The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-12
M'ADOO TELLS WAY
TO DRIVE OUT GANGS
Chief Magistrate Would End
Recruiting Of Gunner
In Dance Halls.
URGES WAR IN PRECINCTS
No Bail for Straus Murder Pris-
Oners-WOrkhouse for
% ROwdies.
URGES WAR IN PRECINCTS

Chief Magistrate William McAdoo. a
former Police Commissioner. believes that
the gangs of New York can be broken UP
and that idle and vicious gangsters can
be so dosed with harsh treatment that
they will go to work or get out Of town.
The Chief Magistrate suggests q pro-
sramme of practical methods. but he
wanted II understood that he was not
attempting to give unsolicited advice TO
Mayor Mitchell or TO Commissioner
Mckay.
TT is simply said Judge NicAdoo.
that from my own experience as Police
Commissioner. Judge and citizen of New
York | think ! know where much of the
trouble lies and what some Of the reme-
dies ought to be. The gang problem IL
II hard one, but II liz not impossible of
solution. 1t will take brains. though.
us we'll rs energy. And it will require
sincere cooperation on the part of all
classes of public officials.
Urges Vigilance in Precincts.
First. l believe that the uniformed
patrolmen, the men on post. should be
required to be more obseryant. They
should be required to know what kind
OF people live in their precincts. They
their superiors on every individual who
seems to be living without work. who
is noticeably idle when others are labor
ing.
THE men regularly on duty IN every
precinct know or ought to know who
the suspicious characters are In their
precincts. Ordinary intelligence and a
little more industry are all that they
need 10 study the precinct situations.
III Headquarters had such reports.
Headquarters would at least know the
whereabouts of idle. perhaps dangerous
characters Headquarters might be able
TO find way To question such persons
and TO keep them under a stiff thumb.
Second. there should be very strict
policing OF tough balls. This would be
possible under the law. We know that
the dances Of this or that so-callod social
club are merely excuses for orgies on the
part of the most vicious kind of men and
women. At these dances recruits for the
gangs are secured
How Gang Recruits Are Won.
BOYS and very Young men who attend
such affairs hear gang leaders and gang
fighters praised and Elorihed, see that
such persons get plenty Of money without
working for II and so are attracted 20
gang life. They become thieves, as
sociates Of bad women and very often
richest sources of revenue for the gang
leaders. Saloon keepers. gamblers and
even legitimate business men are black
mailed into buying punches Of tickets at
anywhere from 81 to IS a ticket
"All such dances should be strictly po-
Iced and many OF them should be sup
pressed altogether. That would not he
difficult. Any rendezvous of notorious
characters is a public nuisance and the
sA,,t . ,,l,
proprietor persisted he could he prose-
cuted.
II want 10 say. also. that too much
laxity is shown IN regard to boxing
matches. The worst men I'm New York
frequent the glove fights held IN Madison
Square Garden and elsewh here in large or
small halls. Pickpockets. strong arm
men. gun fighters. toughs Of every de-
scriptiun throng at such affairs. ! don't
say necessarily that the fights should
not be permitted. but I do say that there
ought 10 he stricter policing.
Ad,iscs Closer search for Guns.
Another practical aid to putting down
gangsters would be more activity on the
part Of policemen in friskng suspected
pistol carriers. II is felony to carry a
dangerous weapon. An officer has the
right to take the initiative when he sus-
poets that there is one In tho pockets of
somebody in his precinct. He has the
right to examine that mans clothing
There Is no legal objection and no hon
est man would object, anyway.
Il would like to emphasize again TIN.
necessity OF more activity on the part of
the uniformed force, the men on post. The
business OF keeping tab on crooks, gang
sters and suspicious characters cannot be
done entirely by special squads. The most
efhclent agents Of the department would
be the men In uniform II they were wide
awake and energetic.
inducements might he offered 10 the
ratrolman TO make him more alert, to use
his wits and be som et hing more than an
animated uniform. Under present rules
"a patrolman's advancement is slow unless
he attracts attention. hence he is on the
lookout for runaway horses to stop, sui
cides 10 rescue from the river and oppor.
tunties for spectacular display These
things count IN ms record, but the ordi-
nary. everyday well doing of police duty
counts for little but to keep his slate
clean.
Il should suggest that patroimen be
assured that full credit toward promotion
Will be given for diligence In keeping SUI
periors Informed and dcvisng means for
making themselves useful In ways not
strictly in line with their patrol work
| Such an incentive would spur all the
really worth while patrolmen TO use their
heads as well as their feet"
The four men held yesterday for the
murder OF Frederick Straus, BENJAMIN
| Fem, Rubin kaplan. Able Beckorman and
Harry Wechster. who calls himself Cor
| don, were held without bail yesterday by
Coroner Feinberg for examination to-mor-
row.
Indications OF a more vigorous policy
h.. 10 he
yesterday in the action of Magistrate
| Levy in sending to the workhouse twenty
| eight out of thirty men who were ar
| raigned before him on charges OF dis
| orderly conduct They received Ave day
sentences. They were picked up by the
police in Saturday nights roundup.