New-York tribune., 1913-08-17
BY Edwin Newdick.


ANG organization for crime is well
typihed in the history OF morse
~ poisoning. This article will deal
mostly with the operations among the
Jews Of the lower East Side. not be
cause gang crime is confined TO that
locality or race. but rather because the
Jews Of the lower East Side nave worked
out their own salvation and beaten the
crime. Jailed the leading ganssters ana
scared the others of. and because there
the business Of poisoning was most
thoroughly organized.
Horse poisoning in all its phases from
a competition killer TO an organized pusl-
ness of blachmail. was an estaDllsheH
practice on the lower East Side for hfteen
years. The gangs who specialized IN
this line divided the field and the money
collected in one branch OF their opera
tions $4,000 in single summer and heid
their victims completely In their grip.
For instance. s.. 500 was needed 10 'hA
a BROOKLYN official so that the case
against an indicted leader. "foske
Niger" would be quashed. II was col
lected in one day between and 10 p. m.
The story of this criminal business leads
from petty thievery to unpunished muir
der from Europe 10 Manhattan, ana
touches the heart of the problem Oh
crime among the immigrants
MODEST BEGINNINGS.
Modest were the beginnings Of the
horse poisoning business. Morris Some
body comes from Russia. where he dared
not own land 20 fight for existence IN
he
a horse and van and waits on the corner
Of Orchard and Grand streets for what
ever jobs ne can get. Isaac Somebody
Else comes and does the same. Com
petition gets too keen Morris tries to
drive Isaac away from the stand that
Morris had hrst. They hght and both
are hailed into court and then 30 bacK
10 competing, both losers.
All" thinks Morris 10 himself II
] can kill his horse. I'll get revenge Tor
his hurting my business and get rid OF
him, too" So Morris rolls together a
handful Of linseed meal with big dose
OF arsenic. This he surrepttously gives
to Isaac's horse. From four to twenty
hours afterward Isaac's horse dies. Nor
ris prospers.
- natural criminal, that man Morris,
do YOU say? Perhaps, Il there are natural
criminals. But remember that Morris
has his family OF five TO buy food and
clothes for and the rent of three gloomy.
smelly rooms TO pay. Morris never heard
the phrase the struggle for existence,
but he lived il day and night
As means OF fighting competition.
horse poisoning spread from the odd joo
teamsters TO the truckmen fighting for
business in the markets. Then II spread
10 competing stable keepers. and There
its growth was rapid and the organiza-
ton of il began. The police were very
nearly powerless. and for ten years horse
poisoning was one OF the best paying
and best organized Of the lines OF crime
fourishing on the lower East Side. Some
tracing of the history and methods VIII
show how and why
oINsBERG, COHEN AND LEVY
Ginsherg and Cohen, let US say. each
have a stable a few blocks apart. Levy
boards at Ginsberg's stable the three
horses and trucks which he uses In his
business Levy Is good customer
Cohen solcits Levy's business. Offering
advantages OF location, service or price.
Levy moves 10 Cohen's stables. Ginsberg
sets out 10 lessen the danger. OF COM
petition from Cohen's stable and poisons
one OF Levys horses. a few days later
Ginsberg meets Levy whose horse ne