The New York herald., 1922-04-11
HEATLESS LANDLORD
GETS 50 DAYS in JAIL
Drastic Penalty for Trying
to Freeze Out White
Tenants in Harlem.
rs ALSO FINED $500
Charles Klein. Losing Rent
Rise Game, Had Started
Negro Invasion.
SENTENCE SETS EXAMPLE
Special Sessions Justices Show
No Mercy to 'Spiteful
Property Owner.
SENTENCE SETS EXAMPLE

Charles Klein, landlord of an apart
ment house at 164 st. Nicholas ave-
nue.. alleged to havO tiied to colonize
negroes to drive on his white tenants
and raise rentals, and failing in that
to have attempted to freeze them out
was sentenced to thirty days in jail
yesterday and fined $500 by justices
Collins, Freschi and Healy in Special
Sessions.
In imposing sentence, tie heaviest
penalty for such an offense yet IN
fiicted by a court in this city, Justice
Collins addressed the defendant In
scathing terms. calling his actions
malicious" and prompted by spite
The Justice said Klein was deserving
of no mercy at the hands Of the court.
1t was disclosed in court that Klein
had failed in a civil action he had in
stituted to have his rents raised. II Is
alleged. 100 per cent. and that he took
the above means of circumventing the
courts and getting even" with his
tenants. His contemplate measures"
in the words of Justice Collins. were
uncovered by the Lockwood legislative
committee on housing last January.
Klein was sentenced on specific
charge made by John Lynch. Health
Squad police officer, who alleged the
landlord had failed, ION January 10 and
at divers other times to heat the rooms
of ten family apartment at 164 st.
Nicholas avenue to a minimum tenn
perature Of 6S degrees Fahrenheit"
Section 225 of the Sanitary Code pro-
vides that landlords must not permit
the temperature in their dwellings to
fall below that figure when the tenn
perature outside is below so degrees.
letter from Harry Goodstein. presi-
dent of the West Harlem Property
Owners Association. outlining Klein's
actions. was read into the testimony.
The letter. addressed to the Justices OF
the Court of Special Sessions, was in
part as follows
This man Klein Is deserving of no
mercy for his contemplate actions
taken to oust the white tenants of a
row Of nine large apartment houses
After having been defeated In a civil
action to raise rents 100 per nent.
against his white tenants he made open
threats that he would circumvent the
Judgment of the court and tried. by
fair means and foul, to gain his end
with the approach Of winter he at
tempted to freeze out his tenants by re-
fusal to furnish sufficient heat to make
his dwelling houses habitable for human
beings"
The letter continued to relate how he
promoted 'colored invasion" of that
district, heretofore fine. quiet resi-
Dental section occupied many years by
white families" The landlord, the let
ter stated. rented out his apartments as
one room furnished lodgings until the
Department of Health stopped TIE prac-
tice on the ground that such overcrowd-
Ing was unsanitary.
AN example should be made OF this
man." 1t was said, by the imposition of
most severe penalty-by a jail SEN
tence-as mere fine would not serve
TO deter him or those like him. known
as professional leasers,' from repeating
the same performance In other sections
OF the city,
In case Of default OF payment of his
fine Of $500 the court directed that Klein
be forced to serve an additional thirty
days In jail