RAZOR ATTACK

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 109, 1 February 1930, Page 29

RAZOR ATTACK

GANG REIGN OF TERROR

Once again the activities of Glasgow gangsters have been brought before the Court, and this time there stood in the dock three youths who were described as being members of the notorious gang known, as the South-Side Stickers. The accused were Abraham Zemill, Joseph Lucas and George Stokes, aged 17, 18 and 19 respectively. 'Zemill is a Pole and Lucas a Lithuanian, and their homes are in the Gorbals district, where the Stickers have their existence. Despite their youth, this trio are undoubtedly of a dangerous disposition, and: their record—each of them has previous convictions for violence — shows that on the slightest provocation they find recourse to violence. The trial was the sequel to a pitched battle which took place on a Sunday on Albert Bridge, when knives, razors, axes, hammers, bottles and ■ bricks were employed to inflict bodily injury; During the battle a youth was fatally stabbed, and for a time a charge of murder hung over the heads of those whom the,police believed to be responsible for the tragedy. The case implicating the three youths already named concerns a melee which took place in a picture house in the South-Side' of the city. ‘ The Fiscal explained that' it is apparently the habit of members of this gang to visit picture houses .in bands and cause trouble under cover of darkness. On this" particular night, the three accused entered a kinema house and observed a youth named Solomon. Some time previously Solomon, who is not a member of any gang, and Lucas, had fallen out, the latter suffering bodily injury at the hands of Solomon. Stokes and Zemill, when they. saw Solomon, encouraged Lucas to go and beat him up. The three went over ,to

the youth, and Stokes, drawing the blade of a razor from bis pocket, slashed Solomon on the face, inflicting a wound three inches long that stretched from the left ear to the neck. A free fight ensued, and Solomon received further injuries from Zemill, who attacked with his bare fists. During the melee Lucas was stabbed in the heck by an unknown assailant, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that order was restored in the hall. When the noise had died down Solomon and Lucas were found to be both bleeding profusely, and they were rushed to the Infirmary, where they were detained. Lucas had escaped narrowly with his Ute, the wound inflicted on him missing the juglar vein by a hair’s breadth. It was while the two were lying in the infirmary that the police detectives commenced their investigations, with the result that Zemill and Stokes were arrested, while Lucas was taken into custody when he was liberated from the Institution. The Fiscal handed his lordship reports regarding the three youths which had been received from the Borstal authorities, who declared that Stokes and Zemill were fit for Borstal treatment, but that Lucas-was not considered to be. It was then that sensational allegations against Borstal treatment were made by the agent appearing for Zem--111/ . ' ...

’ “I appeal to your lordship,” said the agent, “not to send Zemill to a Borstal Institution. • I would suggest a term of imprisonment. It is my firm belief that Borstal will do this youth more harm than good.” Zemill and Stokes were each sent to the requisite term of three years to Borstal and Lucas was sentenced to six .mpnths’ imprisonment.