the members OF the
Committee Of Five
It Is adequate. also 10 demonstrate that the
people OF the East Side. at the outset. took
Croker at his word and told the story OF the
wrongs and outrages they suffered The voice
OF these poor. helpless victims OF politically pro-
tected vice and the story Of their wrongs may
also serve to refresh the memory Of the people OF
the city concerning the carnival Of vice which
fourished on the East Side in Tanmany days
1t may, too. serve to explain why the people
turned to the fusion candidates as last hope
Of salvation from immoral and degrading con-
ditiOns when the Committee OF Five Ielapsed
from investigating into unbroken silence. with
out prosecuting and without removing those in
power most responsible fOr the evils
The following testimony in letter OF in form
Of cross examination is taken from documents OF
the Committee Of Five It reproduces the story
told 10 Croker's committee OF the East Side con-
ditlons resulting from Tammany rule. The first
document is letter 10 Lewis Nixon. as follows:
LETTERS FROM TWO sYNAGOGCEs.
In response to your call upon good citizens TO
help you in the exigency OF extermtnatins Ihe x.
isting vice especially on the lover EAST side q
snxious 10 co-ope-ate with any person Or oraniz
tion that desires the oette-Trent OF social cOndi-
tons and the restoration OF morality. We. thu
Congregation Tpnereth Israel and owners OF the
Synagogue situated at Nos 126 and 12S AIlen-st..
containing twelve hundred pews. beg TO inform yog
that the last Few years immortality has secured
hold OF the tenement and private houses all along
gosge sc ana c5Ie {es 5a2Ier fba i secaes
disgrace for any decent person TO walk through
that street. and. a consequence. many Of our
strangers have ceased coming 70 our Syragoz1e
altogether. else walk through different thor
We have often complalned to the police captain
response being that we should produce evidence
10 the truth OF the statement, Shen these dis
in the face. We feel thankful that some has
taken interest in this intoerahe pestiIence and
IS willing 70 aid rs IN our effort 20 externlila{s
good results remain.
CONGREGATION TIPHERETH ISRAEL
Here is a second letter to Lewis Nixon.
Realizing the fact that your committee the
irnprovernent Of moral conditions wants be
arnilfarized with th- state u affairs existing
on fhe I6wer East Side. we. the C0ngrega ton PO%i
Zadeck Anshe Ella. having synagogue at Nos
l2s and rs FOrsyth-St beg 20 state that for SeV-
eraI wears past the neighbOrhOod surrounding
synagogue has become a disgrace 10 nuuna n1ty-
The haunted vice practised without molescati0n
from the police has become in rOlerable. and
must feel extremely grained Wlr1 the
sympathy and active interest the many reformers
are taking in the suppressi1g Of vice 10 inspires
us with the hope that yOu viii succeed IN bringing
about a reformation that will invigOrate with
new ideas OF propriety. decency and general
morality
The foregoing may suffice 70 illustrate dozens
Of similar general statements of conditions that
were at once forwarded 70 Croker's committee
These Macedonian cries for assistance from So
cfeties coincident as those from Jewish congre-
cations were with Bishop Potter's letter to
Mayor Van Wyck, serve TO express the feeling
Of the community. Here Is a different sort OF
letter sent 70 the committee by despairing IN
bahirart Of a tenement house II Is a significant
example OF the hundreds OF similar communica-
ttons sent by the poor and timid people. who
had learned 10 regard vice as the sacred order OF
the police:
77ne East side are thankful for the cleaning OF
the bad things from our East Side We VIII help
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