The sun., 1919-05-11
SAVES "a FAMILIES
FROM BEING EVICTED
John Jerome Rooney, Lawyer
and Song Writer, Has
Everybody Pleased.
RENT ADVANCE Is HALTED
City Officials Hope Landlords
Compromise With Strikers
May Be Emulated.

Members Of twenty-four families at 367
Hinsdale street. Brooklyn, arose yester-
day convinced that they were to be dis
possessed from their homes tomorrow
BY q city marshal and his -schlcppers"
They went to bed last night happy in the
assurance that they could stay right
where they are under lease for the next
nine months. And they got much Joy
out Of the fact that their rent will be
less than the figure demanded by their
landlord before they Joined In the ten
ants strike and he decided to put them
out.
The man who dissipated the tenants
domestic clouds and caused tho sun to
shine for them was John Jerome Rooney.
once writer and ex-presiding Judge OF
the New York State Court OF Claims
Judge Rooney composed Right Makes
Might" the official hymn of the city OF
New York. and It IL understood he
hummed the hymn softly while engaged
az official fixer in this particular land
iord-tenant rumpus.
Just how the lawyer who wrote The
Man Behind tho Gun" during the Span
fsh-American war succeeded in inducing
the landlord and his tenants to kiss and
mako up was not made public. 1t was
announced. however. that the tenants
were terribly tickled and that the land
heart that he said he hoped other land
lords would 20 and do likewise.
Hears BRownsvflls Committee.
Judge Rooney took his turn yesterday
afternoon at the headquarters Of the
Mayors committee on rent profteering
as q member Of the Democratic orRar-
ization's law committee detailed to help
tenants get q square deal. He received
a committee Of men and women repre-
senting the twenty-four families in the
Louis Halpertn, the landlord, had OBJ
tanned warrants Of eviction
The spokeEnen told the usual tale OF
Brownsville tenants' tribulations. They
explained that Halperin started In las,
fall to boost rents from nifty cents e
u a month until the rents Of a three
room apartment had been increased
from s1s to $40 and Of q four room
apartment from SIS to $22. They told
OF the refusal OF tenants to hand I'D an.
other cent and Of their unanimous deci.
sion to 60 on strike. They related how
the landlord had gone to court to have
them disposseesed % he could fll up the
house with tenants who would pay in.
creased rents and all were sure they
DIDN'T know what they were going tc
do II they were put out on the street.
Judge Rooney next had a heart-to-
heart talk with Halperin. 1t was a Ions
distance chat over the telephone. Ths
lawyer reminded Mr.. Halperin that h,
(Halperin) was one Of a committee o.
eleven from the Brownsville Landlords
Protective Association who called upor
Chairman Nathan Hirsch of the Mayor
committee on Friday and promised I,
cooperate with the committee In reliev
Ing some OF the existing abuses. H
made a FIRST class argument based oil
the law and the heart.
Mr.. Halperin was willing to meet hi
tenants In q spirit of compromise. H
was glad to do what was fair. he said
Peace Treaty Follows Truce.
After many suggestions and mucl
weighing OF various proposals, Mr.. Hal
ns~in and his fighting tenants aRreAd 4,