The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-01-29
In
New York
nv PAUL HARRISON

New York.--To people VINO
never have been listed in the New
York Social Register, or in the
rogues' gallery down at police
headquarters, it may not be i'm
portant that Alpheus Geer, the
one-man reform wave who founded
the Marshall Stillman Movement.
is back in the welfare business
after a. couple Of years OF Ill
health.
But 1t is news, at least, because
Mr. Geer and his strange crusades
used to make the front pages fire.
auently, and probably will again.
He is the one who used to bring
together at luncheon or dinner at
some hotel or smart restaurant
representative groups Of philan-
thropists, forgers, clergymen, con-
f1dence men. judges, pickpockets,
debutantes, bandits bankers
buns and bishops. These people
would talk to each other about
crime control and why men go
wrong, and Mr. Geer would make
a speech, and the prominent peo-
pie would dig down for contribu-
lions to the Marshall -Stillman
Movement and its clubhouses
which were to be established
throughout the tenderloin areas.
o..
Boxing VS. Crime
A little about Mr. sGeer: He came
from a prominent family and his
father was an Episcopal minister.
The rectory, though, was on a
tough part of Fifty-seventh street,
and Afpheus had to fight his way
through hostile hoodlums every
time he left the house. So he be-
came very handy with his fists, and
also learned a lot about the Adde'S
cent fringes Of the underworld. A
few years later he was one of the
best Interchangeable boxers Of
the New York Athletic club. Hc
has written books about boxing
and during the war taught mass
boxing at training camps.
After the war he got the Idea
that boxing would be a. good anti
dote for crime, and went about
organizing clubs and finding quar-
tiers for them. .. 1
Next Mr. Geer began to
plan for underworld recrea-
ton centers and employment
bureaus. and IL was then that
he started bringing sOclety's
upper and lower starta to-
gether for luncheon confer
ences at which Louie the
Dope or Lead.Pipe Gus would
take the door to tell Mrs
! Marlborough and her Park
| avenue friends how much the
| underworld would like to re-
form II it only had the chance.
A Lost "HoteI Bill'
| Mr. Geer even got to including
himself in the neither category
1--WE Of the underworld" he'd say
"have superior ideals of loyalty ant
self-sacrifice. We never rat. We
never squea1. We never cross"
One of his money-raising schemes
was to issue Marshall Stillman but.
tons, ranging from .celluloid to GOLD
and variously priced UP to $4,000
which presumably would insure the
wearer against being robbed.
Just to prove the efficacy Of hi:
reform plan, Mr. Geer allowed
| fellow called "Hotel Bill" who
had bounced rubber checks or
nearly every hosiery in the coun'
I try. to become treasurer of the
M-S-M. Bill turned out to be 9
4 first-class penitent. He made wist.
full little speeches before half the
snooty clubs in town. He ever
repented in a book of poems which
was published for him. He re-
pented in newspaper interviews
until he was almost as well known
as Alpheus Geer himself 5. One
day, after raising $4,000 by radio
appeals for a cripple, ''Hotel Bill
and the money disappeared-fol
awhile. Apprehended, after jump
ing out of a second-story hote
window. he was sentenced to tel
years in prison. And is still re
penting. r*t f.sf hr
Along in 1929. the Marshal
Stlllman Movement Industries
Inc. was organized and took owe
q leather goods factory. II wa
to be operated for the benefit o
reclaimed criminals. many OF II
workers being ex-convicts' and on
of its foremen man twice indict
cd for murder I. It didn't d
very well. In fact, It's bushes
inducements contributed to tn
death OF the Marshall Stillmai
Movement. incidentally. ther
never was a Marshall stillma
anyway, Mr. Geer finally admit
ting that he had just Invented III
name because he was related I
the Marshails and tho stilImans.
i Today dad deeF, a squat fia
ure and whlte-haired, but dynaml
and overlooking with accumulate
wisdom, IN starting a. new but sim
liar movement called the AHn0cia
tion Of Better citisenKhip.
Eggs. pork, milk ana poultl