The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-08-28
MAYOR ORDERS
POLICE TO SEIZE
RIOT INCITERS
Anti-Jew Orator, Who Fled
Madison Square Mob Held
in $500 Bail for Trial.
SWAMI STARTS INQUIRY
City Magistrates to Cooperate
in Quenching Soapbox
Firebrands.

Mayor Mitchell took action yesterday
looking toward the muzzling OF. soapbox
| agitators of the type OF Russell Dunno,
the young man who has been making
street speeches in various parts Of the
city attacking the Jews. DUNES
harangue in Madison Square Saturday
| afternoon was resented by a young
| militiamen and a riot was narrowly
| averted
The Mayor wrote a letter to Police
Commissioner Woods not only directing
him to instruct the police to make
arrests for such breaches as that COM
mitted by Dunno but also ordering an
investigation into the action OF Police
Sergeant OConnor in permitting Dunno
to escape after his arrest had been or
dered by Justice Leonard A. Snitkin o:
the Municipal Court
District Attorney Swami also began
an inquiry into Dunne's offences. In
addition prominent Jews Of the city
made preliminary arrangements for a
mass meeting to be held at the Young
Mems Hebrew Association clubhouse,
Lexington avenue and Nnety-second
street, Thursday night. when steps will
be taken in an inquiry TO determine
what influences, II any, are behind Dunno
| In his campaign Of religious agitation.
AEitator Held In $500 Hail.
Dunno has been posing as repre-
sentative OF the Midday Minute Men. but
Francis Schmidt. vice-president, speak
| ing for the organization, emphatically
disclaimed any responsibility FOR the
| young mans utterances on religious or
racial questions.
Though the police permitted Dunno
to escape Saturday afternoon Justice
| Snitkin saw to IL that he was arrested
later and Magistrate Francis X Nc
Quade held the speaker In $500 bail
for trial tonight on a disorderly con-
| duct charge.
! Mayor M.tchels letter to Police Com
| missioner Woods follows:~
! "Sfnce writing you my letter concern
Ing utterances by street speakers in
violation OF the law my attention has
been called to the fact that certain
speakers notably one Russell Dunno, have
| been engaged in scurrilous and vituper-
ative attacks upon people of the Jewish
| religion 1t appears that Dunno was
arrested for uttering foul language and
making attacks OF the above nature at
| street meeting on Saturday.
Attacks of this kind at public gather
ings are manifestly calculated to incite
| to breaches OF the peace. VIII you be
| good enough to instruct the police to
be vigilant and prompt in making ar
| rests for breaches OF the law Of this
| character?
THE statement has also been made
to me that a police sergeant named
O'Connor was at fault In permitting the
escape OF n prisoner arrested for abusive
language at the meeting which occurred
on Saturday afternoon at Madison
| Square. VIII you please look into this
| matter In order to determine whether
there was culpability and report to me
thereon"
Charges Inciting to Riot.
Justice Snitkin went before the Dis
;rict Attorney yesterday afternoon and
asked that a charge OF melting to riot
be brought against Dunno. Mr.. Swami
instructed one OF his assistants to in
yestigate the case, but said no action
would be taken until after tonight .
court hearing. Justice Snitkin showed
the District Attorney what purported to
he a verbatim report of speech made
In Brooklyn recently in which. according
to the stenographer's records. Dunno
made the statement In referring to a
Justice Of the United States Supreme
Court: Judge Brandeis is a white
livered Jew bum"
I'VE propose to find out. II possible.
Just who is behind all this anti-Jewish
propaganda,"- said Robert Angelow!tz.
superintendent of the Daughters of
Israel day nursery, regarding Thursday
nights mass meeting. I'VE don't believe
Dunno and men like him are making
such speeches for their health. We
consider such campaign extremely OBJ
jectionable particularly in time OF war
when Americans of every creed and
every nationality should stand to-
gethsr."
Second Deputy Police Commissioner
Frank A. Lord began an invcstiga tion
last evening at the instance of Commits
sioner Woods.
Existing Law Is Adequate.
The Board of City Magistrates, at a
special meeting yesterday decided that
the existing law defining disorderly con-
duct Is amply sufficient to stop soapbox
orators from making street speeches that
contain disioyal utterances. and notice
was sent to the Police Commit ss!oner
that IL the police brought In the Of
tenders the magistrates would attend to
them.
Soapbox orators and their recent ut
terances formed the sole topic OF discus
sion at the session. The many COM
plants that have come concerning the
seditious street talks of volunteer speak
ers have brought the subject strons ly
home to the local Judges.
Chief Magistrate McAdoo, speaking
for his associates, said:
"There is no desire on the part of the
Magistrates to interfere with freedom OF
speech, but the right OF free speech does
not extend to allowing any one to 20
out to n public place, harangue crowd
with infammatory remarks In time OF
war, Intended to obstruct the Govern
ment, hinder its operations against n
common enemy and pHovoke peaceful cit
izens, some Of whom have relatives In
the army and navy who are prepared
to make the supreme sacrifice In behalf
Of the nation.
1--WE must anticipate the time, In the
natural fortunes of war. when we will
be having daily casualty lists OF dead
and wounded. and public feeling will be
deeply hnd r@entfully aroused against
people who obtrsldc their views In public
places. II no reasonable degree Of re-
striction is placed upon such occurrences
we run. in my opinion, great danger OF
serious public disorder"