The Evening critic., 1882-10-19
WHY is THIS THUS7

WHY is THIS THus7
I. O., why Does the Department OF
Justice Employ special Counsei Tor
Every Important Case in the courts
of This District at Great Expense
TO the People.
The assignment OF special prosecuting ofIlcors
by tho Government for cases TO bo tried In the
Criminal Court OF this District, and which
properly should be conducted by the United
States District Attorneys ofIlco, has attracted
considerable notice, and Is now being freely
commented upon. OF late nearly ovory caseot
any magnitude aud Importance has boen With
drawn from the District Attorneys oflico and
assigned 10 special counsel. This action, while
not acceptable In all probability TO the rccog.
nizcd Government prosecutor, has ma tho
offect to cast reflections upon both tho sin.
cerity and ability OF that official. Up to the
present time 1t is known that tho following
United States cases have been giyon TO tho
charge OF special attorneys;
The Star.Route cases wore entrusted to
Messrs. George Bliss, Richard Il. Merrick and
william W. Ker. From the inception OF these
cases up TO the present timo tho District At.
torney has been
Deliberately Ignored.
and was only turned TO and recognized whom
some demand OF the law made 1t requisite that
he should be. For instance, whom Mr.. George
Bliss wished TO get into the Grand Jury'room
for the purpose OF working that body TO his
liking and procuring an Indictment against
certain parties, 1t was necessary that he
should be recognized assistant OF the U. $.
District Attorney. Tho Government prose.
cutor usually, and as is his custom, selects his
own assistants, and those acceptable 10 MN
but In this case he was not consulted as TO his
wish. Mr.. Bliss informed him that he wanted
TO go before the Grand-Jury and chow them
how to find an Indictment against certain par
ties for conspiracy In connection with tho
Star.Routos, and to enable him to do that no
must be IN assistant district-attorncy, and ho
wished 10 DO designated rs such an ofllcer. He
got the appointment, OF course, went to the
clerks office, took the oath rs such onlcer, and
then, uninvited, entered the Grand.Jury room.
He was almost as
Quickly B0unced Out.
Mr.. Bliss brass and check have proved OF
valuable assistance on other occasions and he
brought II to his rescue at this time: He went
where no was halted, and there commenced
to parley with tho Jurors and tried TO show
them that he had right TO come Into their
room and be present while witnesses wore
tcstlfying and assist In conducting the exam
ination. The Jurors did not think that way
and declined to admit him. Seeing that he
to to- help himself out in his purpose. Ho in.
sisted upon his right to enter tho room, but
was willing to abide by the decision OF the
and came down stairs and asked the
Judge about 1t. Justice wylle
decided that aSan Assistant District Attorney
he had the right to 60 into the Grand Jury room
during the examination OF witnesses, but could
not be present during their deliberations pre-
llmlnary to making decision upon case.
T.
Bliss into the Grand Jury room, and he worked
the inquisitorial body for all 1t was worth.
When the last Grand Jury succeeded the pre-
vious one and was called for special purpose,
he tried the same thing on them and
Was Hustled Out,
and 1t was not until the Court directed 1t that
they let him Inside. 1t did not do him much
good after he got there, for they would not be-
and chagrin refused to indict anybody upon
per1ured evidence. Finding himself foiled he
wanted the Grand Jury dismissed and another
called, with which he hoped to BIO moro sue
cessful, but the Judge was not prepared 10
take such n step and Mr.. Bliss had to subside
The other Cases.
Tho other United States cases assigned by
the Attorney Generals onice to special coun-
That Of Henry ". Howgate to william A.
Cook; The German-American Bank cases
10 II. Ross Perry, and lastly, the bribery cases
10 Mr.. H. II. Wells.
The latter case had been entrusted to Mr..
c. 8. Moore, assistant tdistrict-attorney who was
thorough investigation. When 1t had reached
such a condition as to be ripe to go into court
for public hearing the Att9rney;Generai took
and placed 1t in the hands OF special attor-
ney.
This action is thought to be both strange and
significant, and looks as II the Government
was not particularly anxious TO have tho OK
posure como at this time.
Like Instances Elsewhere.
The employment OF special counsel by
the Acknowledgement does not stop here and
with this Jurisdiction, but on the contrary
seems TO be getting general. 1t was necessary
to send q Democratic lawyer, in addition to
Mr.. Ker, TO Charleston, $. O., as-special attor'
ney for the Government In certain cases there
prosecuted, the regular United States prose-
iuting officer being ignored In that instance.
Mr.. w. Preston Williamson, OF this city, has
been retained as special attorney to prosecute
certain cases OF violation OF the Internal Reve-
nue. law out near Cincinnati, o., and Mr.. Will
iEm A. Meloy, OF this city, has also received q
retainer from the Attorney Generals onlce In
another case.
There are several other Instances that might
be mentioned where special counsel had been
retained, but these suflice TO show the extrava
CANT manner in which the Department is being
conducted, and how either some OF the United
States District Attorneys are quietly warming
themselves In soft berths or are being In
suited and ignored by the head OF the Depart
ment TO which their oflce belongs.