New-York tribune., 1920-10-03
Special Court
Urged for Auto
Killing Cases
Magistrate Nolan Says HON.
scide Is Highest Crime,
Yet Cases Drift Unless Vic
tim Is Prominent Person
Licenses Taken Away
Laws to Prevent the Near
Sighted, Epileptic and
others Driving Favored

IN the Tombs Court yesterday. was
recommending the establishment of a
special court for homicide cases. espe-
cieiiy thosethat result from automobile
sisilngs, Deputy Secretary Of State Ad
M.sOn ., Parker, with Magistrate w
4Fuee Cobb, of the Traffic Court, and
toward Osterhous, private secretary to
sne Secretary of State, sat in the Court
o1 special Sessions and passed upon the
nevocat'on Of auto licenses. Several
ncenses were revoked, some for reck-
Mss driving and others for speeding
magistrate Nolan's recommendation
Yas caused by the request from DEPUTY
Assistant District Attorney Edwin B.
McClure that no complaint be taken in
Sne case Of Louis j. Sterling q chauf-
feur, OF 338 Fourteenth Street, Brook
Nn, whose car yesterday ran over and
kIled John Mullins, thirteen years old,
Ct 334 Pearl Street, at Franklin and
Cliff streets. Mcclure said that Patrol
man Terence Shoesmith, of Traffic A,
VINO, made the arrest, had not seen the
accident. Other witnesses, according
TO, Mcclure, said that the driver was
not responsible. No complaint was
taken.
Some New Court Needed
"This case," said Magistrate Nolan
Hbrings again to light the situation that
has resulted from the action of we'll in
tentioned reformers who were respon-
sible for the discontinuance of the
eoroners' Court and who supplied
nothing in it's place. Homicide cases
are thrown into magistrates' courts
with cases Of all classes.
1.-THE police and District Attorneys
=, efice have not sufficient time properly
to investigate them. Unless the per
son killed is someone of importance,
10 effort is made to help the police.
Homicide is the highest crime known
TO law, and homicide cases are allowed
to drift. There should be a special
court with detectives assigned from
che Homicide Bureau to obtain the
evidence in these cases. Perhaps it
might be we'll to have on grand juries,
before which indictments for homi-
eide are obtained, men other than
those who ride in automobiles. There
should be representatives of the great
body of citizen pedestrians who use the
streets and these juries would not
chiefly be representative of those who
operate and own automobiles
That such a court could be operated
with light expense with one magis-
trate assigned to hear cases of this
nature in the various boroughs spend
ing a day or so week in each bor-
pugh with the assistance of few
court attendants was the assertion
made by Magistrate Nolan.
Licenses Are Suspended
The license of Victor MacComas, of
q Broome Street, charged with driv-
ing car while under the influence of
liquor, was revoked. Joseph Shire, a
chauffeur, address not given, did not
appear in court and his license was
revoked. The license of Vincent Tan
neco, of 745 Gravesend Avenue, Brook
lyn. was revoked for thirty days for
speeding. Other cases were Rueben
Wasserman, 48S East Seventy ninth
Street, speeding, suspended for thirty
days; Otto Stolzer, $50 East 161st
for thirty days; Robert MacAdams, of
504 East 135th Street, speeding, sus-
pended for thirty days; Mrs. Lorell
Campbell, of 1876 East 184th Street,
reckless driving, suspended for thirty
days.
In the case Of Mrs. Campbell Pa
trolman David, of the West Tooth
Street station, testified that five wom-
en- were riding in the car when it COL
iided at Fifty-ffth Street and Broad
way with a taxi. One woman not an
occupant of the ear was injured. The
officer said that at the time of the ac-
cident one of the women in the ma
chine was intoxicated, and that after
the accident she made a speech.
A Mrs. Pigar. of 305 Eighth Avenue,
Brooklyn, testified that she was one
of the five women in the car and that
while they were at a Broadway res
taurant they picked up a drunken
woman whose friends had left her.
One Driver Deaf
Charles Greenberg, of 80 Market
Street, Manhattan, who was charged
with letting his car stand too long in
enc spot, was found to be deaf. At a
distance of twenty-five feet he could
court. Greenberg said he was under
medical treatment, and Mr.. Parker
said that if he promised to continue
the treatment he would let him eff
Mr. Parker added that the Secretary
Of States Office would keep him under
observation,
! Felicia Napolitano, of 400 Warren
Street, Brooklyn, was charged with
physical and mental disability He said
he was lucky there was nothing in the
law that prevented him from driving a
car on this account. He promised to
attend night school and take another
examination with the license board.
The license of George Johnson, of
268 West 136th Street, was suspended
for sixty days on charges of reckless
driving.
Colonel Edward s. Cornell secretary
of the National Highways Protective
Society, in an interview yesterday said:
"Until the State Legislature sees fit
to segregate the auto commission from
the Office of the Secretary of State the
accidents will continue to increase. At
present the auto commissions sole
duty 10 the issuance and revoking of
licenses. In this state any man who
can raise $500 may purchase taxi or
jitney and drive about, knocking pedes-
trians who have no financial redress
for their injuries. Men with one eye,
sufferers from epilepsy, the near
sighted, almost any one can secure q
license to drive an auto in this state.v
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