Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-11-27
PUMPING A NEW YORK EDITOR
George Jones, of the Times, as Re-
ported by the Trfbune-A Very
Remarkable Witness.

ffemarkabIe witness.
From the New York Times. Nov. 2l.l
| We published on Saturday an official
report Of the examination Of Mr.. Geo.
Jones before the grand jury, respecting
the completely Of Mayor Hall in the
Tammany frauds, of which Mr.. Jones
was understood to say thathe knew more
than any other man alive, with the ex-
ceptions, perhaps, of Boss Tweed and
Captain Matthew j. 0'Rourke. Mr..
Jones, our readers will not have failed
to observe, knew nothing at all; and the
painful suspicion was aroused that Mr..
Jones and his newspaper, the Times, had
all along been hitting in the dark. The
Times assured us yesterday that, during
the examination, a reporter in the pay
Of Mayor Hall was concealed in the
grand jury room, either under the table,
or up the chimney, or in some
other convenient place, taking notes
| for the Tribune. With great trouble and
expense we have secured this enterpris-
ing person, and are now enabled through
his means to present much fuller and
more accurate account of the great
Jones' Hall. Oliver inquest than can be
found in the official transcript of the
evidence. Mr.. Jones entered the room
with firm, quick step. and an air Of
profound mystery. Folding his arms,
and looking at the jury from under his
eyebrows, he was heard to mutter some
thing about "Tammany tools, and to
address the District Attorney as "cai-
! tiff villain" at which several of the
jurymen visibly shook, and Judge Gar
vim reached for a heavy mahogany ruler.
Mr.. Jones, however, restrained himself,
and, tranquility being restored, the ex-
animation went on as follows:
Q, Mr.. Jones, yoE are the principal
proprietor, ] believe, of the New York
Daily Times2
A. No, sir; / am an individual.
Q. Have you not an interest in the
paper2
A. There is difference between me
as o person, and me as Times proprie-
tor, and refuse to give you any infor-
nation about the interior workings of
either of me.
Q. Have you read the editorials in the
Times of the past two or three months
A. / decline to answer that question
on the ground that it might disgrace me.
@. You are aware, / suppose, that
your paper has charged Mayor Hall with
theft. Do you know whether that charge
is true?
A. That is professional secret. Here
Mr.. Jones winked at the foreman.
| @. But, Mr.. Jones, we want intorma-
ton upon which to base an indictment.
You profess to have evidence. Will you
not give it to us2
A. You have The Times, and if that
is not good enough evidence for you,
you must all be Tammany thieves.
[Spoken with some excitement
Q. We don't undervalue the Times;
but you know that is not legal proof.
A. If you will not believe the Times,
you would not believe though one rose
from the dead.
Q. Well, then, who is the chief editor
and proprietor of the Times?
a. 4 am. ttAta ~
Q. When you said in your paper that
Hall was thief, did you know that to
be the case? H
A. No.
@. Why did you say it then2
A. | said it as a newspaper; and | re-
fuse to tell as George Jones what | did
when | was not George Jones, but a
newspaper abstraction.
Q. Can you help us in any way TO fas-
ten this crime upon Hall2
| A. | can, bat won't.
Q. Why2
A. Because it would be unprofessional.
@. Do you believe that Hall is theft
A. | don't know whether he is or not2
Q. Do you believe your own articles
in the Times to be true2
A. That is a professional secret.
O. Do you know any more about these
frauds than all the rest Of the world2
A. No, don't Here Mr.. Jones be-
came extremely violent, and seized an
ink-stand with the apparent intention of
throwing it at one of the jurymen, Mr.
Isaac j. Oliver. A pail of water being
poured over him, he grew calmer; but
his answers to the subsequent questions
we're somewhat incoherent,
c. When you said that Hall was a
swindler did you sIeak from positive
knowledge2
A. There is difference between me
as George Jones and me as the Times.
Q. Well then, did you, speaking as
the Times2
A. can't tell you anything about the
interior workings of the Times.
@. Did you as George Jones2
A. cannot tell you anything about
the interior workings of George Jones.
Q. Why7 l..t rrI ~
A. It might disgrace me.
Q. Can you refer me to anybody who
does know anything2 IfT
A. Not in our Office.
Q. 1 didn't suppose you could in your
office; but out of it2
A. You see there is difference be-
tween me as George Jones and me
as "
o. Yes, you need not mind that any
more. Which are you now, at this
1 moment2
A. am the Times now.
Q. Well, did the Times tell the truth
when it said that it had proofs of Halls
A. Oh, I can't tell you anything about
the Times. ] am only George Jones.
Q. Did George Jones, then, tell the
truih2
A. / can't tell you anything about
him. / am not George Jones; ! am the
Times. You see there is a difference
between me as George Jones and
Here Mr.. Jones, sitting on the edge
of table, and Illustrating his argument
= by forcible demonstrations with the
thumb of his right hand upon the open
palm of his left, became so profoundly
philosophic that the reporter lost the
r thread of his discourse. He had been
, speaking about ten minutes, when sew
! eral jurymen interrupted him, and pro.
: posed to send for the other editors OF
/ the Times. On Mr. Jones remarking
that they we're all just like him, this sug
: gestion was hastily abandoned. The
witness was then dismissed. In the
, lobby he was heard 10 remark that be
+ had given most damning evidence
against Hall, and II the jury failed tC
: fnd a true bill they were all Tammany
3 Republicans.
{ A new book from Miss Muloch, Han
: v,t 70 = auuoanoad in I.ondan