The New York herald., 1921-01-13
BAIL PR0FlTEERS
REAP BIG HARVEST
OFF SHOPLIFTERS
District Attorneys Office
Finds IL to 20 Per Cent.
Charged by Agents.
176 CASES GO TO TRIAL
Much Weeping in Court as
Women Confess Attempts
to Rob Stores.
FEW ARE PROFESSIONALS
Official of Bond Company Says
Swami Ignored Move to
Eradicate Evils.
FEW ARE PROFESSIONALS

William A. McQuade, Assistant Dis
trict Attorney. said yesterday after 176
persons were arraigned In the Court
OF Special Sessions, charged with shop
lifting, that one-half of that number
had been mulcted by professional
bondsmen, who charged them from II
to 20 per cent of the face amount OF
their bond for bailing them out after
their arrest.
Mr.. McQuade Is conducting the bail
bond inquiry before Magistrate George
w. Simpson. BY visiting the Court OF
Special Sessions he found a fruitful
field, as several women told him that
they had been charged exorbitant pre-
miums for bail by the bondsmen. In
one case. Mr.. McQuade said, a woman
told him she had paid a 500 premium
on a $500 bond. In addition to paying
heavy premiums, he said, most Of the
defendants were required to indemnify
their bondsmen by depositing their
savings bank books.
Bail in eighty cases, Mr.. McQuade said.
had been furnished as follows: Harry
Katz, IS bonds. totalllng $4,000; Jesse
Jacobs. IA bonds. $500: Samuel Felix.
II bonds. $500. and Bertha Felix. one
bond. $500.
Few ProfessfonsI shoplifters.
For the most part the defendants ar
raigned yesterday were women arrested
during the Christmas shopping rush by
detectives of the Stores Mutual Protec-
tive Association. Those unable to fur
nish ball were tried soon after their ar
rest. but the others we're allowed to
wait.
The ages ranged from that OF pretty
girl Of 16 years to a wrinkled grand
mother OF So. The aged woman was
fined $e5 for stealing a So article from a
department store. Her son. who ap-
peared in court. said that she had
mania for the article she stole. With
the younger women the lure Of silk CAM
isoles was responsible for many ar
rests. It was declared that only three
or four Of the women were professional
shopl!fters. There was much weeping In
the courtroom.
guilty. Sixty-two OF this number ad-
mitted taking goods from the same de-
partment store. In addition to- being
fined they were sentenced to one day
in the Tombs. A total Of $2.ZIb was col
lected In fines.
The following were sentenced TO
prison: Charles Osborn. G3 years old, or
245 Park avenue, East Orange, n. j.,
six months in the penitentiary DAVID
Freitag, IS years old. Of 9s Bowery, six
months In the workhouse Viola Payne,
27 years DID, of 1f5 West l43d street,
three months in the workhouse.
When the bail bond inquiry was re-
sumed before Magistrate Simpson in the
afternoon Assistant District Attorney
McQuade called James Hughes of the
firm of Hughes & Bates. 80 william
street. special agents for the Fidelity
and Casualty Company Of New York. He
was questioned particularly as to the
granting of the power OF attorney TO
bondsmcn In his employ. He insisted
that excess premiums were not exacted,
but admitted that there was no contract
between the company and Its bondsmen
which specified that only certain
amount should be charged.
Says swami Ignored Them.
Mr.. Hughes testified that references
had been submitted by men In business,
"and maybe judges" who had vouched
for persons seeking the power OF fNattor-
ney to act as sub-agents In writing bail
bonds.
Men In politics." said Mr.. Hughes,
have sought to act as bondsmen. but
we always thought 1t best not to put
them on because they might take the
bit In their teeth and get the company
into difficulties by becoming reckless and
trying to write too many bonds. This
bail bond business Is peculfar-that is.
peculiar with respect to the judgment
required"
Mr.. Hughes said that about year
ago he and the officials OF two other
companies got together and decided that
there were some things not exactly right
in the method OF granting bail. They
thought they ought to talk things over
with District Attorney Swami, he said,
but when they went TO his Office they
were informed that Mr.. Swami doesn't
know anything about bail bonds" So
they went ipstead TO George A Lavelle,
Deputy Assistant District Attorney, and
talked things over with him. Since then,
he said. they have conferred with Mr..
Lavelle frequently and have more than
.lA Aas.t,- a.