Search JTA's historical archive dating back to 1923

Healey Jailed; Held to Blame in Yorkville Clash

June 10, 1935
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
Advertisement

Raymond J. Healey, the self-styled American Hitler and editor of the anti-Semitic Healey’s Irish Weekly, was convicted Saturday night for disorderly conduct in connection with his posting of an inflammatory anti-Semitic sign in Yorkville which led to a riot there.

Healey was sent to jail immediately after Magistrate Louis B. Brodsky found him guilty at the hearing in Night Court. He will appear for sentence on Wednesday. Meanwhile his fingerprints were ordered taken and his case was handed over for investigation to a probation officer.

Appearing before Magistrate Brodsky, the youthful Irish Nazi leader gave the Nazi salute in court and tried to outline to the judge the “destructive philosophy of the Talmud.” He at first brought charges of disorderly conduct against Julius Alexander, a Jewish machinist, for ripping off the anti-Semitic poster, but Judge Brodsky dismissed the charges against Alexander and directed the latter to swear out a similar complaint against Healey. This Alexander did with apparent pleasure.

HEALEY CHARGES PREJUDICE

John S. Wise Jr., defending Healey, asked that the case against his client be transferred to another judge, declaring that Judge Brodsky “is being prejudiced.” The judge, however, refused to transfer the case declaring that there had been nothing in his conduct to prove that he was prejudiced.

Healey denied in court that he had anything to do with putting up the inflammatory anti-Jewish sign which read: “Gentiles Organize! Unite and Fight Jewish Talmudic Gangsterism.” He admitted, however, that he was to address the meeting which was advertised on the sign.

It was from this sign that the trouble had started. Julius Alexander, who is six feet, four inches tall and weighs 250 pounds, stopped his car on Thursday night in front of the Kreutzer Hall, 228 East Eighty-sixth Street, to investigate a knock in his motor. As he stopped, he was attracted by a twelve-foot placard hanging out of a window of the hall, inviting “Aryan Americans” to enter and to help fight “Jewish Talmudic gangsterism.”

Seizing several long poles and some wire, the Jewish mechanic made a hook and started to tear the placard down. The Nazis flung buckets of water at him from the windows of the hall, but he finally dislodged the sign. The Nazis then hurried to attack him, thus starting a clash which was later checked by the police.

Appearing before Magistrate Brodsky, Alexander declared that he was enraged by the sign and tore it down as an act of good citizenship. Such signs, he stated, are likely to provoke excesses.

Recommended from JTA

Advertisement