The New York herald., 1921-03-28
JUSTICE SWlFTER
NEAR MANHATTAN
THAN IN BOROUGH
New Jerseys Recent 12-Day
Murder Case Record a
Shining Example.
OUTSIDE COURTS QUICK
In New York County Many
Factors Delay Trials of
Numerous Prisoners.
27 NOW IN TOMBS CELLS
Only One Electric Chair Con-
yiction a Year-Short
Terms Given Others.
27 NOW IN TOMBs CELLS

Those champions of law and order
who have so often asserted that there
would be less crime within this coun-
try II the machinery of the law worked
with some part of the expedition which
characterizes it in New Jersey reaf-
firlned their belief last Thursday when
George Washington knight, a negro
was sentenced in New Brunswick to
be put to death on May 2.
Knight is the slayer of Mrs. Edith
Wilson, organist in a church at Perth
| Amboy. She was murdered few feet
/ from the door of her home on March
II. Knight was arrested the next day,
and stood convicted of his crime with
in twelve days by a jury which de-
/ liberated just ten minutes before
finding it's verdict.
\ A little more than a. month ago New
Jersey furnished another example Of
swift criminal prosecution. A deputy
sheriff was a passenger in a trolley car
i at Hillside when three young men
boarded 1t and drawing revolvers COM
\ manded the passengers to deliver their
money and valuables. The deputy, who
\ was armed, drew mis- own sun instead
OF his pocltetbook and fired at the BAN
dit nearest him. All three of the holdup
men fed, the two who were unhurt
dragging their wounded pal away with
| them. They reached an automobile
which they had left near by, and fled
before they could be arrested, but that
afternoon, through q physician who was
called to attend one OF them, they were
all apprehended. Before evening they
confessed to fifteen other holdups and
the next day pleaded guilty and were
sentenced to serve fffty-nine year SEN
| tences.
New York County La8s Behind.
I Almost any community outside of
Manhattan Borough can point to It's
criminal docket and state that the pun
ishment of crime is more expeditions
within its boundaries than in this
county. In Brooklyn Borough this has
been so for years.
He was James Van Norman, who,
with two other men who had been ar
rested for a burglary, was being taken
In an automobile through the village of
/ Huntington on December 10. One OF
4 the three had a revolver and with
/ notion OF overpowering the constabes
drew ii and Aired at one OF them who
was riding on the running board The
bullet missed, Van Norman grabbed the
| gun and it was discharged and killed
the man who owned It.
I Van Norman had not planned the de-
| livery of himself and the man who had
I the gun. but the jury found that he
had connived and assisted in the at
tempt at escape. which is felony un-
| der the law. He certainly had not in
! tended the death OF his pal, but since
he accomplished It while engaged in the
commission of felony the law con-
sidered him guilty OF first degree mur-
der and the Jury, on the facts, had to
find him so.
! In New York county the wheels OF
justice have always ground slowly, but
\ they have never ground exceeding
small. Murder. in particular, occurs
often, but is punished infrequently. and
there are always certain number of
I cells In the Tombs occupied by men
/ who are charged with homicide but
| whose likelihood of going TO the cleo
! trio chair Is very small, since the av-
erage conviction for premediatated mur-
der in this jurisdiction is one man a
year. In 1920 an ex-soldier, Harry Van
Lee, who killed Thirty-fourth street
dealer in Liberty bonds in the course
| of holdup, was the only man con-
victed OF first degree murder.
IT Await Trial for Murder.
At present there are twenty-seven de-
PENDANTS charged with murder in the
Ton1bs. none of them. however being
central figures in cases having that quail
I ity OF interest or sensation which makes
them vivid before the public. The pris-
oners awaiting trial are very ordinary
men who have figured in sordid or pas
sionate or selfish acts which have re-
suited in death for some one. II takes
| from three TO four months after indtct-
nlent to put New York homicide de-
fendant on trial, but one man now In
the Tombs has been there since May
of last year. However. he has already
been tried once and must be tried again
because his Jury disagreed.
Seventy-nine men were charged with
! homicide in this county last year most
of them with first degree murder. since
the practice is to charge the high de-
gree and let the jury fix the actual do
gree upon the facts. OF the men indicted
one was found guilty of first degree
murder and is in Sing Sing now as has
been said: two were adjudgcd guilty of
murder in the second degree, five
'coppcd pleas" in tho expressive Centre
street phrase. to the same degree.
Six we're convicted OF manslaughter
in the first degree and thirteen pleaded
guilty to II, twenty-three were dis
charged after indictment for lack of
sufficient evidence on which TO try them.
sixteen were acquitted on trial and four
were adjudged insane by commissions.
To the critic who insists that virtu-
ally only one murderer convicted a year
IN a county where murder happens 30
often is meagre showing for a county
having the most extensive official ma
ciinery OF any prosecuting office IN the
United States. except the Federal one,
the answer has been given by one New
York district attorney after another that
the very size and complexity Of life in
the Jurisdiction makes the punishment
4 Of crime a difficult business.
Above all, the criminal here has the
advantage Of lawyers who specialize
in defending criminals and know lust
what to do. AS final protection. since
about half the killings In this county are
the work OF mon who are members OF
or ere affiliated with groups or gangs.
conviction r. in all these cases extremely
difficult for tbe gangs have a way OF
producing eye witnesses to swear any
given defendant out Of court. and OF
preventing the attendance OF actual wit
nesses By methods or suasion which
gangs have used since CRIME began In
tle wc'fd.