New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-21
SHARP AFRAID OF NEW-YORK
HE WANTS TO BE TRIED SOMEWHERE ELSE
WHY HE THINKS THIS CITY PREJUDfcD
AGAINST HIM.

WHY HE THINKS THIS CITY HAS A PREJUDfcD
AGAINST HIM.
Albert Stickncy, the attorney for Jacob SHARP
in the criminal proceedings against him for briks
cry. served on DistrictAttorney MARITIME yesterday
q notice of motion for the removal of the caso
against Sharp from the Court of General Sessions
to the Court Of Oyer and Termner and then frsa
the Oyer and Terminer Of this county to the Oyer
and Termner Of another county, on the ground
that fair and impartial trlai cannot be had In
this city. The motion is somewhat similar to one
that was made in the cases of Rollin NJ Squire and
Maurice II. Flynn In those cases the fornss
part Of the motion was granted and tbs latter
part denied, that the indictments will DO tried In
the Court of Oyer and Terminer Of New-York. n
The application in Shsrp's case Is the twenty
one indictments which charge the brbing Of
twenty-one Aldermen in connection with the grant.
ing Of the Broadway franchise. The motion is
coticed for argument next Friday. but Mr..
Stickney saws in his notice that no is ready -
argue the motion at any earlier time.
Ap affidavit by Jacob Sharp accompanies the
notice Of moti,n. IL consists of 1900 words.
making thirty pages of closely printed matter.
Sharp. after saying that his pleas of not guilty
to the indictments are entirely true that he be-
ieves that fair and impartial trial cannot be bad
in this city because of the opposition to the build.
ing of the Broadway Surface Railroad, and that
the construction OF the Broadway Surface Railroad
met the most persistent aud powerful opposition
on the part Of rival companies and enterprises and
on the part of large number of private persons,
enumcrates the large number of companies and
private individuals who were represented on the
hearing before the Aldermen's Railroad Com
mttce in 1854. He continues:
II Is matter OF and universal belief this
city that the construction of such railroad is due far
more TO my efforts than TO the efforts OF any other single
Tbp pinrnr haAn 10
enterprise The railroad has been aud to-day widely and
commonly known as "sharp's Railroad This
has been the for many years No other IL or
has been in the public mind associated with the enter
prise to nearly the extent to which mine has M Is mpos-
sibe verify believe, that jury OF intelligent
should be drawn In this city, without Its being
the fact that by far the greater number q them
road chiefly and most conspIcuousy with
pTses With wch Haye teen Connected has ia part
been an opposition personal 10 Inc and affected by hos
common for such opposition to describe me vulgarly rs
Jake sharp; and the enterprises In which hass
be tried in the City Of York ali Of nj
road on Broadway should not be directed against
as Ssns believed be the
for the defeat which that opposition met 49,.
Quite apart from the Broadway surface Railroad har
have been srenuousy and bitterly resisted by citizens Oh
citizens supposng that their real estate would DC n'
ured by the construction OF the railroads sought to bS
citizens who have honestly and disnterestedy.
although in my opinion erroneOusly believed that tho
terms of the applications in which was interested. I
have made necessarily and without wrong on my part.
vast number OF personal enemies In this city.
The affidavit refers to the hostility created by thy
discharge of the nplOyes OF the roads with which
Sharp is connected. 1t adds:
In relation to the specific accusations of bribery Of ths
Aldermen of the city of NewIork herein made aganse
me- public opinion has been completely ami most uni
versaly formed in this city, that is as verify believe,
impossible should fairly AMI impartally tried
upon them in the city of NewYo This soguite apar'
from the existence OF the wide personal hostility To ma
generally TO which have referred.
Mr. Sharp gives extracts from the articles effect
ing on HIM which have appeared in the newspapers
to volume entitled BOOK of extracts from Sews-
papers," which he says contains q large number OF
ces, he says proclaim hs smt before he Is tried
and show the general conviction OF his guilt lie
goes on:
submit to the Court that with public sentiment 80 al
most universally and cmphatcally excited against
In the CITY OF cannot there be fairly or ns
ey Se that aTy % o nsss
indictments should be that public sentiment In
them and from which they be drawn and to whose
criticisms they must RETURN demands my conviction and
belle yes ought to be convicted.
He instances the public feeling on the trial Of
McQuade as rendering 1t difficult to obtain jury
ana says:
Upon the first trial of the said the jury having
disagreed, nine OF them being publicly stated AMI
believed without dispute to have favored an aequttal,
the said newspapers very large extent attacked the
nine jurors for voting for acquta aud held them up
to public dislike and contempt Ignorant or corrupt.
Upon the second trial. the Jury upon such trial having
found the defendant guilty, the said newspapers praised
the members or the said jury. IL Is as a informed and
verify believe almost impossible tIat Intelligent citi
zen OF New,York should be drawn upon jury In my case
without feeling perfectly assured that in he vote for
acquitta however strongly his oath and the evidence
should require him do he will bc held 10 the pub
lie sentiment OF this city asan ignorant corript IA
he motion will be argued before Judge Barrett
on Friday. Mr. Stickney says his purpose Is not to
secure delay, but fair trial.