The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-21
THE TWO GRAND JURIE&'
Discharge Of the Oyer and Terminer Granc
Jury and Judge BedfOrd'S Jury
Alone in Its Glory. e
Review Of the Situation by Judge Ingraaam-s
He Pitches Into the Press and Defends Him
SELF His Court and His Grand Jury from
the Aspersions Cast Upon Them.

Judge Ingraham astonshed everybody yesterday
by the discharge Of the Grand Jury OF the Court Of
Oyer and Termner. AS Is well known. feeling
somewhat akin to bitter rivalry engendered itself
between the Grand Jury OF this Court and that o.
the Court OF General Sessions. The press took uu
cudges in the judicial warfare, and OF course. added
fuel to the flames. 1t was boldly declared that the
Oyer ana Terminer Grand Jury was prolongng ita
session beyond all precedent and 1t was charged
that the motive therefor was not wholly
to aid justice In the punishment OF
Offenders against the law, but TO shield certain
criminals OF high degree and prevent exposurd
Of their acts OF malfeasance and the punish-
ment that their crimes merited. In oiheH
words, 1t was declared to be a "2ing" Grand
Jury, acting In direct antagonism to Judge Bedforda
Grand Jury. whose efforts, it is alleged, have BEEN
and still specially directed toward criminals in
high places. From the stand taken BY
Judge Ingraham and his Grand Jury ts
was believed that neither would back
down. but that the Court would continue ita
session and the jury It's sittngs as long the other
Judge and the OGher jury ''Over the way" kept up
their Joint labors. But Judge Ingraham has al
length. however, succumbed discharged his Grand
Jury, sent them TO their homes and business, and
left the field entirely the occupation and opera
ton OF Judge Bedford and his jury. The occasIonA
however, was not to be allowed to pass without a
charging them. He yesterday addressed them as
fOllOws:- a.
JUDGE INGRAHAMs vALEDICTORY.
In dlsch marrying you, gentlemen, from any further,
attendance on the Court l think 1t Is due to YOU TOT
state that do 80 with the thanks OF the Court for
your attention TO the public business. You have
attended to that business under very peculiar Cir.
cumstances; you have been abused and vilihed Dyj
some portion OF the press you have been called an
inferior Grand jury a bogus Grand Jury, q
RING GRAND JURY;
4,
an unprecedented manner and for wrong purDoses:!
and these charges have been accompanied
il you were not discharged All such charges,l
happy 10 say ,N with regard to y9
attend upon the duties OF the highest criminal
Court In the State; There is no Criminal Court
during the time OF your employment you nave BEEN
called to pass upon a large number Of cases; yOu
them Of importance and dnlcuty. and OF those ina
dictments large number have been disposed OF BY
the Court This Is not the first lime that Grand jury
OF this Court have renamed In session more than q
month, although 1t has been said to be
AN UNPRECEDENTED THING.
During the last year the same thing occurred,
during the year previous 1t occurred and think for
several years, as am Informed by the Clerk 1t has
been usual 10 continue the Grand Jury for the
purpose or dlspOsng OF business for q longer period
than a month. You have Deen continued for TWO
or three weeks longer than q month"; and the rea4
PRESSURE OF BUSINESS
upon us. IL seems TO be forgotten that 1t Is tho
duty of the Court Of Oyer and Terminer to see that's
the prison Is emptied before discharge as far aS
can be with the means It has IN Its power: ! nave
think may say you have been endeavOring to do!
that rs far as you could. We have not been able
been Increased by
has been said, because 1t was necessary you shOud
do It, but because 1t was necessary they should
elsewhere. should not have referred to the SUBJ
tect at this time except for the purpose OF making
an explicit denial oil these charges which have
been made both In regard to yourselves and to me-.
IL Is not true
THAT THIS COURT HAS BEEN CONTINUED
for any purpose other than the discharge OF public
business, and 1t Is not true that there
any any disposition on the part OF tins Court to inter-
always been my intention 10 give any other Grand
Jury that was In session an opportunity, before they
adjourned, OF acting without any interference on
your part. ! should have discharged You Thurs
day had 1t not been for the request OF the District
Attorney, and you were continued TO enable you to-
sign some indictments which mad not been drawn,
and, in consequence OF tnat 1t became necessary to
continue you until to-day Not only this gentle
men, but further tnan TINS, since you made your
application 10 me to be discharged. portion OF the
press have charged upon me deliberate statement
DELIBERATE FALsEHooD
in Court In regard TO the condiOn OF the prisons.
IL mistake not made no such statement. That
statement came from the foreman OF the Grand
Jury, IN communication made by the Grand Jury,
deem it my duty for your projection. to show tnat
that statement was not untrue. have in my hands
statement Vi TIC nuiUer Oi pTsOneTS from the lSG
Of January to the lsth that were contained IN the
City Prison. The smallest number during tnat
time Is 262, running mp at times TO 324, and
on the day when your communication was
made there were 800 prisoners In the prison.
T 3naav ha m s was a Ta aaa yes
these numbers Is sufficient 10 show that there was
no falsehOOd In what was said with regard to the
condition OF the prison, whether by you or by me.
This, gentlemen, so far as my recollection can aid
me, is, think, the first attempt on the part VI any
portion OF the press to
INTERFERE WITH THE COURT
in the administration OF justice, to intimdate
Grand Jury. | hope il may be the last. 1t Can 40
no good. 1t has done no good in the administration
OF justice now. l think 1t never can do any good,
and 1t may do much harm. return you again.
gentlemen the thanks OF the Court on behalf OF
the public, for your attention to pubic business and
discharge you from any further attendance on the
Court
the Grand Jury then retired.