Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-18
He Says Mr.. McAleese Makes the Bri.
berry Charges Too Strong.
THE INSPECTOR REITERATES THEN
He'll Denies That He Got Money, and Says
He Can Tell Story.
JUDGE EWINGS ON GRAND JURY VIEWS

the courtroom to the statement OF Inspectp
McAleese, published in Yesterdays DIS
PATCH, to the effect that Burns had con
fessed to giving some of the members of th'
September grand jury money to ignore hi
case. In an interview yesterday Burns il
reported by the evening papers as saying:
i deny having been interviewed by any re
porter, and most of what appeared in the morn
ing papers is a lie. Did give any money tt
members of the grand jury? Yes, l did:
gave Fred He'll so and James A. Doyle $40
That is all the money gave to anybody. They
did not ask me to give it to them: they Dor
rowed from me-asked me to loan them the
money. That think was some time in Sep
tember last. Nothing was said about my case
when the money was borrowed, and did no1
make any statement to the effect that the
money was given to secure influence in my be
half Why did light out? Well, James A
Doyles brother came to me one day and SAID
that the grand jury was going to take up my
bill the next day. / understood by that that
was going to be indicted. Then l lit out.
went away, though. principally for my health
What l have said to you is all have to say
All the money gave was SSO $40 to James A.
Doyle and $40 to Fred He'll. am sick, physi
cally, and sick at heart
never said that gave any money but what
told you of. 1never gave check to anyone
or any other money. What money 1 gave
loaned to the parties who got it. Those fellows
may come up here and deny all this, but don't
care. shall tell Judge Collier just what
have told you, and that is, that loaned those
men the money and at the time paid it moth
ing was said about ignoring my bill.
MALTESE REITERATEs IT.
Police Inspector McAleese was, last even
ing, shown the statement made by Thomas
Burns. Mr.. McAleese read the statement
carefully and then proceeded to intimate
that someone lied like q weather dispatch.
He stated that he had been correctly re-
ported by the morning papers in what he
had said, and inclined to the belief that Mr..
Burns had been stimulated, or rather rein
forced by someone McAleese said there
was no doubt in his mind that Burns was
sick, as he claimed, thoroughly sick, and
that Mr.. Burns would not have gone away
when the second grand Jury found the bill,
had it not been that he was kept posted re-
garding the finding and skipped out, along
with another liquor seller, before court
process for arrest could be gotten from the
court.
McAleese says the officers cognizant of
Burns illegal conduct did not want to be
hard on him and adjured him to cease vio-
lating the law, and he promised to do so,
but within a few hours after giving the
promise had the saloon running full
pressure.
JUDGE EwING'S OBSERVATIONS.
Judge Ewing was seen at his home on
Center avenue last night and asked if the
Judges would take up the matter and have
the proper officers prosecute the grand jury
men. He said:
Whether or not the Judges will take any
action in the matter would be a hard question
to answer. 1t may be that there is enough in
the statements made by the newspapers that if
they were brought to the notice of the court we
might order an investigation.
Have you ever had the matter of bribery
brought before your notice previous to the case
mentioned by Mr.. Burns?
have, but the evidence was not sufficient in
my mind to require me to order an investiga-
ton and prosecute the jurymen. The only
recent case l know where the Judges stepped
in and ordered a prosecution was the case of
Constable Harcum, of the Sixth ward. /
heard of rumors of bribery which were so sub
stantiated by direct statements that it made
the duty of the Court quite clear, and had the
District Attorney prosecute him 1t is not the
duty of the Judges alone to enter the prosecu-
tions. Any citizen of the Comm monwealth can
do so.
remember that during the September term
of court first heard the rumors of bribery.
1t was not in the nature of 4 direct money
bribe but it was in the influence brought to
bear upon certain grand iurymen to have them
ignore certain bills. There are hundreds of
ways Juryman can be bribed, either through
political or social influence. There were any
number of bills ignored at the September term
that should have been true bills. l have found
by experience that the class of cases such as
gambling. bawdy houses, illegal liquor selling
and selling lottery tickets are the ones ignored
It is pretty difficult r anybody to get con.
some person would be convicted it would gen.
orally be some 10 or 15-cent lottery ticket seller
(policy writer) or some little fellow who could
bring no influence to bear.
HOW TO REMEDY
The cure for the evil is in the selection of
the Jury Commissioners. If more attention
we're paid to the selection of JuryCommissioners
in this county, and public opinion would stand
1T the back of good men in the positions
against the solicitations of ward bummers for
places on the jury, we would have no trouble
whatever. It's got so now that the worst
classes of men in the city demand of the
Jury Commissioners that their names be put in
The wheel If the Commissioner objected the
public would not sustain him in his action. /
know from personal observation of the great
pressure that is brought to bear on them, and
hey are made to put men in the wheel whom
they know are not capable jurymen.
Within the last three or four years there has
been any number of names put in the wheel
whose owners would be surprised 10 OF Is years
,go if they were called upon to grace the jurors
box. The law requires that the selection be
rom sober judicious electors, but the law of
en years ago does not fit the composition of
jhe Juror of to-day.
I,atterly it has come that the criminal
classes. the frequenters of the haunts of vice,
nen without any character whatever deem it
heir right to have their names put in the
Wheel They like to do jury work for the mon.
,tary consideration and the little amount of
abor they have to do. 1t gives them a chance
o occupy place of power over their fellows
rhe average grand juryman likes to hold out
ong as possible at the rate of So so per day. /
Within the last ten years-eXcept the time
hat Mr.. Beckert was Jury Commissioner-there
las been a greater proportion of liquor men
Who frequent saloons and low dives, put on the
ury than any other class. / often remarked
he large number of this class of men that were
IN. A great many of them were not competent
urors, but the political heelers had them put
IN. For one desirable juryman there are ten
Who arc not desirable, and it is the ten who are
lwaYs seeking and getting the positions. There |
re always about 10000 men trying to get on the |
ury They button-hoe the commissioners on
he street. visit them in their offices. and when
he time comes for us to fill the wheel we have |
o lock the doors to keep them out.
A PICTURE IN CONTRAST.
Three years ago at the September term of
ourt we had an exceptionally fine grand jury. |
was composed of substantial citizens men who |
du ~ SNohO anu bhSy WOEh
S citizens. 1t took them only a little over five
,eeks to wind up their business Mr. H. l. |
iourley was the foreman of the jury He had |
reat experience in presiding over bodies of |
len and the Jury did more work than any other |
ne have ever known. 1t takes the average |
rand jury nine weeks to get through with the |
usiness of the term but If they have a good |
brennan they can expedite matters greatly 1t |
epends largely on the foreman Of the Jury
neither they will attend to their business or
oU."
Il do not know why Judge Collier discharged
he grand jury the other day but think it was
D account Of their indisposition to hurry up
ne work before tfen."
HE'LL DENIES IT ALL
When Fred He'll, the ex-detective, was
pproached last evening by reporter and
uestioned on the subject, he said:
Now listen very attentively and will tell
OH what l have to communicate about the
laJter. / really do not know the man Burns
all, that is only saw him once when he was
ointed out to me in front of the Democratic
on Grant street. After that |
wv him again in a saloon on Diamond street,
hen he offered to pay a drink for me, but
,fused.
Now let me ask you this direct ques-
on" said the reporter. did you or did
ou not accept $40 from Burns?''
mo. can take solemn oath to that effect.