New-York tribune., 1920-03-05
More Vice Ring
Indictments
Likely Monday
Policemen and at Least
One Lawyer To BE Named
i'm Underworld Grating
Charges, Declares Smith
Bares Evidence i'm Hand
500 Resorts on West Side
Protected by Detectives,
Says Assistant Prosecutor

Indictments against policemen. at
least one lawyer and several citizens as
yet unnamed will be sought next Mon
day as result OF. the investigation of
vice conditions carried en- secretly by
the District Attorneys Office for more
than five months.
Assistant District Attorney James E.
Smith said yesterday that he was ready
to go before the grand jury with the
evidence now in hand. He said he had
facts TO prove conclusively that con.
Meeting link between the police of the
West Side inspection districts and the
underworld had permitted wholesale
tratfiicking in women.
Traffic in Women
Testimony already heard by the inquisi.
is declared to point to these facts:
That not fewer than 500 apart
ments are being maintained for i'm
moral purposes in one inspection dis
trict alone.
That not one If these resorts ex-
lists without actual protection, or the
connivance of "plain clothes" men
operating in this district.
That we'll defined arrangement
exists under which lawyer acts for
the police to- collect cash from women
of the streets, thus making it pos
sible for police to make fake arrests,
but color their testimony, after the
lawyer has "fixed" the case, in such
manner as to permit the prisoner to
escape.
That an emissary of the under
world was hurried to Great Meadow
penitentiary at Comstock on Tues
day. Immediately after it had been
learned that vice was under grand
jury investigation, and that Nathan
Seller, a prisoner and former leader
OF the underworld, was called upon
to send word back to his former as
sociates that "those who testify
against policemen are harshlv dealt
with"
Although the Assistant District At
torney was convinced that indictments
would be returned not later than Tues
day and that the conditions unearthed
thus far indicated a general conspiracy
on the part of police, his opinion was
not accepted without reservations in
the office of his chief. While Mr.
Smith was discussing the certainty OF
further exposures to-day and to-mor-
row, District Attorney Swami declared
that he was certain the vice conditions
indicated by testimony against De-
tective John j. Gunson, indicted on 8
charge of grating, represented only
an isolated case.
Swonn nOuhfc
Mr.. Swami insisted that the majority
OF the police were not guilty of such
wrongdoing and that no evidence hat
been found as yet to prove that there
was conspiracy between men higher
up to protect members of the under.
world. Mr.. Smith made no comment
upon these statements.
News of the visit of delegation o1
representatives of the underworld to
the Great Meadow penitentiary reached
the prosecutors office early in the
morning through routes that per
mitted no doubt Of their authenticity
That such delegation should be sen,
to an imprisoned leader for aid was
accepted as evidence of the despera.
tion of those to be named in the
present expose.
Nathan Seller, the man sought in 6
penitentiary cell. until a few years age
was leader of the underworld and re.
puted go-between who acted for
vice ring in dealing with those who
furnished protection from police prose.
cution. While his power was at its
height he was unexpectedly cnmesheo
IN hls own intricate devices for eyadine
the law and arrested with two police
sergeants charged with extortion.
Seller was indicted. but was Offered
Immunity If he would reveal the stor,
OF his relations with the policemen &C
cased with him. He did so, but the
jury failed to convict the policemen
Seller was released, but did not agair
prosper in any Of his undertakings
Shortly after the conclusion of thi.
case he was arrested and sent to Grea
Meadow for term of four years on I
charge of larceny. He then ACCUSED
the police of "framing up" the eyi
dence used against him, but failed t.
convince the court that such was tn,
case.
Seller Appealed To
On Tuesday, according to the evi
dence that was sent to the District At
tnrney's office, three representatives O.
the city's vicious element visited tn,
penitentiary, one Of their number sue
ceeding in getting in to see Seller.
Seller was asked to rush word bacl
to his associates that they couldn't liv,
ana testify against the police" sait
the man who brought the news back tt
the city. "He was asked to speak tt
them as a living example of the futilit,
CT defying the police. He testified
against two members of the depart
ment, and be is now in the peniten
tldry. Whether he got there justly o.
not, the argument doubtless will hay,
decided effect if it reaches the ear.
of the men and women for whom it i.
intended"
Assistant District Attorney Smith
said the three men claimed to hav,
been sent by judge, but that ther,
were indications that they came from
some other person in power" Mr.
Smith said that efforts now were bein,
made to identify the trio who made
the trip to the prison.
The keystone OF the present vice
conspiracy, according to evidence now
in the hands of the prosecutor, is ,
lawyer who is charged with havins
reaped harvest OF gold through ths
illicit operations of women and thu
equally illegal activities of the police
who were supposed to suppress them.
Rebecca Mulyado, the woman who
originally complained of the activities
of Detective Gunson, unfolded the de-
tails of the three-cornere arrange
ments between the women, the lawyer
and the police, who protected the un
derworld Mrs. Mulyado was revealed
yesterday as the notorious "Billy