New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-08
GANGS WEAKENING
UNDER CROSS FIRE
New Election Laws and
knowledge of Thugdom
Undermining System.
EXPOSE EXPECTED TO
INVOLVE EVEN BENCH
GoldStein Would Have City Be-
gin Campaign Against Crime
in Children's Court.

Two germs hostile to the further
development Of gang rule in New York
are already working in the leaven. One
factor Is destructive, the other con
structIve. One is the increasing
knowledge of the intricate manipula
tion Of thugdom that ia coming q
honest officials, and the other is the
suggestion Of election law reform with
the purpose of making the gangstel
unnecessary in politics
In the Rosenthal case. in the Bafi
case and IN a host of others Of les:
Importance knowledge has come q
the District Attorneys office that has
been filed away for future use. Any
day the link may come which will
make the information valuable. II
may be furnished by some one of the
dozen gangsters now in the Tombs
When it comes it is confidently be
lieved tina: officials past and present
some Of them perhaps on the bench to-
day, will be shackled as criminals
with the gangsters.
The effect is already 20 be seen m
the morale of the gang. No longer are
they content 10 take their bit II
silence. This weakening of their de-
fences IS something that grows by geo
metrical progression. One gang lead
er having done a Bit" the next is less
likely 20 remain s.oical, having in mind
the fear that his neighbor in the next
cell may squeal. As put by a mar
who once bore the reputation of lead
ing one Of the most powerful OF the
East Side gangs:
ut amt Woods. lie don't know how
to run the Police Department. lt'
blokes like this Bonnie Schneider. Nc
sooner they get locked up than they
come the Bonnie Schneider act
"Nigger Bonnie" Schneider ha'
played the part of an intormer since
he has been in the TombS.
Wants Old System Back.
The same authority had his OWL
permanent remedy for the gang EVIL
il is given here for what it is worth
Coming from sucn a source, and from
a gangman Who appeared TO hate thu
Police Commissioner, 1t was taken a
an Endorsement Of the present polio!
of the Police Department.
"You can't get any action wltnou
YOU go back to the old system. fol
know that. Give the captains bacl
their wardmen. That's the best tnlnl
TO be done. i'm my estimation. VIVA
does a Uniform cop know what's goln
on here or there? He's got to be at
certain place at a certain time, an he
got TO walk up this block an dow
that. That's all that's worryin' MN
lie don't mix. He can't mix.
But take the wardman, now. III
takes a walk around an he drops II
mere. maybe. or in there, an here h
hears somethin', or there ne hear
somethin'. and he knows what's what
He knows who's in his district, an HI
knows what they're dom, an he know
he can put his finger on 'em II n
wants EN-.
Take piece of change now an
then? Why, say. you don't expect
conner to let anything slip through
his fingers. do you? That don't Gu
anv ice. The thing of it is, the ward
man. he knows who's who an he car
find EN- any hour of the day or night
That's the main thing"
Commissioner Woods is delivering
smashing blows at the gangs. AT
time when their resources are depiete'
he has sifted his force and found th'
,,or, smasbers he wants. He has sen
tben ont with letters Of marGue.
Heads. Then Nightsticks.
Whom he became Police Commission
or vaar .go, he had two ideals
eo,,ore deal for the policeman and the
smashing Of the gangs. He believes
he il in a fair way to accomplish ooth
during mis- first days in office ne
talked Of The revival OF the nightstick
II was not until he had completed ms
nlan of campaign and selected ms
men. however, that he got his hgn'
against gangsters well under way.
hi, mon to use their nightsticks, but
he wanted them to use their heads
first. That is what they are, DOING
now. The ghost Of old General Order
: is still substantial enough to give
pause TO the patrolman inclined 10 re-
verse the operation. Complaints may