AMAZING SCOUNDRELS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20767, 9 January 1931, Page 11

AMAZING SCOUNDRELS.

NEW YORK VICE "RACKET."

INNOCENT GIRLS TRAPPED. ALLEGED COURT ."RING." A young Chilean named Acuna was produced before a Supreme Court inquiry in New York recently, into "the Woman's Court racket." This is a racket which depends for its success upon the alleged connivance of Court o'/ficials, police and lawyers, specialising in vice cases. Acuna is one of the people who lure young women into the clutches of the ring which encircles the Woman's Court in New York. In this ring the AssistantProsecutor, John Weston, was, according to his own shameful confession, himself an important link.

The Chilean, who was closely guarded by the police, stated that in eight months ho and the police had secured the arrest on bogus evidence of 40 women who -were absolutely innocent, but who were hauled to gaol like common criminals. Some of them, who could not pay the price of the lawyer's racket, were convicted.

Acuna related how he went to tho United States ten years ago to make his fortune, and called himself just "Chile" Acuna. 110 mentioned the names of 30 policemen, including an inspector named Ryan, who co-operated with him in "framing" charges against women. The South American, a dapper young fellow of 30, said his role was to pick up a girl or girls, either in a respectable house or outside, and then, when he was on friendly terms, a policeman or policemen would appear and make charges and arrests. Then followed calls by the police on the telephone to bondsmen and lawyers who specialise in vice, and so tho trail to the Woman's Court was

started. Witness said he and the officers would often go to a place together. Sometimes the police would give him marked money for him to hand to the women. His watch would be timed with the officers', and at a given hour they would come along. Often he would play a comedy part under instructions, yelling and protesting and pretending to receive blows from officers. After finishing one case and securing arrests the Chilean said he would go back to the police station and wait for another.

Acuna told the Court that he "could not even estimate the total number of the victims he had lured into the hands of the ring." He declared he knew at at least 15 other unknown men who followed tho same calling, and who in the majority of cases had an alliance with lawyers and bondsmen and police. Miss Siegrid Johnson, one of the hundreds of women exploited by tho vice ring of the Woman's Court, swore that it cost her just £35 to escape from a charge which the Court itself said should never have been brought. And, according to the evidence, £35 was cheap. Miss Johnson, a refined, educated, .attractive young woman, was assistant to a physician when she was arrested on the street by the vice squad. She was allowed to go free without appearing in Court when a payment had been made by her out of her savings.