New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-18
BURGLAR GRAFT
TALE FROM T0MBS
Prisoner Tells District At
torney Police Protect
East Side Thieves.
INITIAL TRAPS
BRAINS OF GANG"
Whitman Is Probing Mystery of
"Sam" Cohen'S Immunity
from Arrest.

Payment Of protection money by East
Side burglars to the police is now sub
iect Of inquiry i'm the District Attorneys
office Sam Cohen. who has been de
scribed by Deputy Police Commissioner
Dougherty as 'the brains Of. the East
Side burglars" is locked up in the Tombs
and has told OF paying so to get pal
out of trouble.
Samuel Herman. the pal who is also
under arrest. denies that any money was
paid to enable him to beat a charge of
burglary lodged against him last Novem-
Der. Nevertheless, the charge against
him was dropped. and that i'm spite OF
evidence which the District Attorney be-
lieves justified holding him for the grand
jury.
Cohen has been under arrest for several
weeks for burglary committed in Pearl
street Yesterday Herman was brought
to the District Attorneys office us pos
sibe witness against Cohen. He was
wearing q new suit. and silk handker-
chief. initiated with sprawling "A,
/ hung from his breast pocket.
Joseph Russo. one Of District Attorney
Whitmans detectives noticed the initial
and he and Detective Thomas put him
under a crossfire of questions Herman
| said he had bought the handkerchief at a
, bargain sale and had not noticed the
initial on il
Cohen saw by the trend of the questions
that Herman was under suspicion and
! drew the detectives to one side. Herman
/ he said. was the slickest burglar on tn.
East Side, and the clothes he was wearing
were part of the loot from a burglary IN
Duane street shop. Cohen could not
remember the number of the shop. but
was sent out in the custody of Detectives
| Ravens and Flood and pointed out the
| place to them.
They brought the proprietor TO the Dis
| trict Attorneys office, where he identified
/ the clothes and the handkerchief as prop
erty stolen from him. Herman was ar
raigned I'm the Tombs court on short
affidavit charging him with completely II
| the burglary and held for forty-eigh
hours for further examination.
Cohen apparently came to the decision
that the jig was up with the arrest Of
Herman, and told an amazing story OF
the immunity which he said the mos
I dexterous of East Side burglars enjoyed
by paying protection" to the police. Las
November, he said, Herman. who was or
dinarily immune from arrest was locked
up for a burglary IN Pike street. a!
! though "A policeman who. Cohen said, was
in Hermans pay was in the vicinity III
was unable to prevent the arrest. Th'
policeman or one of his friends who IVA:
in. laxf In.
charge sidetracked later Cohen said
after the informer and friend had col
lected $50 from the bunch" and left 1t II
a saloon Ito be called for
The records regarding the Pike stree
burglary were examined and show tina
in one respect at least Cohen's story u
true Herman was arrested, but subse
auently discharged. II was explained Il
the magistrate that the complainant coulC
not be found II is said that the victim
went TO the police station, but failed Il
identify the stolen property as his.
The District Attorney has evidence tina
when Herman was arrested burglars
tools were found in his room. No charge
OF having them in his possession wa
made against Herman. however The Dis
trict Attorney is at loss to UNDERSTAND
why. if Cohens story is not true, nothint
was said in the magistrate court abou
the burglars tools
| Evidence regarding other crimes II
which Herman is said 10 be implicated Il
i'm the hands of the District Attorney. an'
II is believed that before many days Their
will be so many accusations against hin
that he will tell the truth about his career