The New York herald., 1921-06-27
MEYER CITY INQUIRY
USED AID OF CROOK
Continued from First Page.

across the records of his own criminal
activities In this State and thus be af-
forded an opportunity to steal them
while acting as your aide in investigat-
ing the Police Department?
1T is part Of the functions of your
committee to enable your aides person
ally to observe their photographs in the
Rogues Gallery in the Police Depart
ment? II so. in this instance it's pur-
pose has been accomplished. for this
man was one Of those assigned later to
the Police Department.
rs it not somewhat ironical to have
a jailbird going over the records of the
License Department in connection with
gathering data on the propriety of al
lowing other jailbirds to have licenses
as taxicab hackmen? This you have
permitted.
II would seriously urge that you take
up with your committee or chief counsel
the urgent necessity for combining your
stan to investigators who are not them
selves criminals or convicted felons or
who have not themselves been in intimate
association with such wrongdoers In
that way the purpose of the committee
will be effectuated and the safety Of all
funds and persons In the various de-
partments will be kept inviolate.
1T should not need stating to you that
individuals with criminal records who
have not been restored to citizenship are
no proper persons to be part of any
charter revision expedition, such as your
committee has asserted itself to pe en-
gagged In. This is equally true with re-
spect to the undesrability of having
such individuals In contact with men,
bers of the Citizens Union on your pay
roll"
Meyer Gives His Side.
After explaining the circumstances OF
the case. Senator Meyer said:
Commissioners O'Malley greatly exag-
gerates the facts and tries 70 make
big thing out of a very unimportant mat
ter. Sohr was not an Investigator. but
process server. He held the usual form
letter Of credentials. He assisted an ex-
aminer on one occasion wno went to the
Department Of Markets to get records
which were public records and which any
one. whether an employee of this COM
mittee or not. has the right to examine.
II appointed Sohr to serve subpHras
at the request of a member OF the COM
mittee who had been urged to obtain
his appointment, with assurances of MS
ability and trustworthiness. AS soon as
we discovered he had been convicted of
crime. although he had performed eat-
isfactorily the duties assigned TO him, We
Ielt cOmpelleu 10 uiSI11bsi Hiut. ' ffHeaf--
The Senator said the committee would
go further into the matter to-day. The
member to whom he referred could not
be reached. he said. and the records
we're not available.
Sohr's Criminas Record.
Police records in the Rogues' Gallery
chronicle the criminal activities or a man
named Karl Sohr. known as No. 40.S31.
He has been known as Charles norn.
Charles r. Herman, Charles Homar and
Karl Solas.
AS Karl sohr he was arrested in
Bridgeport. Conn. in March. 1913, for
passing worthless checks and was sem
fenced to serve from one to two years
in prison. On February 2. 1915. he was
arrested in Springfield, Mass. on a
charge Of larceny and discharged.
The next entry shows that on Decem-
Der II. 1915. he was arrested In New
York for petty larceny and sentenced to
serve one year and pay 800 fine. On
November "a. 1916, he was again ar
rested for larceny and forfeited his bail
bond.
As Charles r. Herman. he was arrest
ed in Philadelphia In August, 1918. for
larceny and was discharged. Under the
same name he was picked up in Kansas
City in November. 1918. for shoplifting
and there was no disposition OF the case.
Again appearing as Karl Sohr. he was
arrested In New York In Septembe. 1918.
for grand larceny and jumped his bail.
Karl Sohr was arrested In Chicago or
December. 1918. on general principles"
and no action was taken. In February.
1919. he again jumped his bail In Philadei-
phia, where he was arrested for grant
larceny. and In March. 1919. was con-
victed In New York for grand larceny
and sent to Sing Sing for one year and
eight months. AS Solas. he was arrested
in Cleveland for grand larceny on Janu-
ary 21 last and no disposition was made
OF the case.