, 1879-02-02
AN EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENT.

It is due to the people of this city, and due
to the Government at Washington, that
special attention be called to the remarkable
statements Of one Of the United States Grand
Jurors,-Dr: HAA1S, Of Evanston, in this
county, concerning the way in which the
criminal law has been administered in this
district, so far as it fell under the eye Of the
United States Grand jury at the October
term, 1S7s. We quote SO much Of Dr. HIM
1E's statement before the B1oDGE- 1nyesti-
eating Committee as is general, and which,
taken alone, has no bearing upon the matters
of Judge B1oDGEH. We give it, not with
reference to that investigation, but es throw
ing strong light on the extraordinary chain
Of circumstances trnceable from the Depart
ment Of Justice at Washington, aud through
several bureaus in the Treasury Department,
to this city, and indicating rottcnness and
q connirance with official fraud and dis
honesty that are both humiliating Us well as
demoralzing. Let the interested read this
statement:
'Qufstion-"S1ate sny1h!ng known to 5ou Of
your personal knowledge"
-4nsrsF-..I went on the Grand Jurr with some
reluctance, and in an unpleasant frame Of mind,
because, to the best OF my knowledge and belief
the Grand jury b0s packed. got that infor1ua-
ton directly from person whose case was 10 be
examined before that Grand Ju1y-;hat he was in
formed 1hat he might present to the proper aurhor-
ties I'VE six, or six or seven names, Of MS per-
sonal friends, to be placed upon that jury, Of
whom he informed me- Was one! Well the ma1-
ter struck me very unpleasantly. / consulted one
OF the Oldest and ab1esr legal gentlemen of the city
q personal friend OF thirty years' standing,
whether, under the circumstances, it WAS proper
for me 10 serve on the Grand Jury. He asked me
If the knowledge OF that fact would affect my
action. l told him it would not, and be advised
me b5 all means then to serve. After the Grand
JURY w.s charged and assembled, number OF days
were devoted to investigating petty criminal cases.
mean by that, indictments agains: men without
friends and without influence For instance, re-
member one case where man had made two lead
nicsels; another e-se where white mans negro
mistress, being turned adrifr, wrote him scanda
lous postal-card, and the poor Woman was indicted
for 1t; and such things The msjor part oI tie
time was taken no with that class Of thiugs which
were brought before the Grand Jury By Judge
BASGs, the District Attorney. II began TO be
whispered about among the Grand Jury that no,o-
nous criminal acts that hsd occurred in midst
trere not to be ihrestgate1 that it was the delet
mination OF the Court and its officers to prevent
such investigation. Well must confess tnatI
took no stock in the runors. When was called
upon the Grand JurY, left mr home supposipg
I should be gone ten days, and on coming in l
wanted to fix my shtuobery for the wiates. l
heard rumors that there would be adjournment
Of the Grand jury TO enable them to vote. Judge
BlopoE7r and myself ride up on the same 1rsin, he
residing at Wausecan, and myself st Evanston.
SO I TOOK the liberty OF speaking to the Judge
the kinzie- depo1, in this city and, st=ins
that I had heard the session WIS to be long
continued, and that some of the Grand jury were
desirous Of recess TO 20 home and vote,
and asked him If there would be such recess.
Judge BLoosErr answered me that he dld NIT pro-
pose to have lot Of G12ngezs loatng about there
st the Governments expense They should attend
TO the business that the District Attorney brought
before them, sud go home had nothing more to
say to the Judse; BIZ: fos the tts1 time then l be-
Gan 10 beieye that there might ne ground for
these r1mo-s thst allied the Grand JarT room,
seemingly without source snd without c,use.
We passed alon. through these criminal cases that
were brought before Us b: the District Attorney,
and the feeling grew daily stronger and stronger
to compel inres: iGotioa Of the snojor ev7rnnc!
eaSes, embracing the erection Of the new Custom
House, the detalcs,ion Of the Possnas-
ter, the oefnnet National banks, and
the HIBBARD case. Meme OF these cases
were brought to our attention BY the Dis
trict Attorney When the Grand Jury BY as6rei
fores brought them before us Judge BANGS stated
In yegsrd to the Nation.l bank cases that it WIS
useless for rs to investigate these m,1iers: that
some ye.r OF two previously ALIEN, the President
of the Cook County National Bank. had been in
dlc1ed,-his case notorious one; th.t he had
been ever 1eady and willing to try that case. hnt
tbs. political Influence had been brought to bear
with hin TO prevent Il trial. When they found
they could effect nothing with him 1heT went to
Washington. and through political influence {he
l6AS6s} mentioned several persons, members OF
Congress and United States Senatozs}. the 1rial
has from term to term been prevented. and tnat our
Ing the then session the Gsanc Jury It dad 6<<a
put o. 011la. That Was the s,.teneut the District
Attorney made in rezard to :har case when We con-
pelled its coming before u. There WIS no s:.;e-
nent made bJ Judge BAxe. ss to the Custom
House case bat from: the remarks he made We
Judge th.t he did not d<t< to tas Up tie eas< and
We judge so particularly from the fact &h.1 the
papers, which IS he ssid, carload, were nor
ordered from Washington, Is he st.t.d until after