New-York tribune., 1920-05-11
$50 Tenants
Given Stay of
Year by Court
$50 Back TO Frog Hollow
and Tell Other Landlords
of Your Success Here -
Says Justice ScanlOn
Mrs. .CavanaughArraigned
Everybody Is Doing It,"
Reason Given by Lawyer
for Raise in Rentals

Landlords who appeared before Jus
tice Michael Scanlon, in the I'd District
Municipal Court, the Bronx, yesterday,
to apply for eviction warrants against
$50 tenants, were told by the court that
not only would the warrants be refused,
but that the tenants in each case would
be given a stay of execution for one
year.
Go back to the Frog Hollow section
of the Bronx and tell the other land
lords of the success you met with in
this court" said Justice Scanlon.
The court ordered that the rent for
the next year should be on the basis Of
their rent last April. When one Of tn,
lawyers, in answer to a question as to
why it was found necessary to raise
rents replied, Everybody is doing it,"
the court said:
Widow Threatened
"This business of raising rents in
excessive amounts must stop"
score of lawyers who appeared
with blank eviction warrants for the
court to sign threw the documents into
their leather cases and walked out
One of the tenants threatened with
eviction was a widow whose son is still
being treated in hospital for wounds
he suffered while serving with the
American Expeditionary Forces. She is
Mrs.. Joseph Arlington, West 167th
Street
Eli Freedman, the owner, brought
proceedings against her several months
ago, but stay was granted until May
l. Justice Scanlon continued the stay
until October 1. Eight tenants of
Philip Becker, owner of building at
2147 Prospect Avenue, were granted
stays for thirteen months by Justice
William Morris. in Part Of the same
court. He ordered the tenants to paw
rent on the old basis to the clerk of the
court.
Mrs. Emily Colcr, wife of Bird S.
Coler, Commissioner of Charities, ap-
peared before Magistrate Short, in the
Gates Avenue court, Brooklyn, yester-
day, to answer the complaint, of S.
Stewart Rapp, broker, who lives in an
apartment house at ITO New York Ave
nue., Brooklyn, owned by Mrs. Coler
Mr.. Rapp charged that Mrs Colcr had
failed to provide hot water and heat
for month. Joseph Johnson, an at
torney for eigh: of Mrs Colcr's ten
ants, said he had their May rent in his
pocket but would refuse to pay until
the case was disposed Of. The hearing
was adjourned pending the calling of a
witness for Mrs. Coler.
"These proceedings said MIR. Colcr,
who accompanied his wife, "are politi-
cal. They were brought because Mrs.
Coler compelled a tenant to get rid of
a dog"
Mrs. Cavanaugh Arraigned
Additional charges were filed ycster-
day against Alice J. Cavanaugh, for
merly volunteer worker on the
Mayors Committee or Rent Profiteer-
ing, who last Saturday was arraigned
on an affidavit alleging that she col
lected $2,694 in rent from fortytwo
tenants of $40 Prospect Avenue, the
Bronx, and failed to turn the money
over to the landlord, BENJAMIN Ehr>
Itch.
When she was arraigned before Mag
lStrate Bernard j. Douras in the Nor
rlsanla court yesterday and had pleaded
not guilty. 4. }. Alderman, Assistant
District Attorney, produced another
complaint, alleging that twenty tenants
Of 1853 Hoe Avenue, the Bronx. had
paid her $403, which had not been ac
counted for.
Mrs: Cavanaugh surrounded her mo-
tves in collecting the rent with mys,
terry. She gave her legal address as
1856 Forest Avenue, but admitted that
she did not live there. When asked
where she actually lived, she insisted
on whispering the address to Magis
trate Douras. She said her reason for
keeping her address secret was because
OF daughter.
H. Bennett Solomon, her attorney,
told the court that Mrs. Cavanaugh's
motive IN collecting the rents of dozens
of tenants, who had "been bounded hhv
their landlords,' was phlanthropc
he said her purpose was to compel the
landlords to make necessary improve.
ments by Withholding the rent.
his woman has been philan.
throplst all her life, with the Mayors
Committee and with other oreaniza
tions." said Mr.. Solomon LAS soon as
the landlords treat the tenants nrop-
crly she will produce the rent. She
viii bring the rent into court next
FrIA,."
Bail Increased
Mr.. Alderman said he had received
complaints from other landlords. in.
Guiding c. l.. Jacobs, 26l East lS8th
Street, who said Mrs. Cavanaueh COZ,
lected S1,743; John and Arthur See
kamp. 920 Longwood Avenue, who
said she collected $500, and Morris
Goldman. 45l Third Avenue, who said
she collected S792 from his tenants.
Magistrate pouras increased Mrs
Cavanaugh's bail from $1,000 to S3.lOo
pending tho trial of her casa -.