The New York herald., 1922-07-03
ANTI-CRIME DRIVE
ENDED 1895 CASES
Banton's Half Years Report
Shows Big Success of Speed
ing Up Courts.

The campaign against bucketeers and
the drive against crimes of violence are
pointed to as the most successful and
extensive accomplishments Of his office
during the last six months. In a state
ment made public yesterday by Joab H.
Banton, District Attorney of New York
county.
Since he assumed Office on the first OF
the year Mr.. Banton has obtained the
convictions of eight stock brokers and
of the American Cotton Exchange. In
the convictions of one of the brokers.
Howard Z. Stanley, and of the corpor-
ate body he established records.
When the broker was found guilty OF
grand larceny and sentenced to three
to six years in State prison It was the
first time in any court In the State
that bucket shop operator had beer,
treated as a plain thief. The convic-
tion of the Exchange for maintaining a
bucket shop and its fine of $1,000 also
was the first case of its kind.
Never in the history of the District
Attorneys Office Mr.. Banton declared.
speaking of the results of THE New
YORK HERALp's disclosures of unsound
conditions in the financial section, has
there been such an avalanche of COM
plants as preceded and kept pace with
the unprecedented number of failures in
the Wall Street district.
"Thse complaints came from every
State in the Union" he continued. "and
represented in part the thousands OF
persons who had been mulcted by dis
honest brokers and promoters. The
latter. it is estimated. have taken from
the public $3.50, 900 since the end OF
the war"
He stated that several important
bucket shop cases are to be tried within
a short time. One of these is the case
of Harold III. Lowy, Martin Schlesinger
| and Alfred Friedenberg, all charged
with grand larceny on complaint of q
| woman customer who lost $1,000. II
is believed it will be disposed of this
week.
During the six month period 65:
crimes of violence were disposed of as
compared with 4s7 in the corresponding
time of 1921. Altogether 1895 case,
have been wiped from the trial calen
dar. which, in turn, has been reduced b,
| 900 indictments. The report contain,
the following table:
Janunry iaSa l. june saso 80
| Prisoners In Tombs.. PSI 1S-
Awaiting trial ........... 1a1 IL.
| Awaiting Grand Jury action. 10 4.
| Indictments pending. g.......... 2,0sT 115.
| Mr.. Banton feels that proof of hi
success in speeding up court action t,
clear the calendars of crimes of violenc,
lies in the fact that now there are bu
3s persons awaiting trial for bandtry
burglary and homicides, q being at lib
erty under bail and II in the Tombs. II,
intends, he says, to continue his efforts
to clear the trial calendars until a Grim
inal can be placed on trial within a few
days after the alleged commission of
| crime.
Other work, termed as important IL
the summary of the six month period
| includes the rigorous prosecution o
merchants who have attempted to OBJ
tain goods by making false financia
statements abusers of trade acceptance
| and unlicensed chiropractic.
For the work he has been able to ac
complish Mr.. Banton gives credit to hi
staff. from the "least paid messenger I,
the Chief Assistant District Attorney"
! to the judges of the Courts of Genera
and Special Sessions; to newspaper pub
| licity. particularly in respect to his driv,
against crime, and to the intelligence O
| Jurors