Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-22
"JOE" CALL AT LAST
DISMISSES HIS THREE
STRAW BAIL ALLIES
Magistrate Forced to Tell
Gilman, Fishman and
Gross to Get Out-Aron S
Clean Bill of Health.

Magistrate Joe" Call today notified
District Attorney Rotan that he had dis
missed from his office Joseph Fishman
Jake" Gilman, his former Constable
and Samuel Gross. The dismissals are
the result of pressure brought to bear
on Call by the District Attorney follow
ing the latest straw-bail scandal origin
ating in the Girard avenue Magistrates s
office.
This ends the active investigation into
the charge of Isaac Friedman, of 1920
Girard avenue, that his name had been
forged to a bail bond. The District At
torncy said today, however, that he in
tends to keep careful eye on Calls
office In the future and will hold open
the present case for further investigation
should there appear good chance to get
further evidence.
Call, who is close friend and fire.
quent poker companion of Senator James
T. McNichol, through whom he secures
his political strength, will be required TO
show that the new staff of assistants he
hires in place of Gilman. Fishman and
Gross are not of the same stamp, ac-
COGulnP 10 the DlSlTlCl Attorney.
CLEAN BILL FOR ARON.
Another phase of the fake bail scandal
was reviewed today by Mr.. Rotan. and
Max Aron. the attorney for Friedman,
received a clean bill of health. Aron pre-
sented to the Municipal Court a letter
from New York purporting TO show that
Frank Bohrer, a defendant charged with
III.
appeared. had enlisted and gone TO Vera
Cruz. 1t was testified by Mrs. Friedman
that this letter was "fixed up" by at
taches of Calls office so that her hus-
band would escape forfeit OF the hail
bond of 5000 for Bohrer TO which Fried
mans name was signed Friedman can
not read or write English except his
name. and this explains why he did not
discover until later that the signature
to The bail bond was a forgery.
MIR. Aron explained In detail his con-
nection with the case said Mr.. Rotan
land | believe what he told me. | con-
slider that his part In the case was en-
tirely ethical and that no criticism can
be directed against him in any way"
Mr. Rotan was asked to explain why it
was necessary for the District Attorneys
office to do the hOusecleaning for Magis-
trate Call. 1t was pointed out to him
that other Magistrates manage to keep
their offices in order and he was asked il
Call had made any explanation.
The District Attorney said it was a
source of constant surprise to him that
he had to watch Call so closely and
that the Magistrate failed to clean out
his office without orders TO that effect.
Mr., Rotan also explained that, while he
could use his influence 10 bring about
the barring from Calls office of Gilman.
Fishman and Gross, he could not take
any steps directly against Call without
evidence duplicating the Magistrate.
HOME OF STRAW BAIL CASES
straw bail scandals have been emanat-
ing from Calls office for years, but 1t
was not unit! a comparatively recent date
that any success was had in breaking up
the practice. Gilman now is under in
dictment ana awaiting trial ON the charge
OF eNtortion. a new trial was granted
to Fishman after he had been found
guilty on the same charge, and this re-
trial is pending. Several other former
attaches of the office have been found
guilty and sentenced or are awaiting trial
on various charges connected with straw
The order to Call 10 dismiss Gilman,
Fishman and Gross was issued by Mr.
Rotan at the conference they helG last
Saturday. Previously Call had promised
TO keep Fishman out of his office, but
had failed TO do so. He tried 10 defend
himself oy declaring that he simply per
mltted Fishman to use the office in his
real estate business, but the District At
torney insisted that the man be kept out
IN the future. Today Call notified the
District Attorney that the connection Of
the three had been severed.