davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-04

people from Europe to swear they
never got the money. how would that
help you? You have got to prove that
he didn't send it; for II Is not up to
hiw to show that he did. You might
subpoena the records of the money or
der branch of the postoffice, but even
those wouldn't help. He might say
the ordinary mail, or through bank
er, or by a man going to Europe, or
in any one Of a hundred ways; and
you couldn't prove that he was lying.
The judge might be morally sure that
he was, but he could not be legally
sure"
This is why these widespread frauds,
extending all over the country and
victimizing immigrants of nearly ev-
cry nationality, have gone on for years
with comparative impunity, and have
''of late assumed proportions never
heard of before"-to quote a private
circular on the subject recently is
sued to the reputable bankers of New
York city.
The queer Case of Goldberg.
But occasionally the rogues meet
with their deserts. Mr.. Weltner and
his partner, Edward A. Alexander,
have managed to send a few Of them
to the penitentiary. and have forced
others to dsgorge their sill-gottGn
gains. Still others, like Kairer, have
Jumped their bail and abscondcd
when there was really no case that
could have been proved against them.
OF all these cases the most interest
ing is that of a Hungarian named
Goldberg.
He swindled Hungarians and Slavs
generally on the East Side of New
York for a long time, and amassed a
fortune estimated at hundreds of
thousands of dollars. Then Mr.. Welt
ner got on his trail and had him ar
rested. He was let out on bail and alb
seconded, going back to his native
land.
But they have a good law in Hun
gary which says that any Hungarian
citizen who commits a crime abroad
may be tried and punished for it In
Hungary, IL he returns there. Cold
berg's record followed him, and he
was promptly flung into Jail.
But I am not a Hungarian citizen"
he protested. II am a naturalized
American citizen" And he showed
his papers to prove it.
This staggered the Hungarian off,
cials for a moment. but only for a mo-
ment. They promptly turned to an
other section Of the law, which pro-
vides that even a subject who has be-
come naturalized abroad can be prose-
cuted II the government gives special
authority. The government FASTENED
TO do so. and Goldberg is now serving
a FIVE years term in a Hungarian
prison for the crime which he COM
mitted In New York. Hungary GER
tainly has an unusually keen sense Of
its responsibility for its erring sub
jects.
Another man. named Wolframm,
German. practiced the same fraud sys-
tematically for over fifteen years I'm
New York employing a large staff and
advertising extensively all over the
United States. When at last he fed
the country, he carried over $4,000
with him
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-04

it's bars and keeping them there at the
city's expense will be driven out Of
business and there will be no law
warranting arrest for petty and un-
just debts.
ITO me-" said the sheriff, Ludlow
is nothing short of spitehouse
wherein the shylock reaps his heart
less revenge. Ever since l took Office
l have been shocked by the perse-
oution which is daily practiced there.
The laws which permit certain men
to use this prison to collect what Is
nothing short of blood money from
the poor are all wrong and they must
be reformed,
From time to time the sheriff's Of
fee has realized the injustice OF our
poor debtor laws and the public press
has agitated their Adjustment, but
the matter has never been pushed to
a result in the Legislature.
Crimes Of LuwIow Jail.
81 have gone over not only a history
Of crimes which have been practiced
through the medium of Ludlow street
Jail, but also a history OF the laws
which have made these crimes posi-
BILE, and | am convinced that II the
real state Of affairs is presented to
the Legislature IL will take immediate
and drastic action toward wiping out
ever law which grinds down and i'm
prisons our illiterate and unfortunate
debtors.
There are, of course. thousands Of
people in New York who do nothing
but study how to defraud creditors
For them our laws are too lax en-
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-04
simply coin money with hardly any

simply coin money with hardly any
trouble and very little risk.
There, are hundreds of so-called
banks" in New York city, Chicago,
Pittsburg, Cleveland, Philadelphia and
other large centers of alien population
which exist for the sole and simple
purpose of swindling immigrants out
of the money they desire to remit to
their families for their support. or to
pay for their passages to America
Some of these banks, which invariab bly,
have high-sounding titles and issue
alluring advertisements, cater to Slavs,
others to Italians, others to Greeks
and yet others to Polish and Russian
Jews. Every nationality, in fact, has
its own special flock of vampires prey
ing upon it.
How the svindIe is Worked.
The procedure of the swindler is
very simple. They do not need even
as much as so capital with which to
start their bank" All they need to
do is to take a cheap room in a tene-
ment on the East Side Of New York,
or some other city, and hang out
shingle announcing that they are
bankers" and in the business of re-
uniting money to Europe and buying
tickets for people there who desire to
always belong to the nationality they
desire to defraud, and their announce
ment is couched in the native tongue.
Their victims are usually persons who
cannot read or write English.
Pretty soon the so-called banker"
gets his customers. He goes around
among his own countrymen, and few
days after he has opened up his bust
ness they begin to drift into his one
room office and entrust their hard
earned savings to him.
L want to send $50 to my old father
and mother in Hungary" says a burly
Slav, who has saved the money while
working as a laborer and living on
few cents a day. He names the little
village in Hungary where the old peo-
pie live. and the banker makes a
careful note of it on an official-looking
sheet of paper.
The GuiIeIess Foreigner.
This impresses the guileless laborer,
and he is quite likely to go away with
out even asking for a receipt. II he
does remember to do so, he is no bet
ter off The banker" puts the money
in his own pocket. anyway. Sending
1T to Hungary would be the last thing
to enter his thoughts.
After he has found a dozen or so
easy marks" of this character, the
formerly pennless banker" has
enough money to advertise extensively
in the papers printed in his native
tongue, to send out alluring circulars
by the thousand, and generally engage
in an extensive business Money sim
ply pours into his Golfers from all
parts of the country where immigrants
of his own race dwell. and when
things grow too hot for him he can
pull up stakes. with tidy fortune and
start the same swindle somewhere else
under another name.
Their Innocence Incredible.
The guilelessness of some of the more
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-04

tireIy, but in order that our in
stalment merchants, money lenders,
ETC., can have protection against de-
liberate swindlers, our statute books
have been heaped with laws which are
indescribably cruel to the honest poor
debtor. New York is far behind it's
sister states In the East in wiping
such unjust measures out. Too long
they have been allowed to pile up.
Even many Of our best lawyers do not
realize the abuses which come before
the sheriff every day. The long letter
which I addressed to the Bar Associa-
ton of New York upon Thanksgiving
Day was designed TO call the attention
OF our best lawyers TO the real condi-
lions which confront the sheriff of the
city.
victims OF Interruptions Men.
More than half the men who have
been sent to Ludlow Street jail during
the last four years have been victims
of INSCRIPTIONS people. The county
OF New York is being used every day
as collector for extortionists, ana
the sheriff has no alternative than to
detain these ignorant people at the
expense of the city until such time as
they meet the extravaganza terms or
their creditors"
The sheriff is very sincere in this
effort to correct an evil or long stand
ing. He has armed himself after long
research with a vain amount OF In
formation. He is not presenting this
matter to the Legislature on a senti-
mental basis or on theory. He has
collected plenty of individual cases and
he has names and dates to present IL
he is called upon by any committee 70
which his proposed bill may be pre-
scented. His friends among the mem
bers of the Bar Association who know
what he is after have pledged that his
bill will be met by any opposition OF
importance.
A Vile Collection Bureau.
Thousands of people in New York
know and have known for many years
that Ludlow Street jail is nothing but
a collection bureau for the vilest kind
of bills of extortion. The real swim
dlcrs are not given credit, and the
creditors, therefore. have little occa-
sion TO prosecute any but the unfor-
tunate. A body execution can be OBJ
tanned under the present laws for tho
smallest kind of debt. In one case
on record a man who owed 2.40 for
clock which he gave TO his wife
upon the anniversary of their mar
riage and for which through sickness
he was not able to pay at the required
time. was thrown into Ludlow Street
Jail and compelled TO pay $40 before
he could get a release. The costs In
such cases frequently run up to about
IS on each dollar Of the original obli-
cation. In years past the creditors IN
such cases had to pay seventy-nve
cents a day for the keep OF debtors in
jail, but OF late years, through the
passage Of amendments, TO the law,
the county has been compelled to keep
all the prisoners In Ludlow at its own
expense. In not a few cases men ow-
ing less than $50 have been kept at
the expense OF the county for three
months. At any time the country could
have paid these obligations In cash and
saved money by llberating the prison.
ers Immediately upon arrest.
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-04
The PASSING OF
OLD LUDLOW JAIL
NEW Y0RK'S ANCIENT PRISON
ITS WALLS COULD TELL OF TEARS
AND TRAGEDIES.

A Debtors Prison in which Oppres-
sion Has Been Practiccd for Years.
More Than Half Its Inmates for
the Last Four Years Victims OF
INSCRIPTIONS PeopIe--A Collection
Bureau for ExtortiOnists.
New York, Dec. 3.-With but seven
prisoners left within it's old walls,
Ludlow street Jail has undoubtedly
seen its best days. 1t may stand on
for years, but If the New York Legis-
lature passes bill which has been
drafted, there will be but little BUSH
ness left for the ancient prison. The
tragedies and tears which its cells
could tell we're they empowered with
speech will be merely memories of the
past. The men who have grown rich
by placing unfortunate debtors behind
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-04
The ROBBERY
OF IMMIGRANTS
S1O0,0OO,00O A YEAR
STOLEN FROM THEM BY FRAUDU-
LENT "BANI<ERs.'

Most of the Money is That Which
the Immigrants Try to Send Home.
The sO-CalIed ssBankers' Adver-
tise in Foreign Tongues, and Send
Out AIluring Circulars by the Ton.
Amazing Revelations of an In
credible system of Fraud Which
Spreads Like a Netw orl< All over
the Country.
BY William Thorp.
New York, Dec. 3.-"If I said that
the immigrants in this country are
swindled annually out of one hundred
millions of dollars which they attempt
TO remit to their people at home,
believe that l should be well within
the mark" said a New York banker,
whose name is household word all
over America, the other day. "Of
course, it is impossible to compute the
sum, but from what has come to light
recently think that is conservative
estimate. Individual immigrants are
frequently robbed of hundred dollars
or more by rascals who profess to for
ward the money to Europe for them"
There are hundreds. If not thousands,
Of men regularly conducting this
swindling business. New York is the
principal center of their operations, but
they work in every city where there
are enough foreign immigrants to
make ii worth their while.
Filched of Millions.
Month by month, and year by year,
they filch many millions of dollars out
or the pockets of the most ignorant
and helpless of the immigrants. The
matter has been a national scandal for
years, but little has been heard of 1t
oy the public and almost nothing has
Deen done to stop 1t. Only within
the past few weeks have steps been
taken to abate the evil by a private
agitation among reputable bankers in
New York city, who are now combin-
ing to secure state and federal legis-
Iation on the subject.
IL is difficult to understand why any
Sriminally inclined person should en-
orace the difficult and hazardous call
lngs of the footpad, the pickpocket
ana the burglar, when he can with ease
become an immigrants banker" and
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-04

York aon Dec ! new Angel minister
retiring Angel" Miss Ada Elliot succeeded Sophie
charity o.
o
II
that religious teaching o sight Of m the work but the Tombs An
believe religion
q lime whom nomenn1 -l1-nIal would D nerylo
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-04

William M. o. Dawson. the Re
publican governor-elect OF West Nir-
ginia, is so years old and began life
as a printer. then became an editor
and is now a lawyer.
Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-07-16
PARKER SPRUNG SENSATION
New York Judge Refuses to straddle
On the Currency Question.

On the Currency Question
st. Louis. July 1l.-Just when the
Democratic national convention dele
gates felt that they were to be al.
lowed to rest after three strenuous
days, and when the nomination for the
vice presidency seemed to be the one
thing left to settle. Judge Parker. the
nominee for president. threw a bomb
INTO the convention by sending this
message to William F. Sheehan. OF
New York:
Il regard the gold standard as
firmly and irrevocably established and
shall act accordingly if the action OF
The convention shall be ratified by the
people. AS the platform is silent on
the subject my views should be made
known to the convention. and if 1t is
proved to be unsatisfactory to the ma
Iority request you TO decline the nom
nation for me at once, so that an
other may be nominated before ad
iournment"
A long conference of leaders. which
did not include Mr.. Bryan. followed the
receipt of the telegram. Senator Till
man and others were greatly angered
by the telegram. but, after talking it
over for several hours, an agreement
was reached to ask the convention to
authorize the sending of the following
telegram TO Judge Parker:
The platform adopted by this con.
vention is silent on the question of
the monetary standard. because it is
not regarded by us as a possible issue
in this campaign. and only campaign
issues were mentioned in the platform.
Therefore there is nothing in the views
expressed by you in the telegram Just
received which would preclude a man
entertaining them from accepting a
nomination on said platform"
This telegram was read to the con.
vention by Senator Tillman. and he.
John Sharp Williams Senator Daniel
and others earnestly urged the COZ.
vention to favor it,
w. ]. Bryan rose from his sicr bed
and entered the convention to oppose
Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-07-16

i've afirmation in favor of a white
mans government.
The people of the country are asking
why white mans vote in Georgia
should count twice as much as a white
man s vote IN Massachusetts. We fail
TO see where this is injecting the race
issue into the campaign any more than
the Democrats themselves have inject.
ed it.
Hon. HENRY G. DAVIS of West Vir-
GINA is the Vice-Presidential candidate
and must necessarily go down TO defeat
with his running mate upon such a
platform as the Democratic National
Convention has constructed.
The Gold Democrats are much disar-
pointed over the out come. They had
hoped to have adopted a radical gold
plank in the platform and thereby TO
have caused Hon WIN. J. BRYAN to
bolt the ticket, taking with him his
populistic crowd.
This would have given them absolute
control of the party machinery and
1t would have cleared the way to sue
cess four years hence, under the new
management.
As the matter now ands, Mr.. BRY
AN has succeeded IN eliminating the
gold plank, secured the insertion of his
tariff views in the platform and yielded
to the nomination of gold-bug candi-
dates fer the presidency and vice-presi
dency of the nation with every evidence
OF impending defeat before them.
With this defeat will come the PRO
verbal, Il told you So" and he will
consider that he has been vindicated.
that he made the best run possible at
the time that he was defeated ana that
1t is in order for the goId-wing to hand
back to him and his cohorts the man
agement of the party, which they have
shown utter incapacity to steer to vic
tory, even though it had the united
support of all elements within its con.
fines in the attempt to Gust Hon. THEo
DoRE ROOSEVELT from the White
House at Washington.
Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-07-16
NO MONEY PLANK IN PLATFORM
Bryan Men Defeat All Attempts to
Have One Included

William ] Bryan and his followers
were successful in preventing the in
sertion of a gold standard plank in the
Democratic platform after a long
struggle before the committee on reso-
buttons, which was in session all night
1t is believed that the Parker mem
bers could have forced the adoption of
a gold plank, but that they did not
desire to continue the fight 1t is under
stood that Judge Parker will in his
letter of acceptance make a specific
declaration on the subject
The platform is a compromise ac-
ceptable to all the interests involved
and was adopted unanimously by the
committee. 1t may be said in general
to have been concession to the Bryan
wing of the party without in any way
stultifying the declaration of the con-
servatives. The absence of any pro-
nouncement upon the financial ques-
ton is most significant and discloses
the utter impossibility of finding any
declaration upon this subject accept
able to all.
The platform was read in the conven-
ton by Senator Daniel. chairman of
the committee, and adopted without
debate.
The Democratic party OF the United
States In national convention as
sembled. declares its devotion to
the essential principles OF the Dem
ocratic faith which brings US together I'm
party communion. Under them. local
self government and national unity and
prosperity were alike established. They
underlaid our independence. the structure
OF our free republic. and every Democrat
ic extension from Louisiana to Cali
fornia and Texas to Oregon. which pre-
serves faithfully IN all the states the tie
between taxation and representation
They yet inspirst the masses of our peo-
pie. guarding jealousy their rights and
liberties. and chershing their fraternity.
peace and orderly development. They re-
Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-07-16
MIR. BRYAN AND THE TICKET,

Hon. WILLIAM J. BRYAN's attitude
at the Democratic National Convention
was o. the most commanding character
and stamped him as a fighter of the first
water. That he should have snatched
even a partial victory from defeat was
as astounding as it was surprising.
The telegram of Judge PARKER was
for the time being stunning blow
but Mr.. BRYAN and his friends rallied
and the following telegram from the
Democratic National Convention TO
that distinguished jurist was all the
satisfaction given on this very impor-
tant question:
The platform adopted by this con-
ventlon is silent on the question of the
monetary standard because it is not re-
garded by us as possible issue in this
campaign and only campaign issues
were mentioned in the platform There
fore, there is nothing in the views ex
pressed by you in the telegram Just re
ceived which would preclude man en-.
pertaining them from accepting nomi.
nation on said platform"
We fail TO see in any word or sen
tence any change in the attitude of the
convention. There is no indication
that the convention adopted or APP
proved any of the views expressed by
Judge PARKER upon the money ques
ton.
1t was therefore another Bryan vic
tory and resulted ANONYMOUSLY if the
Democratic standard bearer intended TO
stampede the convention in favor of the
moneyed interests in New York.
This action seems TO have brought out
in bold relief and given prophetic
tinge to the platform of the Republican
Convention adopted two weeks before.
Upon this same question it reads:
eve believe it to be the duty of the
Republican party to uphold the gold
standard and the integrity of the value
of our national currency.
The maintenance of the gold standard
established by the Republican party,
cannot be safely committed TO
the Democratic Party. which re-
sisted its adoption and has new.
er given any proof since that time
of belief in it or fidelity TO it,
Mr.. BRYAN in statement made at
Lincoln, Nebraska July 18th, 1904 an
nounces that he will support thesJicket.
This is injurious to the Democratic
Party. He declares that the nomination
was secured by crooked and indie
methods.
Mr.. BRYAN has found the mill stone
which placed about the neck of Judge
PARKER will drown him in a sea of
votes on the election day of that cool
November evening.
Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-07-16
THAT DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.

TIE Democratic National Convention
which met at st. Louis, Missouri, will
go down in history as one of the most
disorderly bodies of the kind that has
ever assembled in this country. 1t
seemed utterly incapable of controlling
itself or to obtain any one to control it,
and thereby emphasized the fact that it
is not as yet either ready or qualified to
assume the management of the affairs
Of great nation.
its friends were disgusted and its en-
emies elated. Even Judge ALTON b.
Parker, its nominee, was forced TO
speak before the time set for the deliv-
cry OF his letter of acceptance and indl-
Gated his disapproval of both the plat
form and the measures adopted, in a
telegram, the like of which has never
been seen since the foundation of the
government.
The success of the Democratic ticket
can only be possible by the most fla
grant blnndersr on, the part of the Re-
publican managers and their candi-
dates.
The plank in the Democratic platform
deploring the revival of theYrace issue
is an abject surrender on the, part of
kaose Negro-haters who desired a posi-
Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-07-16

The Institute for Coored valuable history of
S years Philadelphia Pa presided distinguished
OF e race as Charles l. Reason E.
Jackson Copp has been recognized under Prof
ee wat the late Dr. j. l. M Curry considered
1he educational work among people,
a professional school which should combine training
uing kindergarten work and where of
life might be nculcated.''
ne School VIII begin its operations September
at Cheyney Pa about nineteen miles
w. una D. K r. he grounds II7 The
lhgS ana the equipment will be up-o-iate
mas present an endowment S2Ioooo
OF Philadelphia will
V'lC'Se me Schoo IS under the
oeS OF the >ey OF Friends (CualerS) undenOmnationa
corps N instructors will comprise only teachers
mag ana experience The school open graduates higher
ngh schools
history the Sciences English Mathematics equivalent to that re-
quHed IN the firSt three years high course
In addition to the other Industrial be
course on the useful Applications OF Electicitv."
teachers take either course
ror >rt Information write a o the principal
PROF. HUGH M. BROWNE,
CHENEY Pa