Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-05
FIFTH WARD AUTOCRACY
"WORSE THAN RUMANIA,"
TESTIMONY OF RESIDENT

Benjamin Ianovitz, formerly a soldier in
the Ruhanian army, who keeps restau-
rant at Az GasltIl street, testified to police
oppression in the Fifth Ward as follows;
Mr. Gordon.--Q. Were you a Carey sup
porter? Did you support Carey? A. Yes.
Q. Did Sergeant Bookbinder come to you?
A. Yes
@. Tell us what he said? A. Sergeant
BOokhinder comes Sunday night between II
and 12, and he said: "Ianovitz am a SER
geant" ! said Yes very nice" He said,
"Do you know who make me a sergeant
The boss; de you know who the boss
Deutsch." He said, THE liettenant wants
to see you Monday afternoon about 4
o'clock"
@. What day in August was 1t that he
came in? a. 1t was about the 18th.
Q. Did you go to see the lieutenant? A. I
went at half-past in the station house,
and I found there Lieutenant Bennett and
Special officer Murphy, and they told me,
"Ianowitz, there is a big fight between
Deutsch and Carey"
Q. Who said that? A. Lieutenant Ben
nett.
@. A big fight between Carey and
Deutsch? A. Yes 1--WE want you to work
for Deutsch." I promised him "yes."
We'll, come with me in the club" and
he took me in the club, the Deutsch Club,
Lieutenant Bennett and Special Oflic r
Murphy and | went there in the club and
they looked for Deutsch downstairs They,
didn't find him downstairs and they took
me to the second floor, and found him there
on the second floor, Deutsch, and they
gave me chair. He said, "Ianovitz, /
want you to do something for me- to work
something in politics" l answered him, 81
am not politcianer, but | could vote for
you" "Wel" he said, NO, | want some
more from you" "All right" went home
In the evening he came into Rosenbaum.
@. When, the same day? A. The same
day, in the night with a paper, Rosen-
baum and Maverick
q. Rosenbaum and Maverick? A.
Maverick, Ed
G. Who else A. Haverick's brother-in-
law, don't know his name. He showed
me a paper to sign.
Q. Who showed II to you? A. Rosen-
baum, to get me to sign paper. ! asked
him what the paper was He said 81
want to move the petitioners polling place
from Bush to another place"
@. They wanted to move the polling
| place somewhere? A. From Bush to an
| other place, l answered couldn't sign this
paper because Bush Is a very dear friend
of mine and l could not go against him.
| Well" he said, 1--WE will send you in
| prison II you don't sign the paper Didn't
| you promise today at the Deutsch Club
| promised him you will be with Deutsch %
| es' nut l. cannot sign no paper Then
l went out After about o'clock there
came to me boy from the Deut sch Clul
| and told me that Deutsch wanted TO see
| me In the club. / came there and somebody
| there said, "Deutsch Is on the second floor
I came there on the second floor found
! Lieutenant Bennett and he took me on tn,
third floor. There was there a man named
! Goldsteln, who keeps a store on SoutI
street, He said, What is the matter, Iano
| vtZ, that you are against us?" | said
mo" why didn't you sign the paperY p
| We'll" l told him, 81 couldn't sign IN,
paper because Bush is a very good frient
of mine and l couldn't so against him.
well now, you say you will promise m,
that you win do anything for me?" ''Yes
! l can do nothing because they are all Gus
| toners i'm my place, part of Carey's an,
part of yours, and l couldn't mix in pol
itics business, 1t will ruin my business"
Q. You said a part of your customer
were for Carey and a part Of them? A
| Yes, and If they saw me mix in nolitic
l would lose my business. The lieuten m
said, aren't you afraid would close u
your whole business? told him tho ,yhol
street was with Carey, the neighbors an
II they saw me work open for YOU an
against Carey 1t will be against me. Tn
lieutenant said, IF you are afraid Of m
people through the neighborhood l can sen
you four officers to protect you in case the
do anything 10 you.
He says, Go on. we want to do some
thing" ! say. mo, can't do anythin
more only 10 give vote for you, that
all" We'll, 1 show you what we do :
you"
Q. Who said that? A. The lleutenan
Saturday night there came a sergeant Wit
the officer and he searched the place
Q. Who was the ofiicer2 A. II was
colored officer
Q. Do you see a colored man there (point
ing TO defendant Hayden)? A. This wa
the second week.
Q. He was not that first one? A. N,
There came an officer there and searche
the place. The sergeant give the order
! 70 the officer 70 stand there in the plac
J stand there n tne place, and finally an on
Ger comes there, apd when the custom.
comes % the table he was there looldr