New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-09
.HEEDS CRIME COMPLAINT
Mayor Acts When Two RobberieS
Substantiate Citizens Letters.
PUTS THEM UP TO WALDO
Commissioner Says He'll Do His
Best, but Suspended Sen
fences Make II Hard.

| OoHilIlloSiOucl SdJo nc ii ~ Alag
Best, but Suspended Sen
fences Make It Hard.
! II took three letters TO Mayor Gaynor, q
/ lapse Of nearly Two months time and TIVE
other hurClaries in the same apartment
house before Marshall VI. Ferguson, Of No
! y Hamilton Terrace. whose apartment ha'
| been robbed. got his reward in the form ot
u written promise from tho Mayor that h'
would give the matter his personal atten
! ton Al that time Mr.. Ferguson had he"l
! trying to convince tho Mayor that AZ least
| a good sized ripple of crime WAS spreading
ont in the neighborhood in which no liv"'
| and that the police protection afforded was
wholly inadequate
! The MAYOR took occasion, in answering
! ono or two Of the Ferguson letters IN brand
! the writer's statements that conditions
showed q constant increase Of such crimes
! i'm that particular noighhorhood and IL
other parts Of the city MS untrue and con
| trary To statistical evidence. He suggested
! to the writer that his assertions Wore "eN'
! travaCant' and that he could not help hin
hilo no appeared to be in that mood.
| And then II happened that Mr.. Fergn'
! sons case was somewhat strengthened
| when burglars entered two other apart
mants on tho sam" floor on which h" liv"'
on the n,-ht Of May 3. He Informed the
! Mayor Immediately. and yesterday r.
! coiyod rorly that the matter would hf
attended 10 A. once.
Manor Gsynor turned over tho last Forgu
4 al
Yesterday and tho Commissioner replied a.
/ follows.
have tho honor 20 acknovl.ds" receipt
/ Of your letter Of MAY g, irCl"'ln- com
rluuicaiioD from Marshall " F"rGuson
complaining ~ hurglaii"- In his Ni"iniy.
hnve directed that this matter j." gwen
! special attention -,
IN tho first four months ~ TINS N'''
the courts have liberated on su@p' nd'd SCI
vir,cd OF burglary | do not think. un'"I
! these conditions. We can csp""t any great
hcttorm"nt in present conditions
Hamilton Terrace f. hult up nith large
apar,men' houses ~ high clas., and N"'
between Convent avenue aud St Nicholas
avenue at lioth street. almost under the
shadow Of tho college Of tho city Of Ne"
York There arc s'ycuty-ny" families m
tho apartment mouse N'''' wv 800
7 live
m al three robbcrlcs IN that nous" ih'
: burglars entered tho apartment" rom nc
roar nrc escape while tho tenants ~cr" "u'
during the evening Tho terrace extends
along the middle or the hill sloping down
toward ST Nicholas avenue. and all tho fire
ESCAPES ar. plainly Visible from the latter
street, at sleh' az well az day. h"'adS" oil
tho vivid white pain; which covers TN" rear
Of the Zig building.
II has been suggested hy some ~ the
residents ~ the nc,rhborhood that they
might cot better police protection II mass
meeting were called and the indignation OF
tho residents openly and publicly expressed
The Ferguson apartment was robbed on
the night 90 March 70. Will" Mr.. Ferguson
and his vito were out. They returned al
about II o'clock and surprised the burglars
IN their work The thieves got away WITH
sgnn worth ~ sllverwarc. bat left = large
plgskin bag and articles Of much greater
value piled on the floor ready 10 TAKE"
They had fried open the window leading
from the Are escape.
Ferguson informed the police imme-
diatcly. but dissatisfied with the lack OF
results. lie took the matter up with the
Mayor. lie wrote tho Mayor first on April
y. complaining In general about tho IN
crease OF crime. and citing his own case
I'm detail and suggesting that there were
many other robberics occurring that didn
20, into the newspapers. lie mentioned
that a mass meeting might accomplish
something I'm the Hamilton Terrace neigh
borhood. and asked the Mayor how TO go
about il to obtain permit to carry fire
arms as a matter Of protection.
The Mayor replied in substance that the
whole tone Of Mr.. Ferguson's letter was
"e1travaeant." that there was no increase
IN crime in the city. that he could not help
Ferguson II he believed all he read In the
newspapers" and declared 1t would he I'M
p,udent for him to carry fire arms. ana
therefore he declined his request for NOR
nation as TO how 10 obtain permit
The Hamilton Terrace citizen was natu-
reilly iuccnsod at the Mayors disintereSted
attitude and replied In warm letter on
Anril | 6 which he marked privileged and
would say nothing about yesterday. Inc
Ajavor renlied to the letter Of April Is and
seked the writer to make a specific COM
olaint and put 1t in less extravasant lam
S,age.
Ferguson wrote the Mayor again on May
> the day following the two robberies In
the same apartment house He said IN
part;
my specific complaint was and is that
rroper police protection at night Is not 10"
giYcn TO residences in this district. Perhaps
Won would be interested to know that last
night two apartments which are On 'he
same noor with mine in this house were
| robbed"