New-York tribune., 1922-02-15
Accused Bucket
Shop Men Said
10 Be in Flight
Many Named in CHARGES
Filed With Banton Are
Reported Missing: Jury
to Get Five Cases To-day
200 Complaints in Day
Victims of Fake Stock
Brokers in Many Parts
of Country Seek Aid Here

The entire time Of the additional
February grand Jury of the Court O,
General Sessions will be taken up dur
ing the next few days with the con-
sideration Of bucketshop evidence
District Attorney Banton announced
last night
1t was planned to present several
new cases to the Supreme Court grand
jury Yesterday. but since this body
MAS engaged in other matters Mr.
Bantor decided to postpone further
action until to-day, when the additional
lnQuisitorial BODY VIII be asked to de-
vote the remaining sessions this week
to hearing testimony on alleged stock
and trading frauds. The grand jury
viii meet to-day, tomorrow and Friday.
More than twenty witnesses vino
called a the District Attorneys Office
yesterday were notified to appear to-
Gay before the additional grand jury
in connection with five cases selected
from the avalanche of complaints by
Assistant District Attorney Jerome Sim
mons and Assistant Attorney General
Frederick Z. Rich. The Supreme
Court grand gary, which heard six
eases last " j. expected u e-,,s a
report to morrow.
Suspected Operators in Flight
While complaints continued to pour
into the District Attorneys office yes
terday it became known that suspected
bucketshop operators we're taking to
conveyed the information that mum
her Of those against whom complaints
have been made have disappeared sud
denly from their regular haunts.
In view Of these disappcaranccs. MIR.
Ranton declined to reveal the names
of the firms ard individuals accused of
irregular transactions. This inforn,a-
tion he said, would not be made public
until the grand jurcs reached conclu~
sions and the defendants concerned
mad been apprchended. Important de
velopments before the end of the week
were predicted by the prosecutor
Two hundred additional complaints
were added yesterday to the large num-
ber already on dlc. Some Of these
were made in person by victims Of
speculation sharpers. but the ma ajority
came through the mails. One hundred
and fifty Of the complaints. several Of
them cmanatine from the Middle West,
we're addressed to Mr.. Banton. Ass st-
a"t District Attorney Simmons said
his morning mail dealing with buck t.
sop ,os ses Included thirty letters. two
special delivery letters and two tele-
grams. He estimated that so per cent
Of the mail received at the District At
torncy's Office in the last few days
dealt with alleged financial frauds.
Publicity Brings Complaints
District Attorney Banton attributed
the further deluge of complaints to the
publicity given previous complaints.
4 staff Of Office assistants was en-
ployed yesterday in tabulating the
latest complaints for the consideration
Of the prosecutor, who said the accusa-
tions undoubtedly would increase the
mum Der of concerns and individuals al
ready involved, estimated at thirty, to
s. larger figure. One of the writer's ex
pressed his willingness to come from
Nebraska at his own expense TO
testify.
Mr. Ranton pointed out that some Of
the complaints appeared to be those
of poor losers" who sought to use the
District Attorneys Office as a means of
forcing settlements He said he was
not conducting a "Wall Street invcst
CATION. but merely carrying out MS
duty AS prosecutor.
Il do not believe in Investigations. ,"
SAID Mr. Banton, "and there will be
fe,v in my administration. That is not
my function. What | am doing is
acting on the complaints | receive, and
the efforts of my Office are now being
directed toward sitting the complaints
against some thirty firms and indvid
uas. The complaints supported by the
best evidence will be given to the
grand juries.
Identity Of Accused Withheld
Until indictments are found it will
not be proper to disclose tho identity
of the accused. We have been swampcd
with complaints to such an extent that
the action stage has been delayed, but
. anticipate results soon. The increas-
lCentlnued page thres)