New-York tribune., 1913-02-23
Threats by Police They May
Meet RosenthaI's Fate Lead
Score to Seek Safety
in Flight.
HARLEM A FERTILE FIELD
Rutchers, Cigar Stores, Delicat
essens, Clothiers, Every One,
Paid, District Attorney
Whitman Finds in
Short Tour.

SnOrC 1Our.
With threats of bodily harm and in
.jnuations that they might meet the
fate of Rosenthal, upward of a score Of
Harlem business men who paid graft
10 the police have been driven from
the city by the system" All these
men have fed town since last Satur-
dav. when the District Attorney first
visited the small Raines law hotels of
the district.
This was learned by Mr. Whitman
Yesterday when he made a tour of Har-
lem. visiting about score of res
taurants hotels and cigar stores.
The men who have left the state were
all men from whom the District At
torney hoped TO obtain additional evil
dence against the alliance of corrupt
police and Tammany politicians who
have Systematically blackmailed al
most every type of business man in
Harlem that could be bled of as much
as S. a month.
Not until yesterday did the District
Attorney really learn the thoroughness
with which tribute was levied by po-
lice and politicians Even cigar stores,
butcher shops. delcatessen stores and
clothing stores paid. No business
seemed exempt from the itching palms
Of the collectors.
Everybody Paid "Protection."
Clothing stores paid because they
were afraid Of being framed up" for
making a sale on Sunday. The same
was true of butcher shops and the
delicatessen stores. Cigar stores that
ran games of stuss in the rear paid,
and those that had no gambling paid
because they feared they might be
framed up
Nearly every saloon in Harlem paid.
The same appeared to be true of the
large restaurants. which sometimes
sold liquor after hours. The small
restaurants. that sold beer or light
wine, were mulcted to the tune of S25
q month. Some paid $50
The proprietor of almost every one o.
the twenty stores that the District -
torney visited, when asked, Did YOU
pay graft TO any policeman or to a
civilian collector for q politician" re-
Piled:
Sure / paid graft. paid it every
month"
All seemed 10 think they had TO ray
as a matter OF course and a careful
business man included the item Of
money paid to the police or politicians
generally both-under expenses"
Many pleaded not to be taken before
the grand jury. fearing reprisals by the
police. In many instances the police
or their agents had visited the men on
whom the District Attorney called nd
talked TO them in this wise:
Told "SqueaIine" Is Foolish.
IT'S either a case of your, getting out
OF town or shutting your mouth. S~ee
ney will not do any 'sauealing.' and 1t
won't be wise for you TO do it. Swee-
ney is going TO beat this case, and If
he doesn't why he'll take his medicine.
and, in any event, this investigation
will blow over and the old order OF
things will be restored here; you doing
business as you want TO and We collect
ing as before"
There was more talk about invesii-
cations being only nine-day wonders,
with no serious after effects. They
cited the fuss created by the Lexow in
vestigation and then pointed out that
it had ended, but the police were sun
here.
Many decided 10 keep their own coun-
sci. Two men whom the District Al
torney knows paid graft denied 1t yes
terday. But they will be witnesses be-
fore the grand jury next week, proba-
bly, tomorrow, when it meets, and II
they deny they paid graft they VIII oe
facing perjury indictments, for the DID,
trict Attorney has evidence of thei"
paying.
Short shrift was made of half dozen
small handbook men, whom the graft