New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-12
JURIES AND WITNESSES.
DJsToRTING JUDICIAL METHODS.


.Srs-p.prps ropcrD TO "FIx" A WITNESS.
| The article in last Mondays TRIBUNE exposing
| the abuses to which the jury system III iaiso
cities Is subjected through the operations OF cor
rlpt class of men known as jury txers" altrac'eu
| much attention and comment, among lawyers
especiallv. The revelations were not new 10 theHi
| and consequently did not surprise Them but they
| expressed qualification that the subject had been
taken hold OF by the press.
1.-THE TRIBUNE" said one lawyer familiar with
its efforts in the past to purify the administration Of
Justice. "can start and force reform IN this mat
ter, and / hope it will do so. 1t did noble work
years ago in relieving the bench of such corrupt
creatures as Barnard, CardOzo and McCunn; and IL
can perform as great service TO the bar by driving
from il such rogues as disgrace II i'll the way 1t
has described by fixing juries and breaking up
a system which, it states is the dread OF every
honest lawyer who seeks TO win cause on It's merits
The statements in the article are not at all eXagSe
rated. II is absolutely astonishing what numbers
of LAWYERS there are who practise TINS sort OF
thing. aud no one can understand to what extent
they are assisted 10y Others as unscTupulous whoa
outside the profes lion, who not strangers TO the
courts and the Offices OF the DistrictAttorney ana
the Commissioner of Jurors"
Another lawyer expressed qualification that at
tenton was being called to the scandal of the init
mate association of judges and clerks of the courts
with the class of men known as "jury-hxers" ana
with LAWYERS who II is notorious, have never been
regularly admitted to practice, or who have been
dlsbarrcd in this country convicted in another
"The judges and clerks" he said, " have no idea to
what grave suspicious such intimacy subjects them
among lawyers and clients and the general
public. or they would certainly put an end to it
The intimacy is thrust on them it is true, and the
suspicious attaching TO judges and clerks In conse-
ouence Of it are in many instances unfounded but
il is nevertheless true that both exist and that the
intimacy creates, if it does not justify the suspl
cions Lawyers and litigants naturally grow to be
suspicious by reason of their business and those
whose Offices are in the courts justice from judge
to the crer are among the first objects of disrust
when found TO be surrounded by lawyers without
reputation and men of VIGOROUSLY bad character,
such as the known 'jury-iixers.'"
SOME wIII~KNowN "JURY-FIXERs."
The most active bold and audacous of the " jury
fsef.D in New-Yor< is a man verging upon
| fifty wears of age, whose hair and moustache are
gray. He has been engaged in almost every i'm
| aginabe sort of business was once for brief time
public official, but suddenly resigned for reasons
not unknown and decidedly discreditable; was af-
| terward in the employ of the Louisiana Lottery
| Company until it was driven out of the city but
his friends say that he has no business at pres
ent other than Jury fixing" He is constant at
endant ID the courts fTequenting most one OF the
| parts of the Supreme Court and the Court of Cen
eral Sessions; but he is also lOunger IN the
DlStTict-AttOmeys office and IN That OF
the Commissioner of Jurors. HSs intimacy in
the Distric-AttOmey's office is the consequence of
previous cOuntenance of him by subordnates of
former administration, and ii Is not believed that
District-AttOmey McKeOn is acquainted with ms
true character and business. In the Sessions courts
he j. tolerated only by the subordinate office but
be is very well known to all and boasts of ali iniiu
Ia he
and offices named
Another "jury-fxerr is man who claims to be
LAWYER; he was formerly Ring Alderman, and
indicted several years ago for some OF the Ring
frauds, but ike many others, escaped vigorous
prosecution. lie was utterly broken in reputation
at that time, and has gradually dI1ited INTO
!Hvssly %ssossiatsd in i Mn nth the person
yer who has been repeatedly engaged in negOtiat-
ing the return of stolen bonds and other proceeds
| OF bank robberies This man has been detected III
matchmaking operations iii Albany and this city.
There are sill others who are also bogus bonds
men. One is famiharly known as . Bogus George
and another as Bully Blgs ~; Doih are IIeqneEtors
Of the General Sessions and of the DlStuct-Attor-
news office which they have haunted for years,
ready to furnish bonds OF " Xix jury.
HOW A WITNESS WAS GOT OUT OF THE WAY
A lawyer who was formerly assistant district
attorney said: "ruE TRIBUNE mentions that in
criminal witnesses well az jurors are liked
Il me tell you AN instance of the latter III my
|
for forgery and the principal witness against him
was felow-rascal who did not wish TO be cIoss-eX-
amined. lawyer of supposed standing and repute
came tome with proposition that if my client would
| write a letter exODerating the witness from COM
plcty III another matter III which the two had been
Jointly engaged The witness would leave the city ana
| never testify against the prisoner. The case was
then OF trial. Ny client said he would do 1t II
| so advised. The lawyer at once wrote
out such a document as he wanted. and showed il
| ytie
not want him TO sign it. lie took the hut, and an
sweTed All right and az the recess OF the court
he gave the document unsigned, but with his sig
nature OH another Sip OF paper 10 one OF ms
friends who shortly after returned the document to
| me with the name attached, but, OF course, with
Ouly imitation OF my clients signature. Inc
witness disappeated, as vas promised the law
yer locked the document up in his SAFE where he
probably has it still and my client was acquitted.
4 year afterward Dutch Henrichs, the famous
| thief and forger, came to me TO retain me Tor
| friend of his who had got into trouble
and he introduced himself as one who
had done me and one OF my clients a
great service at the same time recalling the forgery
OF the signature TO the document. lie SAID he was
the man who had performed 1t. And III colrob0ra-
ton of bis statement he actually produced the
original document IN the lawyers handW rlung,
sIil unsigned. He had forged not only the sigma
ture. but the whole document and the imitation
of the lawyers handwriting was so perfect that it
had been accepted as though II were his own man
uscript"
The same lawyer added that nothing
was common than the liking" of
witnesses in the hundreds of cases prose-
cuted for the Commissioners of Emigration and
OF Charities and Correction. lie cited, among other
install es a case in which lie defended young man
charged with bastardy by newly arrived immi-
grant girl " no had fallen as a charge upon the Emil
grafton Commissioners. He had arranged with the
prosecution to put on only single witness who was
to be rather indefinite, and the defence was TO ask
boldly for dismissal on the ground OF insufficient
proof The judge. after hearing the application,
admitted that The testimony was not very definite,
but gave the prosecution leave To bring III addi-
tioual witnesses. The counsel, with whom the pro
gra.Iue had been arranged for certain sum of
money 10 be paid by the defendant, informed the
Court that he had no other witness Ah,' SAID the
Court, VINO saw through the trick, " then Will not