New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-01
PRIEST DENOUNCES GANGS
Militant Father haywood Warns
Tanner Smith Terrors."
WILL INVOKE MAYORS AID
Says Anti Clubbing Order Pre-
vents Police from Stopping
Violence.

Denouncing the gang OF thugs which fol
some time has terrorized his parish, The
Rev. J. z. Haywood. the aged but robust
pastor OF the Roman Catholic Church OF
the Guardian Angel. III West ed street, be
tween Ninth and Tenth avenues. unbur-
dened his mind in no uncertain terms yes
terday. He had announced a sermon or
Gangs and Gang Leaders" but decided to
postpone any utterance from the pulpit
He asserted, however. that he fully in
tended to wage a campaign against pre-
vaiiing conditions
The gang which has caused Father Ray
wood To deliver this ultimatum Is known
as the Tanner Smith Terrors. and for
several menths has infested the district in
which the Church OF the Guardian Angel
is situated.
Several days age said the priest, i
appealed 20 one of my parishleners. who is
business man and an honored member OF
the community. This man has since been
to see Mayor Gaynor and has laid the mat
ter before him. The Mayor suggested that
we draw up letter setting forth existing
conditions as we know them without re-
lying Oh hearsay evidence TO establish
case. He promised TO give the communi-
all fairness 1 think I should postpone de-
Iivering any sermon on tae subject uhtii
Mayor Gaynor has had chance to act.
Father Haywood declared that IN his
opinion Mayor Gaynor's anti-clubhins rule
was the cause of present conditions IN the
district
II am not in favor of indiscr}rinate clup-
bing,' said the aged priest, emphaticaiy'
and I deplore ponce brutality as much as
anv one. 7 agree with Mayor Gaynor that
the police are servants rather than mas
ters. There Is. however possibility OF
carving reform too far. The police 10
cav are afraid 20 use their clubs, ana con
seouentIy are as much in terror OF gangs
as ordinary citizens The patrolman traV-
els alon9 The thug travels with cro"a
of others as lawless as himself
only q week ago a policeman. While at
TEMPTING to arrest one of the laflllel
Smith Terrors' was set upon, his CLUB
w-ested from him and he was struck over
the head with his own nlghtsuck-
The leader of this gang, Tanner smith,
is q fellow about twenty-three years ol"
He is related to > politician in this as
trict. and acquired his leadership OF the
gang because of petty political influence
"SEhen patrOlrnSn GOltScLdlk, VI Inc O-"
West 18th street station. attempted 10 az
rest = member OF the gang named Kelly
a week ago. he was surrounded by others
and. although he br6vely managed TO Keep
. tight grasp on his prisoner, was STABBED
in the back before d fellow policeman came
20 his assistance.
Ordinary citizens" continued the priest
are afraid TO prosecute their assalahtS
when they have been assaulted and ropDed'
because they know that repTisals VIII pc
made by other members of the gang. L
know of at least q half dozen instances
where prosecutions have been stopped
through open threats made against Tue
conlplainants if they appeared IN court
1T is the fear of being caught again
and beaten to a pulp which prevents many
a man from going after these hcodiGms IN
the proper way. That is the reason why
I must decline at this time to tell the
name OF The man VINO has acted as my
e,nissarv TO the Mayor. l have no doubt
HAT if his name became known ne would
be bIackjacked some night III the street
The worst of it is, said Father Ray
wood. that this gang does not belong III
this district. There are a number OF me
old homes III West 23d street, between
Tenth and Ninth avenues, and the resi-
dents OF the district are respectable middle
class peorIc OF of the better class of labor
ing men and their families"