February 3: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY – Brooklyn Daily Eagle

ON THIS DAY IN 1939, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, County Judge William ODwyer emphatically denied charges that Brooklyn has the greatest amount of crime of all the boroughs in an address before the Society of Old Brooklynites last night in Surrogates Court, Hall of Records. Declaring Brooklyn is not a criminal borough, Judge ODwyer observed the crime found most prevalent in the borough is that Brooklynites have not the combined public spirit it should have in demanding certain necessities from City Hall with which to bring about reforms. In a breakdown of 1938 crime statistics for Brooklyn, he declared, a large percentage of crimes in the borough is committed by underprivileged youths barely out of their teens. Of the 1,438 persons convicted of crimes last year in the borough, 52 percent of these were boys under 25, he said. According to these figures, people are led to believe that most of the criminals committed heinous crimes, the likes of which are unknown in other boroughs, he declared. The truth is that included in these figures are 374 convictions for petty larceny, 201 for unlawful entry and 138 for assault in the third degree.

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, In what will be the biggest mass promotion in city police history, 91 members of the Police Department will receive promotions in ceremonies at the police gymnasium on Wednesday. Six more members, bringing the list to 97, may also receive promotions at the same ceremony. George P. Mitchell will be named chief of detectives. Two other top level promotions are expected to come from the ranks. These promotions will fill the vacancies created by the scheduled retirements of 3rd Deputy Police Commissioner Lyons and Deputy Commissioner OLeary. Both Lyons and OLeary are expected to retire Thursday. Emmanuel Klein will be promoted to the rank of acting captain, becoming the first Negro to reach that level in the department.

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, Essential municipal services will be jeopardized and city employees may have to forego wage increases unless an additional $167,845,000 is raised during the next fiscal year through local revenues and state aid, Mayor [William] ODwyer warned today. Again blaming the citys financial plight on outmoded constitutional and statutory provisions, the mayor, in his annual City Council message, demanded a drastic change in the fiscal relationship between the city and state governments. The new revenues, the mayor said, would permit the city to hand out $45,000,000 in wage hikes to meet zooming living costs, $27,222,000 for salaries for additional personnel in hospitals, police, sanitation, education and other city departments, and $13,968,000 for mandatory pay boosts. The required $167,845,000 should come from city and state sources, the mayor told the councilmen. Through an increased fare, new and increased taxes, including upped real estate levies and budget modifications, the city could raise $83,345,000. The state, ODwyer added, should supply the remaining $84,500,000.

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1950, the Eagle reported, LONDON (U.P.) A top British atomic scientist who was trusted with some of Americas biggest A-bomb secrets was charged today with giving unidentified agents information useful to an enemy. Unofficial sources indicated the information went to Russia. The scientist, German-born Dr. Klaus Emil Julius Fuchs, 38, was arrested by Scotland Yard agents yesterday on a tip from American FBI agents investigating Russian espionage. He was accused specifically of giving information relating to atomic research to an unknown person in the United States in February 1945, and to an unknown person at an unspecified place on a day in 1947. Arraigned in Bow St. Police Court, Fuchs was ordered held until Friday for a hearing to determine whether he should be tried. Only last July he was appointed senior principal scientific officer to the British Ministry of Supply. He has been working at the great Harwell atomic research center, the biggest atomic center in Europe. Its huge cyclotron was recently put through its first tests.

***

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Pro Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton, who was born in 1940; Brighton Beach Memoirs star Blythe Danner, who was born in 1943; Pro Football Hall of Famer Bob Griese, who was born in 1945; Flamingo Road star Morgan Fairchild, who was born in 1950; former major league outfielder Fred Lynn, who was born in 1952; The Birdcage star Nathan Lane, who was born in 1956; ER star Maura Tierney, who was born in 1965; World Golf Hall of Famer Retief Goosen, who was born in 1969; Willow star Warwick Davis, who was born in 1970; The Great Gatsby star Isla Fisher, who was born in 1976; Despacito singer Daddy Yankee, who was born in 1977; former N.Y. Mets first baseman Lucas Duda, who was born in 1986; and Beautiful Girls singer Sean Kingston, who was born in 1990.

***

MAKING AMENDS: The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on this day in 1870, granting that the right of citizens to vote shall not be denied on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude.

***

SOUNDS OF SILENCE: On this day in 1959, rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. The Big Bopper Richardson were killed in a plane crash near Mason City, Iowa. The tragedy was immortalized as the day the music died in Don McLeans 1971 song American Pie.

***

Special thanks to Chases Calendar of Events and Brooklyn Public Library.

Quotable:

Its perfectly OK to want to quit as long as you dont.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton, who was born on this day in 1940

February 2 |Brooklyn Eagle Staff

February 1 |Brooklyn Eagle History

January 31 |Brooklyn Eagle History

January 28 |Brooklyn Eagle History

Go here to see the original:

February 3: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY - Brooklyn Daily Eagle