Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-17
WARDLEADERS CHARGE
COERCION OF M'NICHOL
AND PENROSE FRIENDS
Definite Accusations of Intimi-
dation of Small Shopkeep-
ers Into Supporting
Wares Made
HAZLETT MAKES DENIAL

Definite charges that the police are be.
ing used to intimidate Penrose and Nc.
Nichol followers and that they are coerc-
ing small shopkeepers into supporting the
Wares, have been made by McNichol ward
leaders.
Albert S. Henry. McNichol follower, and
Republican City Committeeman from the
43d Ward, is threatening to take legal
action against Police Lieutenant Johnston
on charge of intimidating small mer-
chants. He also openly accuses Recorder
of Deeds James NJ, Hazlett, Ware lieuten-
ant, OF coercion.
Followers of County Commissioner Rob-
ert j. Moore, leader of the 4th Ward, who
is aligned politically with McNichol and
Penrose, have also charged Lieutenant
Echtermeyer, Ware follower, with in
tinidation. They have alleged that Ech-
termeyer yesterday placed policemen in
front of the stores of Jewish merchants
along South, Bainbridge and connecting
streets and refused to permit them to
make sales until they agreed to support
State Senator Samuel w. Salus, who is
being backed by the Wares for City Com
mittee against Moore.
City Committeeman Henry Ia candi-
date for reelection to the committee. His
opponents for the ward leadership are
State Senator william Wallace Smith and
Magistrate Byron r. Wrigley
One employe of the Recorder of Deeds
Office was discharged by Recorder HaZ.
lett and another asked to resign. accord
ing to Henry, because they declined to
turn in" for the Wares
'T charge Hazlett with coercion" said
Mr. Henry last night, "and am prepared
to back my statements by the testimony
of James F. Moran, who lives in the ith
Ward and Gustave F. >Reinicke, who
sits on the Ward Committee from the Sd
division.
II charge that Hazlett last Tuesday
sent Reinicke and told him that he must
stand with Smith and Wrlgley against me.
Gus said that he would not align him
self with these Ware leaders, but that he
was going with his friends. Hazlett then
demanded that he resign, but Relnicke re-
fused. Gus Is going to report tomorrow,
but is satisfied that he will be fired This
is direct coercion. and am going to make
q fight to have 1t stopped.
"Moran's case is even more fragrant.
He is a supporter of Bob Moore. Hazlett,
1 charge, called him into his office and
told him that he would have to turn in
for Salus. AS Moran refused he was
fired by a registered letter that arrived
at his home, at Kater and Randolph
streets, a few minutes after midnight
yesterday morning He was charged with
neglect of duty"
Recorder Hazlett denied last night that
he had demanded the resignation of en-
ployes. ANY man who says that 1 am
coercing employees in any manner Is a
liar" said the Recorder. THAT is plain
enough I guess"
II discharged one man, Moran, because
he had not been inside the office for three
or four days and was doing no work.
That's all about his case. ] discuss these
cases any time. too"
In the 4th Ward the Moore lieutenants
charge that the little merchants are per-
mitted to open Sundays If they do as they
are told.
- Several charges will be lodged with DI
rector Wilson against Lieutenant Echter.
meyer, the Moore followers say, but they
do not expect to accomplish anything ex-
cept to get the complaints on record,
Moore leutenants assert, too, that Sc
cret shifts of policemen and firemen were
made last week by Director Wilson on the
recommendation of Echtermeyer.
All of these men shifted were charged
by the "police czar" of the ward with
having been in sympathy with the Pen
rose-McNichol faction.
In this alleged secret shift the following
changes were made:
James Nealon, Falls of SchuylkiIl;
James Mcintyre, 65th street and Wood.
land avenue Thomas Hasson. Olney;
Benjamin Schad, street sergeant, to the
patrol wagon of the I'd division; Sergeant
Charles j. Roney sent to street duty from
the patrol wagon: Special officer Harry
Walker, to street duty, replaced by Will
lam Bozarth; Daniel Connors, turnkey, to
street duty.
BREAKS WILSON'S PLEDGE.
The open selling yesterday was viola
tion of a pledge made last week by Di-
rector Wilson to the Rev. Il. T. Mutchler,
president of the Philadelphia Sabbath
ssociation. according to the minister.
h director promised Doctor Mutchler
thai any violation of the blue" laws
would not be tolerated by the police.
Director Wilson said, when his atten-
tion was called to the situation, that
there must have been violation of or
ders," and added that "he would look into
it,"
Every police official in the Ware dis
trict said that he had instructed his men
TO be on the lookout for violations of the
law.