New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-26
BROOKLYN JUSTICE.
EFFORTS TO JUSTIFY spRAGUE.


HIS COUNSEL CLAIM THAT THE MONEY CAME FROM
THE TRUST COMPANY. NOT THE CITY, AND WAS
BoRRowED-rHE GRAND JURY RIGHTS ITSELF
Mr.. Spragues attorneys, ex-Judge Edwin
Moore and ID. p Barnard, arc making every possible e
fort to lead the DstrctAttorney and the public to be-
leve that their client received the money which he in
vested In different enterprises from tho Brooklyn Trust
Company and that he did not take 1t from the City
Treasurer To that end exJudge Moore yesterday Wis
tied the District Attorney and laid before him docu
mentary evidence which tended 10 show where Sprague
got the money 70 pay for his jefferson Car Company
stock 1t will be remembered that among the charges
brought against sprague by the DstrictAtorney, was
included the statement that the latter paid Tor the stock
OF that Company with the ctys funds. Judge Moore
says that the evidence his possession which he sub
mitted to tho District-Attorney yesterday shows
that sprague was no worse than some OF his
associates in the Trust Company, II as bad, and
that IL Is unjust 10 single him out alone for prosecution
while equally guilty conederates are at large The evil
dence which presented yesterday 10 MI brtton
comprised 10 checks five OF them OF the brooklyn trust
Company drawn in some instances to the order OF u A.
sprague and in others to the order Of g. C. Hail. Treas
urer ALI maid over TO the Jefferson Car Company by
sprapue and deposited by them. Three OF the remain
ing checks are drawn by Cortandt A. sprague on the
Brooklyn Trust Company payable to the order OF the
jefferson Car Company. Another checK IL sRneu ny
milford & Sprague. and made payable 10 the order Oh
G. c. Hail. Treasurer, while the remaining check was
drawn by Cortlandt A. sprague upon the trust Com
many and made payable TO the order OF MILFORD
q anrague Judge Moore said that these checks
covered the entire investment OF his client In Jefferson
Car stock and proved that sprague was b0rrowerfrom
the Trust Company. Judge Moore claimed that THIS
substantaed the theory Of the defense that no money
was drawn out of the City Treasury by sprague Tor DIS
prIvate emoument but that the Trust Company is re-
rhta m
DistrictAttOrney. the other hand, claimed ina
whether the money came directly from the Trust Com
pany or not was the main question, so long as IL
could be shown that originally 1t was puriomed from
the CITY Treasury That so obtained, he said ne
had sufficient evidence TO prove as also that IN many
cases the Trust Company was merely made the venice
Of communication between the City Treasury and the
different enterprises in which sprague had been engaged
DIP Barnard said Yesterday that in the present state
of public feeling deemed it imperative for the welfare
of the general public, as well as the interests OF his
client, that the case OF sprague should be immedi-
atey disposed Of He said that he ready to pro-
coed TO trial at once He had not yet received from the
District-Attorney any notice OF the indictment OF
sprague. He had informed the DisrictAttorney that
he would like copy Of the indictment as he was anxious
to try the at the earliest possible moment but the
District Attorney had made no ntimaton to him as to
what he should do in the matter 1t was his opinion
that the would prefer TO try the case
before the Court OF oyer and Termner which meets In
October. Ordinarily the Distrct-Attorney made an
effort to out the County Jail before he took up ball
able cases. but whether he would do so at this time he
could not say.
The Grand Jury, through its foreman issued to the
public notice, yesterday. calling upon all persons In
the community who had any knowledge concerning the
misrepresentation Of public moneys to present suitable
evidence before the DsrictAttorney to the Grand
Jury The following is the sustance OF the notice:
GRAND JURY Room BROOKLYN Sept. %, 1873.
The Grand Jury In session. having had brought 10
their notice petition calling upon them to pursue ana
indct any and all who have been tamlmrlng Win
city funds, empowered in their behalf 10 say
10 all who may be In possession OF facts showing embez
Element malfeasance or oriminality OF any kind In
handling public moneys, the part Of any man. that
they prepared TO consider the evidence, ana that
the station reputation OF the party implicated ana
any is invited to present such evidence through
the Attorney, to the Grand Jury Direct at 10
O'Clock any morning during the session.
FRANCIS A. BIGGs, Foreman.
This order which is ont OF the ordinary Of pro-
ceedings, has excited considerable comment, and has
helped 70 set at which have been prevalent
for several days the effect that the members Of that
body 10 earnest Others regard II as indicating
that satisfactory evidence Of persons crminaty
has vet been presented while some hold that evidence
possession the Grand Jury duplicates persons other
than sprague but not sufficiently for indictment In
fact there seems no doubt that sprague has already
been indicted, and that there only remains the ormay
OF bringing the matter 10 the attention OF the court
A, d. WheelocR the newly appointed Deputy City
Treasurer filed with the Mayor yesterday his bond
$4,000 for the faithful performance Of his duties The
bondsmen Horace B. Clahn, Aaron Cahin Alfred s.
Barnes Edward w. Bancroft, and Samuel Nc Lean,
who justified In 900 each. The boud will be submitted
20 the Common Council for approval.