Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-04
New York's Crime Wave ChiIIs
Them With Fear.
POLICE REDOUBLE EFFORTS
Five Hundred More Men May Be
Added to Force.
FOUR BROTHERS UNDER ARREST
Italian Attacking Girl In Brooklyn
Rescued From Fierce Mob By
Policeman With Leveled Revolver.

NEW YORK, August 3-The wave Of
crimes against women and children. which
has swept over New York for the past
fortnight, has reached stage where
heroic measures are called for in the at
tempt to put stop to the fendish work
which has come to light through the dis
covery of several murders and a number
of assaults.
Acting Police Commissioner O'Keefe
late today issued orders directing that
every plain-clothes officer on the force Of
the city lay aside all other work and de-
vote himself entirely to an attempt to
bring to justice the perpetrators of these
crimes. He ordered that house to house
visits be made by all officers on regular
beats, and that parents be advised to keep
their children under a closer supervision.
He also announced that he would ask
the board of estimate and appropriation
for funds sufficient to add 500 men to the
force.
Parents in Nervous Terror.
children have struck terror into the hearts
OF mothers all over the city, and scores Of
cases Of supposed attempts at assault have
been reported to the police which have no
foundation except in the fears of parents
So widespread is this nervousness that the
ordinary smile of passerby at a pretty
child. which formerly filled mother with
pride. now fills her with terror and many
of them have straightway reported to the
police that attempts have been made to as
sault the little ones.
But in spite of the scores of cases which
have no foundation in fact. there have
been enough actual cases of assault on
children to cause the police as we'll an
parents much worry. Every effort has
been made by the police to capture the
men, guilty of the assaults and murders.
but very little progress has been made
Four Brothers Arrested.
The police today arrested four brothers.
Thomas. Louis. George and James Esposito,
believing that they could throw some light
on the murder of little Katie Tietschler.
whose mutilated body was found in a cellar
on LIST avenue. Later all but Louis were
discharged. Louis at first denied that he
had been in the cellar where the child's
body was discovered. but when confronted
him emerge from the cellar he admitted
that he had been cutting wood there the
day Katie disappeared. He also admitted
that he knew the child and had often
spoken to her. Anna Messner. Rippolone.
the shoemaker. and Bonfanta, his assistant.
arc still held by the coroner
An Italian. giving his name as Marias
Sallo. was arrested and held today on a
charge or attempted assault on Anna
Rogers, young girl living in Brooklyn.
Inc girl says that as she was walking down
the street Sallo seized her by the arm and
tried to drag her into a vacant lot The
girls screams brought a crowd which at
tackled Sallo and was prevented from
seriously injuring him by policeman, who
drove 1t back at the point Of his revolver.
Body Still Unidentified.
The body of the young woman who was
found stranSled and horribly mutilated in
an areaway in East Goth street several
days ago is still unidentified at the morgue.
The police today believed they had secured
an identification when a young woman APP
peared at the morgue and said that she
believed the dead girl was Helen Farrell.
who lived at the Young Woman's Christian
League in East 18th street
Investigation showed that the woman I'm
question left the home some time ago her
name being Mary Farren. not Helen Far
reli Servants at the home who knew Mary
Farren wei viewed the body at the morgue
but said they had never seen the girl be-
fore.
Frank Powers, proprietor of lunch room
was arraigned in Yorkville court today
and held for further examination. Three
young girls, one ten years old and the
other two each fourteen. testified that Pow
ers offered them money to walk in Central
Park with him.
Special Patrols Ordered.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, August 3.-One of the first
acts today of Acting Police Commissioner
OKeefe was to send out a general order to
all policemen who have been doing plain
clothes work to drop what they have on
hand and get out and stop attacks on wom-
en- and children. This is the order
ITO all districts and precincts: Patrolmen
assigned to plain clothes duty in district
and precinct offices will do patrol duty in
plain clothes in their respective precincts.
and will make arrests where attacks occur
on women and children. Said plain clothes
patrolmen are hereby relieved from all
other duties until further orders. By direc-
ton of the police commissioner.
Signed: MOSES w. CORTRIGHT,
"Chief Inspector"
The order applies to Greater New York.
The commissioner sent order to all in
spectors to meet in the commissioners Of
flee tomorrow to consider plans for stamp
ing out crime. Commissioner OKeefe said
that he contemplated having handbns
printed warning mothers to keep watch on
their children. Mr.. O'keefe said:
''All sensible men know that these crimes
in secret places. such back rooms and
cellars probably cannot be prevented. These
crimes are the result OF depraved minds:
but the police will do all In their power to
stop them.