New-York tribune., 1919-06-19
Assistant District Attorney
Denounces Zeal of De-
tectives and Judges Who
Imprison the Innocent
Policeman May Be Sued
Woman Placed in Cell for
Speaking to Friend Of Her
Husband Has Case Pending

Mayor Hylan yesterday ordered an
inquiry into the arrest Of Lillian Co.
hen and Sally Goblin, accused of flirt-
ing with army officers and held in Jail
for four days. They were exonerated
Tuesday by Judge Rosalsky In the
Court Of Appeals. The young women
said they would follow Judge Rosals.
ky's advice and bring suit for damages
against Detective John ]. Gunson, Of
the vice squad, who arrested them.
According to Samuel Markewich, As
sistant District Attorney, who con-
Quoted the case Of the girls before
Judge Rosalsky, innocent girls are en-
tirely at the mercy Of members Of the
vice squad who are ambitious to score
a large number Of arrests, and Of
magistrates who are overzealous.
Similar Case Pending
There is a similar case pending
now before the Appellate Division"
said Mr.. Markewich, Gin which two
women were walking through Peacock
Alley and were seen to stop and speak
to man. Presently they all went out
and took taxi. A detective followed
them, opened the door of the taxi,
and put the women under arrest. Ac-
cording to his testimony. he asked the
man if he was acquainted with the
women and the man had answered
that he was not.
when the case came to trial the
husband of one of the women appeared
and identified the man as an old friend
of the family. In spite of that the
magistrate found the women guilty.
"The courts Of this city are in
terrible condition, when innocent wcm-
en- may be held on the uncorroborated
evidence of a detective, and must
prove her innocence instead of being
protected by the old Anglo-Saxon pre-
sumption of innocence, leaving it in
cumbent upon the State to prove her
guilt.
Zone way to solve the problem would
be to compel the men involved in the
case to appear at the court, either as
witnesses or prisoners.
"Ihe necessity for this is apparent
when you know that police detectives.
in order to defend their own reputa-
tions, will not admit they have made
mistake, but lie as to the statements
made by the men. In the case of the
two women I referred to before the
man in the taxicab declares now that
he told the officer he was a friend of
the family. If he had told that in
court the case would have been settled
at once"
Went to Girls Rescue
Mr.. Markewich said he had been ac-
quainted with the family of Miss
Goblin ever since she was a child, and
that it was only through this fact that
justice finally had been done the girls,
as they were entirely ignorant of their
right to appeal their case.
~ went to see Miss Goblin at once"
he said, land learned that her conduct
with the two army lieutenants was
that OF almost any young woman dur
ing these careless war times She is
employed in the Quartermaster's Of ,
flce, where she meets a great many
young officers daily. When the officer
spoke to her she thought he was some
one from the Office. When he asked
her to go to a restaurant and have a
drink she refused and started home.
She and her friend were waiting for
their street car when they were ar
rested"
The inference that innocent girls are
IN danger of arrest through the false
energies of detectives was hotly denied
by many officials connected with the
judicial and Police Departments last
night.
Assistant District Attorney Freder-
lex ): Sullivan said that during the
period from January, 1918, to May,
1919, there had been 145 appeals from
the decisions of the Women's Nieht
Court in only sixteen of which had
there been reversals. These, he said
were entirely upon technical grounds.
Judge Warns Police
Judge Rosalsky, who delivered the
the two girls, said:
"1n the fourteen years of nv experi-
ence as judge I have known only
four cases in which an innocent girl
has been unjustly found guilty.. In
the vast majority of cases, of course.
the woman is guilty, as any macis-
trate with any knowledge of human
nature can determine.
"However, / have repeatedly warned
members of the police force against
arresting women without evidence and
have insisted that the men involved
should be brought into court. Only in
his way can the rights of an inno-
,ent woman be safeguarded."
Chief City Magistrate McAdoo re-
used to discuss the case, but pointed
'ut that magistrates of the Women's
Night Court are bound by very def
lite laws of evidence.
mo greater misfortune could come
% this city than a hasty conclusion
hat innocent-chaste and decent women
we're being convicted and sent to prison
through the Vaccinations of the no.
ice with the approval of the magis-
rates in the Women's Court" he said.
Nothing could be further from the
ruth. l say this as having had moro
'r less control of that court for tho
asst nine years and the experience of
former Police Commissioner"
Miss Cohen lost her position as .
'aleswoman when the first reports of