New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-02
MAYOR HALLS TRIAL.
OPENING FOR THE PROSECUTION.

| FIFTH DAY--rLABORATE ADDRESS by HENRY J..
CLINroN-IHE MAJORS COMPLETELY N THE
COURr-HOUoE FRAJ D..
The proceedings yesterday in the trial Of
Mayor Hall were Of nuCh greater interest than the
previous days The entire session devoted 20 the
opening of Mr. Clinton for the prosecution, an elaborate
effort IN which no reetsd in tae miDHtcst detail the
various points which the prosecution Eond endeavor 20
prove IN order 10 establish Mayor Ha!Fs completely
with the corrupt Ring which had heeced the cty Of 10
millions TIE almost painful care which tAs defense
have exhibited 70 contest every point however trinc.
which might appear In the least deHnehta % theih'
and even TO cayil at unmportant CONSTRUCTIONS VI
| oppoaing counsel has satisfied All DeYond
| doubt that the Mayor regards hs case n
one worthy OF his strongest steel Tue question:
which the Jury obtained only after four DAYS Of
exeron 70 pass upon whether Mayor nan, III o'
ing to pass al claims passed by the B"aru % sup
yisors withcdt further examination by ihe boAru Vi
Audit and under that resolution, passing one ot A. j.
Garyey many extOrtionatc and unjust bills was suiF
only Ofneglgencc but Of wlfui negligence Inc maui
question, are questions for the Court On the nterpfe
the wording Of the Law O 1870, appointing Dayor
Hall, WIN. NJ Tweed. and Controller Connolly Board
Of Audit. and Judge Daily viii have to decide IN what
sense the Legislature used She word "aud!t II ne DE-
cides against the Mayors Interpretation then the ease
will 90 70 the Jury the question Of ~tu ue-"s'Ace
on which another legal night Is probable
At five minutes past II ChesJustice pay took ir sea-
and Henry L. Clinton at once proceeded 10 opeu -"'
case for the prosecution He sad:
MR.. CIISTON'S ADDRESS.
The 4ractae OF tho Chief Ma gstraJe " the rty ar
raisncd for crime l. sad and mcurniuL II guilty
the di-grace r not only HAM. but on the city, The
high position the Mayor gyes him right 20 special
consideration y does not except hun from me 7te1 h
pication Of justice II crime lsproyed against nm lhls
Is TO ne oS 90 t r ic The Mty0r 10 YEAR ago
| often we have met the legal forum. Nothing our
strong o. duty could have induced me 10 'he uP
this case. regret greatly that ry iHLia,,on aO t
have been made Of any personal irenE o my p R
longing TO the -rpe party, hut to dluerent braHch,
have sttarksd the Tamnuny Ring 10 repeated spcchS'
but have Lad any personal feeling against the de-
feudaut desire think that the attack made ON me
by counsel yesterday not made by the wish Ot
the Attorney General from which It would have been
cowardy and my associates to shrink and Ehiea
tornado swept the city last year ana "
was wei that it Gid so for otherwise IN short time an
the citizens property would nave pJen -, mo AN
their houses wOuid have not been their own II tue ueOV
Mr. Clinton then called attention to the charter OF 80
which he held. was intended TO enable Lhf eV tb
trs0TGiuary powers conferred on the Mayor tuo"t,S
n n ~ and Corroration Counsel powers which bad
before been committed any Mayor anu IA hi-
he neysr %og DC spt O 6v Inc act Of April
- - HIS powrr4 were imperial Docks. building :
] 10 cali on the Departments their accounts lie
alone tal power to gntalin theI lFauus, I r,r no
tire NJ fine frauds relating 30 the County COURTHOUSE
The duties Of the Mayor enloined " l!W Ior,i' lr
probability, aye the possibility Of ms III t
lion 70 these matters The charter or 1870 required nun
a. par of his sworn duty to make i report oI lu
finance. or the city to the Common ohO 70 ,c I
in enf1fciu the ordinances aud laws No one e.-e ui
the power 10 perform his duty Vigilance was specially
Va ti,,s a mere ministerial dutyl All warrants IN
1863 and 1870 we're signed by MIN before ne SILL M
for tb -ame Purpose He charged Win kno~leGge
of the fact that no such claims rs TINS coud Do "a
yi5Tf exrIlse MAYOR for undermining very closely
the ordinary warrants from the department. ov 49,
thon he was bound Ii ne tScs extraofnary war.
| rants came before him. NJ - A.. 90.
Hinder these circumstances Board 81 r.u,C wa
formed and how much DID thew sn,,.o Wa paid by
that Board IN three months. sj3lj5u IS. OF this, in
round numbers, 900" ,o went armores, Of which the
city received ~ 100000. In round numOets, sWOWv
came uer various DISCUSSES on account oI the COuny
Gour house. That did not e. INTO tno our.
Yet I'm face OF all this and AFTER h, Unorougn
ance with subject, having So often visited tue place
confer with the Coptroler he 'sns a%Sg
/ priatiOn5 and contrary 10 law. -, 49, ..-
millions had escaped his notice IL would appear tha
he lad gned these warrants on days Wtn uu Nt' NO
De shown that IN the matter OF routine warrants he
did not carcrssy sign them, bur often sent them back
ter opportunity, he had shown, than Mayor Hal To
detect the al-ity Of these voucher ana "nen u wa
remembered that he -bre wd-One OF the sAewdeSt
4nu ao,e toev Office of 20 ye1r, to scent fraud in
! the an what dd the claim Of haste amount TOT
There was an extraordinary Providence for the detec-
tloh Oh CtT and so In this case the reso-
% ~ Sl~or Hall presented by Oakley Hall, President
OF the B0r4 Thar Gr Board. wa, in itself conclusive
lain, = him That resolution was resolution hOt to eX-
anime certain claims There was peculiarly 9n9ut ~
NJ 81 M. nsua writing smooth and easy. This res
outiou was 10 the first view gng-l caIrIu tedu4HR
oha,--'J mot n had been written and rewritten
MIR CLINTON claimed that THIS was cuhhihRy drawn 10
enable al claim, signed BY " NJ I"ee9 TO pc passed
,Iv evidruce Tor these claims was 70 be the simple
ig,,tnyyo of VIM NJ. Tweed, Ch." for Chairman His
simple wish was to be the Only Warrau, IOr drawing
the resolution directs the Auditor having obtained tha
signature 10 iii up the appropriate voucher Ioi tueu
siSnature for payments.
Xr BIrr here rose and stated that they had sat quiet
Tor oug time under the ntimatlOn OF his Honor that
he would interfere the counsel went beyond what was
nroneT Tile counsel had in the most solemn manner AZ
red tu No that he had hostile feeling toward the de-
PENDANT He had proved the falsity OF this by TRADE
sncb a. no pickpOCet would be required to endure-a
| disgrace 10 counsel and disgrace TO the Court =,
There was some applause ana some MISSING from the
,,co which Judge DAILY checked. saying that he I'D
not propose have such demonstrations IN MS court
any -uch thing occurred again, he would lmprisOn the
neTpetr,tOrs He had the power. and would certainly
exercise it, He at the time suggested 10 MI I'm
5cn On evidence not vet ntrOduCed Mr. Clinton said
no would cOuue himself 10 the facts, ana proceeded 20
Give 9t -ome length the gures OF the amounts expended
Srrrg 1870 and 1870 for the Courthouse, calling aten-
ZION TO the facts OF the enormous amounts pd out III eA
cess Of the appropriations -, =, -, ..o, .,1 ~.
facilities prevent fraud lie requ,red BY law to
be ygilant 70 ,r"o,rut fraud Vast fraudulent claims
w9fe IauH from the Treasury Of which he must have
had cOgnizance He Connolly and Tweed between
May and August, 1870 allowed large amounts to be OBJ
tanned from the Treasury without evidence inc sta
fraudulent and his opportunity TO ascertain That IN ac
they were fraudulent vac equal II not 70 mat
sentcd the resolution pledgng the Board not to inquire
into these claims ana ms SuDe3nTnt m oS fi1
denounced them and sought TO recover Jhe moneys TO-
instead of usfyng frauds, and would have sought
IN remove instead OF shielding the guilty officials
| Adjourned to Monday.
IN ABBOTT FORGER CAPTURED.