Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-05-14
GANG ExPOSE
PLEASES PRIEST
Father McDermott Predicts
''The Crack in the Bell"
Will Help City
CAREY ADDS HIS PRAISE

The Rev u. ]. McDermott. rector
Of st. Mary's Catholic Church. Fourth
and Spruce streets. today paid high
tribute TO Peter Clark MacFarlane's
story, The Crack in the Bell" now be-
ing published serially in The Evening
Public Ledger.
He declared that in publishing this
story. which he termed n psychological
essay" the Evening Public Ledger is do
Ing much good, both for the residents
of the Fifth Ward and for city govern
ment In general. He characterized the
author Of The Crack In the Bell an
adept student of English and "a Won
der" In putting logical facts in interest
ing story form.
Father McDermott's comment follows:
"The EVENING PUBLIC LEDGER has
done the residents of the FIFTH Ward
md the city government great good in
the serial publication OF The Crack In
the Bell I would be pleased to term II
more Of psychological essay than IA
mere newspaper story depicting events
which have made this ward a disgrace to
Its surroundings.
Il sometimes have wondered whether
the very site of Independence Hall were
In safety when entrusted to the custody
of the Fifth Ward. I cannot help out
feel that Mr.. Macfarlane will accomplish
much with his story The Crack in the
Bell. and | look for Philadelphia to
profit from II even ten years hence
1T is seldom that newspaper serial
story. reaches to the roots of the evil
discussed but in THE Crack in the
Bell" | believe this has been done The
author is a wonder He has made his
characters real living beings who find
themselves as much at home in the midst
of the selected 400" as they do when
conversing with the poor downtrodden
jew on South street.
II was never more agreeably sur
prised than by reading your story--a
story which explains that even he who
runs may read of the conditions here
which have made II necessary to term
this ward the Bloody Fifth Allow me
to say that the author of the The Crack
in the Bell outside of having the facts
in substantial shape. is "A master of Eng
lish. gifted with the talent to make the
readers actually see as he wants them
to see"
Father McDermott was particularly
interested in the club-wielding proweSs
of "Strongburger" and said he was only
trolled police system
He drew Il vivid picture ef Macfar-
lanes police character beating the jew
merchant and compared it with the
assault upon Benjamin Janovitz, pro-
prietor of Rumanian restaurant at 5ll
South Fourth street, on saturday Fa-
ther McDermott suggested that such po-
licemen ought to he removed from the
district, at least, and then, If charges
against them be found wanting they
be reinstated. He said that in this way
no injustice could befal the accused
patrolmen
The priest, whose charge Is located
virtually in the heart of the Fifth Ward,
deplored the fact that in the recent af-
fairs in the ward accused policemen
were allowed to remain connected with
the district station house to continue
operating as tools of petty politicians"
Political leaders. among them the
principal factors in the Fifth Ward
murder case, today commented on THE
Crack in the Bell Among the COM
mentS were:
James A. Carey, Mercantile Appraiser
II see no reason why the characters
in The Crack in the Bell" should have
been camouflaged. II the author wanted
to speak of Levan, Bennett, or the rest
of the bunch, he should have come out
with it as Levan and Bennett, not as
Devan and Fish.
1T was a queer coincidence that last
Saturday, when The Crack in the Bell"
started. an exact occurrence took place
in the Fifth Ward. as the author de-
picted in the story-the story of a Jew
being terrorized by police methods.
Saturday evening a Rumanian Jew,
one of my friends. was terrorized by the
police and beaten into submission for
almost the identical thing. He was
sent to the hospital and then was ar
rested. as was his wife.
'MacFarlane. the author of THE
Crack in the Bell" knows thing or
two
Lieutenant David Bennett. indicted
for conspiracy In the Fifth Ward mur-
der case-I am not interested any
longer in the Fifth Ward or stories
pertaining to it, I am stationed at the
Third and Dickinson streets station to
do police duty, and only my duty shall
do"
"Ike" Deutsch. Ware leader of the
Fifth Ward-Well, they gave your story
good sitle. anyway, but I have been
so busy that / haven't had time to
read it all. I know The Crack in the
Bell won't do me or my side any good
IF you expect to get criticism of
the story from the Fifth Ward resi-
dents. you've got fine job on your