New-York tribune., 1921-11-23
Inquiry Opens
On Halted Birth
Control Forum
Petition Demanding Pun
ishment of Those Who
Disturbed Town Hall
Meeting Given TO Public
Mrs. Sanger Is a Witness
Civil Liberties League Rep
resentativc Asks for
Mgr. Dineen's Presence

A petition addressed to Police Com
| missioner Enright and signed by prom
inent New York men and omen, pro-
i testing against the action of the police
in breaking up birth control meeting
at the Town Hall Sunday night, Nov
ember 10, was made public yesterday
at hearing before Chief Inspector
William ]. Lahey.
Tho Chief Inspector is conducting
an Investigation of the police interven-
tion at the Town Hall and yesterdays
/ hearing was the first TO be held in this
had testified the hearing was adjourned
until Friday, December 2.
The communication addressed to the
Police Commissioner places specific
blame upon Police Captain Thomas
Donohue OF the Twenty-sixth Precinct
Among the signatures on the petition
are those Of the following:
Mrs. James L. Laidlaw, DR.. Kenneth
Taylor, DR.. Lathrop Stoddard, Antoin-
cite r. Paterson, Mrs. Dexter Blagden,
Edith Vicar, Mrs. Ernest Adee. Clar-
ence D. Randall Mrs. Pierre JAY. Dr.
Frederick x. Peterson, Mr.. and Mrs.
Charles A. Platt, Fanny Lttell, Mrs.
Frederick Alderman, Florence G. Tut
tie. Vera z. Whitehouse, Mrs. Lewis
Livingston Delsfeld, Juliet Barrett Ru-
bles, Mrs. l.. Emmett Holt, Mrs. James
Nd. Townsend, Mrs. Albert Strauss and
DR.. John c. Vaughn.
The petition reads in part: CAS-
citizens OF New York we desire to press
complaint against Police Captain
Thomas Donohue. of the Goth precinct
and against any of his superior officers.
under whose orders he may have been
acting at the time of the event in
question:
The petition then recites in detail
the happenings at the meeting. "The
meeting WAS gathered on private prop
ertS. CONTINUES the petition, with
the consent Of the owners. for the dis
cussion of q matter OF public and social
interest. No evidence was offered in
court of any unlawful purpose or of
any disorderly conduct, or of any utter
ances forbidden by law. The action
OF the police was thoroughly un-Amcr-
lcan, oppressive and tyrannical and in
direct violation of the constitutional
right OF free speech" The petition then
proceeds:
1T is not clear whether the captain
was acting under orders from his supe
rlors II your investigation shows any
such orders the punishment should Of
course be imposed on those who gave
them"
Mrs. Margaret Sanger, leader of the
american Birth Control League. who
was arrested at the Town Hall meet ting.
was on the stand yesterday when the
nearing was adjourned She testified
as 10 inc orderliness of the meeting
1t was said last night that Inspector
Lahey intends to question Mrs. Sanger
regarding her past interest in birth
control, as well as to her purposes for
the future
The American Civil Liberties Union
w'll demand of Inspector Lahlx that
he produce at the hearing Nor signor
Dlneen, secretary to Archbishop HAYES.
Of the Roman Catholic Church Mon
slgnor Dinecn is said to have asked
the police to stop the meeting, and the
Archbishop has gone on record in
long statement as opposed to the
league and its objects and methods
Albert De Silver, representing the
american. Civil Liberties Union. said
he would insist on the presence at the
hearings Of Monsignor Dinecn or the
Archbishop himself.
All witnesses at yesterdays hearing
testfied there were no children present
at the Town Hall meeting. Mrs. Anne
Aennedy, secretary of the league, said
she had personally checked all who
entered the hall