Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-23
CRIME IS NOW A BUSINESS
STARTLING STATEMENT BY A
NEW YORK JUDGE.
He Declares That Mawkish Sentiment
Saves the Most Hardened
Criminals

NEW YORK, April 23.-"Crime has be-
come business in New York city. Organ
lied bands of criminals are preying upon
the people and conditions were never 30 bad
here as they are now. Mawkish sentiment,
together with light punishment by our
judges, has resulted in a growth Of rascality
Of all kinds that is most amazing to those
who come In daily contact with it."
This statement was made yesterday to
World reporter by Magistrate Cornell after
he had made some severe structures from
the Obench Of the Harlem court in holding
Henry Stolzer in $500 bail for trial on
charge Of burglary. Although the prisoners
picture is in the rogues' gallery, the mag
istrate had some difficulty to get COM
plant made against him. Stolzer Is BUS
pected OF having committed number OF
burglaries in Harlem. Several victims We're
called upon to identify the man, but re-
fused to do 1t remained for Mrs FRANK
Owens 1855 East 89th street, to make
complaint against StolZer She made q
complaint alleging that she found him In
! her flat April 5. While the prisoner ao-
mitted that he had been sent away IN l9o4
for burglary. he claimed that he was being
bounded by the police because he was try
ing to lead an honest life. Magistrate Cor
nell did not believe his story
Punishment a Joke.
81 have been eleven years on the bench"
said the magistrate, land i am sure that
crime is more rampant now than at any
other time There is such a lot of mawKish
sentiment in the community that a GRIM
tnal after being found guilty, is treated SO
leniently that punishment has become d
Joke In crimes of considerable magnitude
it is often difficult to have con,piail nes
pressed even when we have good cases
against the prisoners. The case before me
today was one in point. 1t Is ten 10 one
that Stolzer will get light sentence uoWn
town and Will soon De Tree " Po' P
good citizens an, s,+-
ut is perfectly apparent to any one SIT.
ting in a magistrates court. Wnere we se.
to know more about crime than IN any otnei
walk of life. that there are regularly ",
panized bands of professional criminals M
this city who are daily growing ooiaef; l.
Is no exaggeration to say that CRIME IN New
york il now on a business basis rms Is
shown In the ease and rapidlty with winch
pickpockets, wire taDpers, commence men
and thugs find bail and lawyers TO oeieno
them The growing alliance between crlm-
nails and certain lawyers has become so
omen that I have come to know Wnat couu-
sci different sorts of offenders Will nave ap-
pear for them. There are specialists 50 u
speak in all branches OF rascahty.
A Grave Problem.
New York has a grave problem at hand
In the curbing of the criminal element ana
sentiment must play no part In 1t. II there
is to be reform it must come through our
Judges and juries. 1t is growing harder
every year to convict a man. Then when
conviction is secured the judges Of the spe-
cial and general sessions impose such ilsht
sentences that Justice becomes a Hlockery-
Why. there are continually coming before
me men whom l recognize as old Offenders
They serve small sentences and straightway
go back to crime again. "
"I have long advocated legislation which
I think would aid In suppressing crime. 1t
| is merely an amendment to the penal code
which prevails in many states defining VINO
are Migrants. Then place in that class all
professional criminals and give to the po-
| lice the Job of rounding them up: some
| thing will have to be done along that line
soon"