New-York tribune., 1920-03-08
Smith Refuses
'ToCive Hylan
List of Resorts
Grand Jury to Get Facts
in Police Graft Inquiry
This Week, He Asserts;
Nothing to Make Public
Many Witnesses Found
Prosecutor Leads Search
for Those Wanted; Gun.
son Case Up in Few DAYS

In spite Of the sudden desire Of
leaders of the city's underworld to
get away from their usual haunts,
virtually every important witness
sought in the police vice Investigation
had been found by representatives Of
the District Attorneys office by noon
yesterday.
Moreover, it was admitted that the
complete list Of resorts that have been
permitted to flourish in West Side
inspection districts now is in the
hands Of Assistant District Attorney
James E. Smith, in charge of the
grand jury investigation.
But it Is unlikely that the list, as
such, will be turned over to Mayor
Hylan or Police Commissioner En-
right, as demanded by them. Rep
resentatives of the prosecutors office,
while refusing to say just what would
be done with the list this week, indi-
Gated that it would become public only
after 1t had passed through the hands
Of the jurors and such indictments as
seemed necessary had been returned.
Smith Traces Witnesses
Virtually all Of the witnesses found
thus far have been traced personally
by Mr.. Smith in all-night tours of the
old Tenderloin district and the neigh
borhoods that have taken it's place in
later years. Although many Of those
whose names appeared on his lists
were said to have "gone away from the
city," they were found in other locali-
cf ~
soc!ates as volunteered to aid the
prosecutor.
The backwardness Of the women
who are said to have been preyed upon
because of their positions as outcasts
before the law to testify against
those who have profited by their mis-
fortunes was said to be due entirely to
fear Of consequences.
New York has seen several murders
that were directly traceable to the
readiness of women to squeal on the
police who had been ematically
grating on them," said one of the vol
unteer investigators for the prosecu-
tor. "You can hardly blame the igno-
rant men and women from whom we
must get our information for crediting
the stories peddled to them of the hor-
r1ble fate that awaits those who
'squawk'
MADE
a clean breast of their own past in the
hope that they might assist in bring
ing unscrupulous men to justice have
commanded more nerve than is to be
expected of such unfortunates.
but can say that in nearly every
case we have succeeded in getting at
the facts and have verified the charges
made to US in letters and telephon
messages concerning the supposed ac-
tlvities of certain policemen"
Assistant District Attorney Smith
returned to his home at noon yester-
day after final tour Of the districts
in which he found most of his Wit
nesses. He refused to go into details
concerning his operations other than
to say that the situation looked "most
satisfactory"
II have found that in nearly every
case these witnesses are willing to
talk when they find that they are 60
ing to be given proper protection" said
warned, anonymously, Of course. but
they are equally willing to believe that
another arm of the law can protect
them If it sees the danger of their
position. Fortunately, this situation is
not new to me, and l recognize the fact
that their fears are not absolutely nm
founded.
Grand Jury to Get Facts
with the evidence we have in hand.
| can say that l will go before the
gand jury with my facts some time this
week. ! won't predict what may be
done. That is up to the jurors them
selves will say that we have far
more tangible evidence of corruption
now than ever before has been in the
hands Of the District Attorney"
One Of the reasons advanced for the
failure Of the prosecutor to turn his
list OF disorderly houses over to Mayor
Hylan or tho Police Commissioner was
that the inmates Of such places, many
OF whom have given information to the
Investigators recently. fear that thew
VIII become the subjects Of persecu-