The sun., 1919-08-19
BURGLAR ALARMS
OWNER CONVICTED
Gives Swami Large Slumber
Disturber as a Memento
of "Nuisance."
SENTENCE is SUSPENDED
Police Protested on Stair
Climbing and Night Watch
man on Losing Maps.

Jacob Ginsberg, who manufacturers
women's dresses on the sixth floor Of
the loft building at 40 West Twenty
second street, was convicted yesterday
in the Court Of Special Sessions on the
charge OF maintaining nuisance by
having ten inch burglar alarm gong
attached to the outside wall OF the
building. Eight residents Of the neigh
borhood. including night Waterman
at nearby garage, who complained
bitterly that the noise kept him awake
testified that the gong would ring con-
tinously anywhere from two to twenty
four hours, and that nobody was ever
able to find burglar about.
Ginsbers's conviction is the frst that
District Attorney Swami has obtained
in a case Of this sort. 1t will be re-
called that some time ago Sheriff David
Knott, who owns two or three hotels in
the vicinity, called the attention Of the
District Attorney to the fact that the
burglar alarms were ringing so often
and making such an Internal racket
that they disturbed the righteous slum-
bers of his guests.
Other residents of the district, includ-
ing the night Waterman, wrote letters
10 Mr.. Swami protesting against the
burglar alarms. the night watchmen de-
claring that until the burglar alarms
were put in the burglars that came
around never bothered him a bit, but
that since then the gongs rang 90 much
he got no sleep whatever while he was
on duty
When the police also notified Mr..
Swami that they considered a burglar
alarm gong a nuisance, as 1t involved
sometimes walk up six or seven flights
OF stairs in chase of burglar who
would be gone when they got there, the
District Attorney notified the firms own
Ing gongs that unless they had them
removed they would have to suffer the
consequences. The officials OF the vari-
Gus concerns did not believe there would
be any consequences. so they said cheer
FULLY that they would suffer them.
The police. at the time Mr.. Swami be-
gan his crusade, were particularly Bit
ter against the gongs, and in their be-
half the District Attorney asked cut
t!ngly II the people who had the gongs
thought the police had nothing better
10 do than to run around closing win
dows that burglars had left open.
ne court ueIeTTeu ScntcHCe III tHe
case of Ginsberg, who thanked the court
and then made the District Attorney q
present of the gong.
You take it," he said. II had an
idea when installed 1t that might get
a burglar, but all got was arrested"
Mr. Swami said yesterday that he
would use Ginsbergs gift as evidence
against the others who have been indict-
ed by the Grand Jury on similar charges
One of these Is Simon b. Hess, president
of the Metropolitan Electrical Protective
Company OF 130 West Twenty-sixtf
street. Mr.. Swami says that Mr.. Hess
has installed 500 of these burglar alarm
gongs, mostly on loft buildings, and that
he gets 50 a month for making then
ring at ungodly hours.
The District Attorney declared that II
didn't take burglar to ring Mr.. Hess''
gongs-they ring at the slightest move
ment and oftentimes for no reason a.
all. And when they once start ringing
they never quit unless some one climbs
the stairs and turns them of.
The theory upon which these gong
are based is all wrong" said Mr.
Swami. Noise alone may attract a coy
occasionally. but 1t will never chase q
burglar away. 1t wouldn't be so bad Il
the gongs rang only when the window
was opened by a burglar. but they rint
any old time and all the time"