The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-15
Immense Crowd Hears Dis
tinguished Speakers at
Mass Meeting
BECKER DENIES HE
HAD BANK DEPOSITS
Schepps Is Willing to Return to
Gotham Town and Will proba-
bly, Be Taken There Today.
Grand Jury Meets

| hIdHu jury inNtto
| New York. August 14--rhe determtna-
tion of the citizens Of New York to rid
their police force of Its system of graft
and blackmail was given expression to-
night at mass meeting at Cooper Union,
when they appointed a vigilance commit
tee Of prominent men and women to see
that public officers now engaged In ex-
posing the reasonable alliance of the
police with organized crime do their fun
duty.
| The mass meeting was one of pub
| lie indignation, aroused by revelations
of police corruption growing out of the
murder of Herman Rosenthal was at
| tended by crowd that oyerfiowed the
hall There were 1000 persons in the audi
/ torium, with hundreds standing up, while
blocking the streets outside were thou
| sands more who clamored for admit
| tance.
Il was one of the largest town meet
ings' held in the city in years, and there
was no mistaking the earnestness which
pervaded the gathering, as 1t voiced it's
/
system" which the prominent speakers
on the programme employed when speak
ing of existing conditions. The atmos-
phore of levity, often present at public
mass meetings. was wholly absent, and
each speaker was heard with respectful
attention, only interrupted by dgni6ed
applause.
| The resolution appointing the vigilance
committee which was given the power to
! Increase its number to 80, to solicit funds
and to engage counsel, called police inn
provement," arrest all those implicated
in the murder upon the district attorney
to bend every energy of his office, as he
has been doing, to the apprehension and
conviction of those guilty of this crime;
upon the aldermanic investigating COM
mittee to make thorough non-p partisan
and unlimited examination into exist
ing conditions and into causes which give
rise to systems of blackmail and graft.
and to propose remedies by which these
causes may be removed, and upon the
citizens and officials having Information
on these conditions to lay It before tho
district attorney or the aldermanic com
mittee in the full confidence that they will
be protected against terrorism and OPP
preston of every sort"
| The members of the committee are Eu-
gene Outerbridge Jacob H. Schiff, Eu-
gene A. Philhne Henry Moskowitz, Allen
Robinson, T.. S. Tomln, Raymond V. In
gersoll Mrs. Charles H. 1sraels and
George B. Agnew
Many Speakers Heard
On the platform from which Abraham
Lincoln delivered an address at the open
ing of Cooper Union In 1860, sat repre-
sentative men and women in all walks of
| life Speakers included District Attorney
! Whitman, DIR. Lyman Abbott, Rabbi Sam
uel Schulz. Alderman Henry II. Curran,
chairman of the aldermanic police investi-
eating committee; Emory II. Buckner
counsel for the committee, Henry De-
| Forest Baldwin and Mrs. Charles II.
israel, who is a prominent woman social
worker District Attorney Whitman was
| the hero of the hour and received a
tremendous ovation when he arose TO
speak.
When Mr.. Whitman finally began his
speech he frequently was Interrupted by
cries of approval which had not been
given TO the other speakers until they
| had finished their addresses.
The Challenge to the City
Il wanted to say Just this, said Mr..
| Whitman, with regard to the matter
which / know is as near your hearts as 1t
is neur mine with regard to a crime that
has spread this city and shocked this
nation perhaps as few crimes have in
the History of the city or in the history.
i Of the nationi the killing OF Herman
Roscnthal was a murder of course, an
awful murder, but 1t was more than that
| In the light of all circumstances with IT.,
| IL was a challenge to our very civihza-
/ tion itself.
| 1T is not a question of who or what
Rosenthal was or who may be mayor
or who may be police commissioner or
| who may be district attorney: il is not
| a question of Becker or few men who
| may or may not have been accom-
! plices. II Is a question OF whether It is
ers 1t Is a question OF whether It is
possible for four murderers TO commit
a crime in the heart of this city and get
leisurely away. Unfortunately these are
the &, nditions. As ! said before that Is
the cnallange to the civilized nation OF
the t., entieth century to the city of New
York.
"And the purpose of the city and the
police department OF the city and the
district attorneys office and county of
| New York is to unite in this propositions
to demonstrate to the people of the world
that the man does not live, whoever he
may hc who In this city can with i'm e
punitS set at defiance the majesty and
the dignity of the law"
| DR. Lyman Abbott declared that de
mocracy Is on trial tonight In this, our
| city.
"Our unforced law" he said. lis noth-
| ing bpt good intention and we are learn
| ing now that good intentions pave the
| highway TO hell. A city which makes
| laws and Is not able 10 enforce them
| is a city with IA flabby will II Is not
| enough that democracy knows what Is
right; democracy must have the power
to enforce the right or democracy is a
| failure.
at would be better to have a Monte
| Carlo In the vicinity of New York un-
| DER legal regulation than gambling bells
| scattsred over the city under the protec-
| tion Of the police. We think ourselves
virtuous, more virtuous than Monte Carlo
because we prohibit gambling ard then
permit IT, Gambling is a distardly and
| vile vice, but 1t is not so great where a
| city Iretends to prohibit It.
| Il believe II Is up TO us-the plain peo-
| that cannot be misunderstood that law
shall be terror to evil doersn
Alderman curran promised that the al
dermanic investigation into police system
would be non-partisan. This sentiment
was echoed by Mr.. Buekner. who appealed
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