Evening star., 1935-08-04
IDLE TALK SPARK
). OF VICE CRUSADE
Lawyers Remarks About
100000, 900 Racketeers
InfIame Public.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

NEW YORK, August 3 (N.A.N,Ao'-
The spark that may blow the no OH
New York's vast underworld citadel OF
organized crime and expose its pont-
ical protectors was dropped last Marcn
by lawyer for one Of its kingpins IN
aE expansive mood.
The lawyer was j. Richard DAVIS
attorney for Arthur Dutch Schultz
F1egenheimer, who has Just defeated
Uncle Sans second attempt to seno
him TO prison as an income @X
dodger.
Schultz achieved a measure OF dis
tinction as public enemy in the pro-
l1ibition era, but he did not hit his
full stride until repeal retired him
from the beer running business ana
forced him to seek other ways OF Nv
ing in the style to which he had
grown accustomed.
BY common report, Schultz now
controls the policy games or the num-
bers racket in which the poor OF Har-
lem and other sections of New YORK
daily risk their pennies in the nope
that the lottery will bring them riches.
Summoned to give testimony In an
inquiry into bail bon dabuses, Mr..
Davis wished to have 1t understood
that he was not wasting his talents
on small affairs and estimated that
the take" in the policy racket
amounted to well over $100,000,o0O
year.
War Chest Corrupts officials.
Somehow the lawyers statement
caught the public imagination where
the exhortations Of reformers had
failed to do so. 1t drove home the
realization that criminals with such
a war chest were we'll able to cor
rupt politicians and officials and set
themselves up above the law, and 1t
led to a general demand from the
press and civic organizations for
cleanup.
These demands fell upon the ears
OF William C. Dodge, the district at
torney of New York County, who was
one of the few Tammany candidates
to survive the Fusion landslide OF
two years ago. His gestures of in
vestigation failed to meet the popu-
lar demand for action and before he
knew it he had the grand jury in
revolt and the public clamoring for
his removal.
1t was in response to this demand
that Gov. Lehman, without remov-
ing the district attorney, set in mo-
ton an investigation which has al
most unlimited and unprecedented
possibilities. Convening an extraordi-
nary term Of the Supreme Court, the
Governor directed Mr.. Dodge 10 ap-
point Thomas E. Dewey to prosecute
an inquiry 10 punish crime and lay
bare alliance between criminals
and politicians.
Fusionists Handled Weapon.
The effect of the Governors order
was to set up in Manhattan, chief Of
the f7e boroughs which compose the
city Of New York. and tie last strong
mold OF Tammany Hall, two separate
district attorneys, each with his own
staff and Offices. His order gave
Mayor F. H. La Guardia and his
Fusion administration what they had
failed to win in the election-an anti
Tammany prosecutor.
The debonaire Mr.. Dewey, who went
into Office with the blessings of the
bar association and the approval of
four oldsters who told the Governor
that he could do the job better than
they, approached his task realistically
by demanding and getting an appro-
priation Of $253 900 a year for his in
vestigation.
Although he is only 3S, Mr.. Dewey
already has an enviable reputation
as a prosecutor who gets results. AS
a former United States attorney. he
succeeded in sending Waxey Gordon,
notorious racketeer, to prison for
income tax evasion and prosecuted
successfully a dozen other outlaws
who had escaped puni- hment in the
State courts.
Not Awed Task.
If Mr.. Dewey is awed by the maeni-
tude Of the task before him. he con-
ceas 1t well. With extreme care he
AAo O oVoA1 VI dUlc young law
yers in whom he has confidence. He
has invited the victims of racketeers
to tell their stories to him, and he has
promised that the names of his wit
nesses will not become public knovI-
edge.
He has received pledges of Cooper
alton from Mayor La Guardia and
his police commissioner, Lewis J. VAL
entine. a man who was elevated To
the top by the Fusion administration
after being dropped to the bottom In
former Mayor Walkers time after a
series of gambling raids on Tammany
district clubs. A squad Of undercover
men has been created in the Police
department to help Mr.. Dewey.
Inc political skies are unusually
propltious for an inquiry of the type
ne Is about to undertake. With Tam
many on the outs with President
Roosevelt and none too friendly with
the incumbent Of the executive man
sion in Albany, there is no one in the
White House or in Albany who is
likely to interfere. Mayor La Guardia
certainly won't.
Copyright, 1895 by the Nortb A-.r;o..