The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-14
GAFFNEY SUED FOR
100000 DAMAGES
W. L. Langevin Says By-PrOd-
ucts Company President
Caused Arrest.
WAS INDICTED TWICE
Lawyer Asserts He Was Vic
tim Of Conspiracy in Dis
pute Over Land.
WAS INDICTED TWICE

A damage suit for 100000 resulting
from an alleged conspiracy to cause his
arrest and prosecution on a false charge
Of criminal perjury was commenced In
the Supreme Court yesterday by William
Paschai Langevin. an attorney. against
James E. Gaffney, the millionaire presi-
dent of the Metropolitan By-Products
Company. Liston l. Lewis and Fred
erick T. Kelsey. counsel and directors
for the garbage disposal corporation;
Joseph J. Quinn. Alfred T. Jones, George
Rogers. William NJ. Greve and Daniel L.
Smith are also named as defendants.
Langevin also seeks to recover $4,000.
the sum he says It cost to fight success
fully the perjury charge brought against
him.
In the complaint filed in the County
Clerks once Langevln says he was In
the ONCE Of a fellow attorney at Rec
tor street July 81. 1916. when Smith. a
detective, appeared in plain clothes and.
without showing either a badge or a
warrant. arrested him in a brutal and
spectacular fashion. Langevin asserts
that Smith dragged him roughly through
force him into an elevator. Failing in
this, IAngevin says. the detective I'M
prisoned him in one OF tho offices in
the building. holding him there for thirty
minutes. until a uniformed policeman
arrived in response to a telephone call.
Then followed a trip through curious
pedestrians in the streets to Police
Headquarters and a further journey on
crowded surface car to the Jefferson
Market court. Langevin says. Upon his
arraignment there he was held by Magis-
trate McQuade for General Sessions in
bail OF $4,000
Langevin complains that his alleged
persecution began when he commenced
proceedings in the Richmond county mu-
nicipal court TO establish his title to a
sixty acre tract on Staten Island known
as Lake Island" He asserts that Gaff-
ney. Lewis. Kelsey and Greve met and
discussed the possible damage 10 the
Metropolitan By-Products Company
should the court issue a writ ousting
them from the property and giving it
into Lanseyin's possession.
As result Of the conference Gaffney
says they all maliciously decided 20
charge him with crime and caused his
arrest on criminal process with the
hope of ntimdating and frightening him
I into n stipulation disseminating the said
dispossess proceedings"
L!ston l.. Lewis and Assistant District
Attorney Van Casteel so 1t is alleged by
Langevin, were unduly friendly and
unduly. malicious in preparing the foun-
| dalton charges OF which the plaintiff was
| maliciousiy arrested and prosecuted"
Langevin says he was Indicted twice,
the second Indictment being returned
just as his counsel was about to obtain
| decision setting the first one aside
The second true bill was dismissed by
Justice Mulqueen last November. the
court deciding according TO Langevin
that the defendants. Gaffney and others
had mal!ciously. wantonly and without
| reasonable or probable cause harassesi
| inundated and unlawfully caused pla NJ
tiff TO he apprehended and maliciously
| prosecuted by them and each OF them -