The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-04

Eyes, saw these charges" answered Mr.. Phelps,
'and can only say that they are nothing new to
me. have heard the same thing before"
''Have you any objection to tell me who they re-
fer to among the jurorsf'
'NOne whatever"
''Who then, is referred to as mock auction
eera,n
referred to in that way, as he Is the only one who
stated his business to be that of auctioneer;
horses something OF that kind, but don't think
he does a business as an auctoneer, but he gave
that as his business on the trial when he was asked
about his occupation"
"And the ex-convict.' Who does that refer toY'
''Mr Roche" said the District Attorney "He
got into some trouble down South about counter
letting stamps.n
''And lastly the GUNNER around the docksn
Who does that refer tor,
"Mr. Parker, who gave his business as that OF
FISHERMAN on the trial. Mind, l am not certain
have been made and repeated again and again"
as men OF bad characterS''
"Yes, there are two others; but do not care to
'Now, it is further said that some afndavits have
been made preferring certain sworn charges
against some OF the jurors Have you such affi-
Yes I" said Mr. Phelps; 81 have them in my pos
session.
Gould you give them for publication P'
mo. do not think the time has come yet to
publish them They say enough, and yet they do
not say enough
"But Of what use are these afldavits If you can
ESTABLISH bad character against any OF the jurors
Will 1t give the power to question the verdictr ~
No; it will not give me the power to touch any
OF the proceedings of the trial, though had known
the character OF these men during the trial GER
tainly would have objected to their being placed
upon the jury, alleging their bad character as q
reason. But these afiidavits do not refer to the
previous character OF the jurors, but allege that
and allowed themselves to be approached. These
are very grave charges 10 make, no doubt; but If
they are proved TO be true they will do very much
A nv cnch nisQ ore m anE MIA
the jury on this trial.
'And do these afidavits specifically refer to
Messrs. Roche, Hamlin and Parker f'
.They do and to two others, as before said"
THAT these jurors were approached while acting
consequence ~ asked the reporter again.
yes" answered the District Attorney; 'that
Is about the sense of the aildavits. But expect
TO get some more facts still more explicit
What the Alleged Ex-Convict Says.
The reporter saw Mr.. Roche and asked him as to
the story OF the counterfeitlng stamps which had
been alleged against him. Mr. Roche told him his
story, as folows:-
''In 1869 was detective in Richmond, Va. and
proceeded against something like four hundred
persons for violating the United States Revenue
laws. and had great many OF them put through
After some time l retired from the service of
the United States and went into the to-
bacco business myself. OF course / had
made good many enemies while a
detective. and as soon as was in business for
myself there was a good deal of feeling against
me. manufactured tobacco and had to put the
stamps on nay packages. in this way had TO buy
good many stamps, and one OF my clerks day
bought large lot. l have since had reason 10
believe that this clerk was In the conspiracy which
was put up against me. The stamps he had bought
were, OF course, used in my factory and sold
number OF them to a man who wanted some; doing
this TO oblige him, for i forget what reason.
Shortly after ! was arrested, and then all the
people whom had made enemies OF came down
upon me, and Immediately saw that the charge l
had at first thought very trivial would become
serious matter. was indicted, and at last brought
mp for trial. The Judge and the District At
tOrney knew the conspiracy which had been
made against me- and they advised me to plead
guilty as the easst way to get out Oft, and not to
go through a trial, which would only make my
case worse, and in which Heaven knows the
amount OF false swearing there would be against
me. l did plead guilty. and after doing so was
on the spot pardoned before had lett the Court
dictment now exists against me. This is the only
thing OF the kind have been In in my lie, and
can bring the District Attorney OF Richmond and
any number OF persons who know me to swear 10
these iactsn
And you deny that in any way you were in
nuenced by an Indictment being held over youSn
MOST certainly. There Is no indictment in cx-
istence against me.n
What the Alleged Mock Auctfoneer Says.
The reporter interviewed Mr. Hamlin. Mr..
hamlin said that his business was selling horses
and buggies, &c. He was in the habit OF calling
himself an auctioneer and did business which was
bidder IN his line. His business was a genuine
one, and he had no cause to be ashamed OF it, He
oath, and he believed every other man ON the Jury
did the same.
The Alleged Dock Bummer.''
The reporter then went TO see Mr.. Parker, who
had been called hummer around the docks He
was not TO be found, but from persons who did
business with him the reporter learned that Mr..
Parker sold oysters on commission, having
Twets street and North Rvep TSe nj e
said that Mr.. Parker had always done business
fairly with him. Before being in business for him
self Mr.. Parker had done work for others in the
oyster business, working here and there on wages
but that he was not known as a drummer" any
more than all men who work for oystermen. lie
supported wife and family by his work.
The reporter spoke to another OF the jurymen on
the Tweed trial who said that ne never heard any
before, and that as FAR as his experience went they
appeared TO be honest men.
The HERALD reporter then went to interview Mr..
Lyman Tremain, one OF the prosecuting lawyers In
the great suit.
what Mr.. Tremain Says OF the Jurors.
you have seen the statement, Mr.. Tremain, l
presume, about the jurors in the Tweed suit that
one was mock auctoneer,' another an ex-con-
Wet, and still another dock bummerS'n
fes; nave seen the statement said Mr.. Tre-
main.
"What can you say about the truth of this ~
nave every reason to believe they are true"
'.You are not, then, satisfied with the character
OF the jury ~ ~ ' 'A''"'''i
"Ko, SIR, an not. do not wish to make any
distinct charges OF corruption: but can Gov ,hat
certain persons on 1t did not suit me at aln
Then why did you not object 70 them n,
"For a very simple reason--that i'm cases NJ ,r,s
demeanor the law only allows three cnayenges
and when had exhausted these, why had In re-
main powerless. This is my objection to the new
Jury law-that while In capital charges the law
allows thirty challenges in all feonles which ara
not capital and In misdemeanors the law allows
only three think this Is a very grave inadvert-
ence In the law.v
But how did such men OF alleged bad character
get on the jury list Si'
"Ah, this is not matter in our power. The law
places very great power In the Commissioner OF
4 Jurors lie has the only supervision Of the jury