The New York herald., 1922-01-14
J.H.Laidlaw, Guggenheims,
Mrs. Belmont and Others
Protest to State.
FEAR BOARD, NOT THUGS
Say Release of Criminals Is
Due to 'Mawkish Senti-
mentality


Goaded beyond endurance by the
depredations of criminals freed by the
state Parole Board. and failing to OBJ.
tain from the board or from Gov. Mil.
Ter satisfactory assurances that dan.
Gerous criminals will be dealt with
more strictly, the residents of Sands
Point, in Nassau county. have en-
ployed counsel to see what can be
done for their better protection and
to bring before the authorities the
true seriousness Of their situation.
AS the direct result of many burg
jaries and robberies that have afflicted
exclusive Sands Point, its residents
have retained Howard Thayer Kings
bury. counsel for the State Transit
Commission, and himself President ot
the Incorporated village of Sands
Point. to protest to the board and to
the Governor and to impress upon
officials dealing with criminals the
fact that such lenience as has been
exercised in the past seriously i'm
perils public welfare.
The group behind Mr.. Kingsbury in
this action includes Commodore Frank
s. Hastings of L. c. Benedict G. Co..
we'll known yachtsman, whose home
was robbed on August 81 by men that
have threatened to kill him for prose-
cutting them; Major Clarence Ii. Eagle,
village trustee; Theodore r. Pell. Rep
resentative Frederick c. HICKS, John
Philip Sousa, DIR. Forbes Hawkes., Ches-
ter w. Chaplin, Frederick s. Greene.
former Highway Commissioner; James
l.. Laidlaw. Frank N. Hoffstot, Charles
w. Sloane, Mrs. o. H. p. Belmont.
Isaac. Daniel and William Guggenheim,
Capt. w. Butleer Duncan. Edgar Luck
enbach. Thomas Mott, A. Valentine
Fraser and +. Kendall Thayer.
Writes to Parole Board.
The situation was described by Mr..
Kingsbury in a letter to the members
of the State Parole Board, Charles f..
Rattigan, George w. Benham and Dr.
ELMER Il. Larkin. on November IS last:
1T deem it my duty to address to you,
on behalf Of the municipality and Of
its residents and taxpayers, an earnest
protest against the exercise of your pow
ers Of parole and discharge in such
cases as that of Charles T.. Ackron. who
is stated to have been released by you
last May. He Is reported to have been
arrested almost Immediately thereafter
upon q charge Of larceny in Brooklyn,
upon which he was, however. released. F..
and to have been again arrested In Oc-
tober after having been overheard plan
ming a holdup on Long Island. accord
ing to the account published in THE
IunA At - fAv-
1921. In view of his long criminal career.
as stated in such account. it is difficult
to see how your board could have
reached the conclusion that there was
reasonable probability that he would
live and remain at liberty without vio-
lating the law within the meaning OF
Section PA Of the prison law.
"There has been succession OF crimes
of violence In Nassau county which the
police and the judicial authorities have
been making most vigorius efforts to
suppress. Several persons are now un-
der arrest awaiting trial upon the
charge of having been concerned in a
burglary committed i'm August at the
residence of my friend and neighbor.
Commodore Frank S. Hastings. on Wan
page Shores in the Village of Sands
Point. One of the prisoners has been
heard TO threaten to kill Commodore
Hastings as soon as he Is released
There have been numerous other burg
laries and highway robberies, and the
public is in high state of Indignation
and trepidation. The efforts OF the
police and judicial authorities will be of
little avail II. after comparatively short
terms of Imprisonment. persons convict
cd of such offenses are likely to be set
at liberty through the action of your
board upon dcceitful protestations of
their intention to obey the law In the
future"
After naming the citizens for whom
he protests. Mr. Kingsbury concludes:
"In making these representations we
do not for a moment question the con-
scientious and diligent attention which
your board gives In the performance
OF Its delicate and difficult duties. We
do. however. wish to place before you
this suggestion of our profound con-
viction that In these times of disorder,
lenience to criminals seriously jeopar-
dies the public welfare"
No Amelforation Noted.
To this letter there was received a
formal Acknowledgement. but the Sands
Pointers, noting no amelioration of the
conditions against which they protest.
are demanding definite action on the
part Of tho board. In the Hastings rob-
berry n small safe containing Mrs.
jewelry and large amount
OF Standard Oil securities was recov-
cred when the safe was found I'm the |
water. Commodore Hastings last night |
said to a reporter for THE New YORK |
HERALD:
'.My house on Manhassct Bay hss
been robbed and the thieves appre-
hcnded and sentenced to short jail |
.serms. Because OF my activity in aid
;ng District Attorney Weeks TO catci |
xhesc thieves they have threatened my |
life, and one of them (Michael Bicardo) |
aas openly boasted that. through politi- |
cal influences, he will soon be released |
from prison. and that he will then pro-
iced to Kill me. While In court at /
izireola | Informed him that I am a |
.~sck shot. and that II he ever came
near me I would put bullet through |
him before he could raise his hand. |
This threat was made IN the office Of |
the District Attorney and i'm the pres
cnce OF the officials.
I'm my county we have two OF the l
: blest judges on ~ Criminal Bench 4
Judge Smith County Judge and Judge /
Norman $. Dixie (Suprcme CourD. The /
latter has informed me that he is dis
with the efforts made by the |
to rid my neighborhood Of |
thugs because there seems to be very /
little difficulty. with fake pentence ami
crocodile tears TO get n release
through the Parole Board, whose action
seems to be founded upon mawkish
Moreover. there Is no |
a hlcr officiaI than Dictri~t Attovvox,