The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-09
TENANTS RIOT, TRY
TO MOB LANDLORD
0sias Auster Rescued by Police
Reserves in Brownsville
District.
HYLAN AIDS THE EvICTED
Realty Owners Say Socialists
Instigate Rent Strike
by Threats.

by Threats.
For the first time since the housing
conditions became serious In this city,
evictions Of tenants in the Brownsville
section OF Brooklyn resulted in rioting
yesterday. Twenty-one disposseus no.
tees were handed to David Goldberg,
city marshal. for services and in ten
Instances the families were elected and
their household goods placed upon the
sidewalks In front OF their former DWELL
ings. Crowds OF indignant neigtlbors
gathered to discuss the situation Just as
meeting ended OF the Brownsville
Landlords Protective Association, at
1908 Pitkin avenue.
Osias Auster Of zoe Powell street. q
landlord. was making his way toward
the throng when an excited woman
pointed an accusing finger In his direc-
ton.
There's one of them now" she
screamed.
Instantly a mob closed about Auster,
tearing at his clothing and pulling at
his beard, despite his efforts 70 protect
himself. A call was sent In for the po-
lice reserves, who arrived and scattered
the crowd in time TO save Auster from
ser Gus injury
William Max Of 54s Powell street
also a landlord, was deluged with water
by his tenants. who stood inside their
windows with pals as he came to his
house TO inspect some rooms
Owners Of tenement houses in Browns
vilio were seriously concerned over the
situation there yesterday. Israel NJ
Lerner, who has been employed by them
n a aal NJ iv, ,.,ety A.
he charged that A. I. Shiplacoff, a for
mer Assemblyman Assembly man
Charles Solomon and Alderman Barnet
Wolf. were compelling tenants to Join in
the rent strike under threats of re-
vokng the Socialist union cards Of bread
winners Of the respective families.
school Children Dtspossessed.
Two Of the dispossessed tenants are
Sidney and Rachael Shilsky OF 500 Stone
street Their mother IL dead and their
father was at work when they came
home from school yesterday noon and
| started to get dinner for themselves A
coffee pot was boiling on the gas range
when van backed up to the house.
They opened the door In response to a
knock and were astonished when strange
men entered and began removing the
furniture.
Capt. G. A. Goldsmith OF the Mayor q
Committee on Rent Profiteering was
notified and was at n loss what to do for
| a time. as the children were minors, and
! no action could b. taken until their
| father could be reached. In the end.
however, they were taken In by a sister.
II Is charged that David Rosenberg. the
landlord rented the fiat over Shilslty' =
head. although the latter had agreed to
n raise OF - a month in case certain re-
| pairs were made TO the plumbing.
John Mcrsky of $50 RocNaway avenue,
"schlepper" employed by landlords tn
evict tenants. received an eviction HIM
self yesterday from Hyman Rubin,
| owner Of the house at 500 Rockaway
avenue in which Mersky has lived. De-
| tcrmined TO make the most OF a bad sit
uation Mersky succet ded in inducing the
landlord to employ him as "5ohlepper"
| TO tvct himself. and he received the
regular union rate of $50 a room for
putting his own household goods on the
| sidewalk
| In eleven Of the twenty.one cases
given to Marshal Goldberg yesterday
Capt. Goldsmith brought landlords and
tenants together in temporary agree.
ment. Preparations were made to re-
| ceive the ten evicted families in the
| Brooklyn Methodist Church. but in every
instance they were taken care Of By
friends or relatives.
| Several hundred dispos sess notices are
expected TO be placed in the hands OF
city narshals all over the city for ser.
vice to-day. Marshal Goldberg alone
will have ITS in the Brownsville section
Judge Cornelius Ferguson issued 166 In
The Seventh District Court, and Judge
William d. Niper thirteen more in the
Fourth District Court A large mum.
Der OF landlords have been subp9naed
by David Hirshfield. Commissioner OF
| Accounts, to appear before him to-day
| Lawyers to Help Tenants.
A lawyers committee was formed In
Brooklyn yesterday TO help the Mayors
committee in protecting tenants in the
same fashion as does the committee
headed by Justice Robert Lee Luce In
Manhattan. James w. Gottleih Of ~
| Court street Is chairman, and attor-
neys will appear without charge for ali
tenants in difficulties with realty own.
eIs.
| The Brownsville landlords issued a
statement IN their own behalf yesterday
asserting that the average rents In that
section were but $3.50 a room, as
against $3.50 in Williamsburg,
| Nathan Hirsch. chairman OF the May
| ors Committee. received from the Sink.
| ing Fund Commission a list of all vacant
| buildings owned by the city. together
with a schedule OF unimproved plots OF
| land which can be used for taking care
| OF victims of profiteerlng landlords. The
buildings include 81. 50 and IS Centre
street Public school 1874. at Horatio
and Hudson streets n three story struc.
ture at 1872 Worth street. a public school
on Downing street and four story tene.
ment at 1874 West Twenty-hrst street
There are six buildings in The Bronx
eleven In Brooklyn and three in Rich.
! mond. Tho city will be able to use al SO
2i5 vacant lots, most OF which are In
| Brooklyn. The list was made up at the
Mayors direction.
Mr.. Hirsch has been In communica-
| ton with representatives of the army
and navy, who have large number OF
cots, bedding and other necessaries OF
camp life" said Mayor Hylan yesterday
He has been assured that the city. in
| this period OF stress. will be permitted
TO use these supplies. Gov. Smith has
J also offered the city tentage and bedding
II is the intention Of the city govern
| ment to resort to whatever means are
necessary to curb the operation of those
rapacious landlords and put a quick end
to rent profiteering.
1.-The Board of Estimate has great
sympathy with the owner OF real estate
! In New York city. We realize tho bur
dens that have been placed upon rea
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