New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-06
THE BROOKLYN INDICTMENTS

The Grand Jury in Brooklyn on Saturday
made presentments against several alleged
public plunderers and violatOrs of the election
laws. At length the Reform movement in
that city has obtained control of at least part
of the machinery of the law, and begins anew
and in another direction the sapping and
mining of the Ring It's position now is analo-
gous to that of the RefOrmers of New York when
they had ceansed the Courts and captured the
Grand Jury room and District Attorneys
Office. For two years Mr.. Britton, as
Dstrict-Attomey, protected the ballot
box suffers, his last six weeks in
Office being devoted to frustrating the will
of the Grand Jury that ordered the indictments
against the Charity Commissioners which
Britton failed to draw. Mr.. Rodman has found
all these in less than month, and has prepared
for the trial not only of these but others. He
now has indictments against Sprague and
Rodman, late of the City Treasury (both of
whom, it is understood, he will try, as the
evidence offered by Rodman as States evidence
is supplied from another source; against
Badeau and Gill of the Tax office; against
four of the Charity Commissioners, and against
Alderman Dunno, William Ford, Campbell,
Nolan, CarmOdy, Philips, and keenan,
for the election frauds of 1872. All of these,
it is hoped by the people of Brooklyn, will be
speedily tried. This is result of the first
months honest administration of the District
Attorneys Office which fully justifes-if justi-
ficatiOn were needed-the Governors removal
of BrittOn and choice of his successor. Mr..
Rodman has done admirably, but in view of
the long continued exemption from prosecu-
ton of public plunderers in Brooklyn, that
which he has done will be generally accepted
only as an assurance that he will as faithfully
perform the greater work yet before him.
The new indictments are significant and i'm
portant in many respects. James Dunno is
the successor of Mr. ROdman as Alderman of
the Sixth Ward. He was the political manager
of the Democratic Ring in that district; for
two years the evidence on which he is now
indicted was in the hands of Brtton unused.
for his party protected Dunno. His indict-
ment now reveals to all the delqded adherents
of the Brooklyn Ring, as well as to himself
that their leaders are henceforth powerless to
protect the guilty among them. Mayor Hunter
very soon after entering on his duties resented
the interference of Mr.. Mclaughlin, the
L" Boss" of the Ring. in his appointments, and
thus showed the Ring followers that
Mclaughlin could not provide for
them. Mr.. Rodman now indicates as
clearly that Mr.. Mclaughlin and his Ring can
not protect them. No severer blows could be
given to "a corrupt political organization than
these and the decentralization which must fol-
low will offer fair opportunity for the organ
izaton of an honest General Committee in
local Democratic politics. This will be all the
more practical il further evidence of McLaugh-
Inns political impotence is given, AZ it can be
very readily. Mayor Hunter has announced
that he will consent to no further payments
for the monstrous swindle of the Hampstead