Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-03-14
N. Y. VICE RING
MORE VICIOUS
THAN BEFORE
Prosecutor Promises Big
Sensation In New
Scandal
BY JAMES HENLE
N. E. A. Staff Correspondent.

NEW YORK, March 13.-Disclos-
ures more startling than those which
followed the famous Rosenthal mur-
der are promised by Assistant District
Attorney James E. Smith as a result
of New York's new police scandal.
1t is alleged that 1000 disorderly
houses are each paying from $50 to
$500 month protection"
81 believe the system in the police
department is stronger and more vi
cious today than ever" said Smith.
sit is even worse than the days of
the Rosenthal killing, when organ
lied blackmail had become a fine
art.
81 know the situation thoroughly.
The disclosures which have been made
are small part of those that are
coming. We have been at work on
this investigation for over year and
we are going through with the cam
paign, no matter where the trail
leads u.s."
So far one detective, John ]. Gun
son, has been indicted on the charge
Of living with woman of the streets
and sharing in her earnings. It Ia
alleged that the trail leads from him
to two high police officials. One of
them, it is said, has been meeting in
Central Park the women from whom
he levied tribute.
Three Women Testify.
Three women of the underworld,
Rebecca Melyado, Rose Gonzales and
Stella Young, have testified before
the grand jury against Gunson. Two
others "Ginney" Jenny Carello and
Kitty DAILY have not yet "come
through" In the background are two
mysterious underworld characters
described by Smith as "Brooklyn
Jack" and Manicure Annie"
Smith intimates that vice cannot
exist today without the knowledge of
the police. To back up their state
ments they give the following figures,
which they say they will be able to
prove at the proper time:
In 20 square blocks 480 disor-
derly flats and houses have been
listed.
In two inspection districts north
of 42d-st there are $500 such
places.
In the burough of Manhattan
the number is placed at 1000.
These figures include only what is
known as "commercialized vice." and
take no cognizance of. "private i'm
morality"
Does Own Sleuthing
So suspicious is Smith of the police
department that he refuses to trust
it's detectives. A great part of his
time is devoted to doing his own
sleuthing at night.
Back of the situation is feud that
has existed for several years between
Smith and Police Inspector Dominick
Henry, whose district takes in the So
called "New Tenderloin." Police
Commissioner Enright is backing up
Henry, and Mayor Hylan is backing
up Enright. Hylan has demanded that
Smith furnish list of the 500 disor-
derly houses said to be operating with
police protection. 1t is not thought
that Smith will make any effort to
comply with the mayors wishes.
A singular element of the situation
is that both Smith and the officials he
is attacking are organization Demo
Gratis and belong to Tammany Hall or
its Brooklyn annex.
Gunson has been in trouble before,
and has just been acquitted by the
police department of charges growing
out his arrest of two respectable girls
last year. A physical examination of
the girls proved them innocent of the
accusation Gunson made against them
The detectives wife is standing by
him. "He's ace high with me-" she
declares.