The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-09
LAWYERS AND SHERIFF
Many Complaints Piled
Up Against Nc
Phillips.
DELAYS WITHOUT REASON
A Prisoner Who Should Have Been
at Court But Was Still in
the City Prison.

The publication in the Sunday edition
of The JERSEY CITY NEWS of the abuses in
the office of Sheriff McPhillips created
widespread excitement. While the
facts were generally known and the
information was not new to any one
who had had any considerable amount Of
business In the Sheriff's office, yet the
public exposure in The NEWS was re-
ccived with surprise and gratitude, for the
people in this city have been long
accustomed to see official abuses ignored
by the EUefting Journal and other toady
papers.
This morning 1 found that all the lead
ing lawyers about the Court House were
unanimous in praise of The NEWS for its
efforts to correct she abuses in the Office
of Sheriff McPhillips.
District Attorney Charles H. Winfield,
who has closer connection with the
Sheriff's Office than any other man in the
county, said. after reading the expos
ure:-
.It is correct"
"What do you think of the effect2" I
asked
II believe it will do much good,' he
answered.
Have yeu anything further to sayf'
''No; don't want to be drawn into any
controversy"
Ex-Judge Garretson, of the eminent
law firm OF Vredenburgh and Garretson,
had also read the exposure, and when l
asked him what he knew about business
being neglected in the office Of Sheriff
McPhillips, he replied
4 I'VE receive many complaints in our
Office concerning the neglect in the SER
vice of papers. do not want to say any
thing more"
WHAT LAWYERS SAY.
John c. BesSon, who has one of the
largestpractices OF any lawyer in Hudson
county, speaking to me about the abuses
and neglect in the Office of Sheriff Nc
Phillips, said:
"One case had was very long delayed
because the Sheriff did not serve the SUBJ
poenas promptly. 1t was Chancery case.
think the manner in which business is
done in the office could be greatly i'm
proved
Ex-Collector Thomas +. Kelly, was
told today, sent II summons to the Office
of Sheriff McPhillips last August and it
has not been served yet. Last week
Counsellor Kelly sent q man to the
Sheriff's Office and asked to have
him deputized to serve the long delayed
paper When heard this / could not
help thinking that three months was a
long time for even Sheriff McPhillips to
delay to serve summons. Bur soon
heard worse. Every one seemed TO be
glad to help THE NEWS in it's effort to get
the business of the Sherff's office pro-
perly done.
Last Saturday sabatino Spiotta, a bar
ber doing business on Montgomery
street, was arrested for assault and
battery. by one OF the Sheriff's off
GERS. He was looked up in the
City Prison at Police Headquarters
although he should have been taken to
the County Jail. Today the lawyer en-
ployed Dy Spiotta appeared In the Court
OF General Sessions. With him was q
bondsman prepared to 20 bail for Spiotra.
When the lawyer informed Judge Lip
pincott that he was prepared to give
bonds for Spistta. be was astounded to
learn that the man had not been taken to
the County Jail by the Sheriff. and was
yet in the city prison. The failure of the
Sheriff to do his duty prolonged the i'm
prisonment of a man who may be inno-
cent and at the seme time compelled the
county to pay to the city thirty cents FOR
each day or part OF q day. Spiotta is in
/ the city prison.
IF the bondsmen or Sheriff McPhillips
learn of this gross negligence" said a
lawyer to me, ''they will he apt to pu,
the screws onto him." If his
misdoings Of the Sheriff he will get into
hot water.
McPhillps was directed by Judge Lip
pincott Saturday to make return
of the capiases in his pos
session. The books OF the
Clerk Of the Court of Sessions show that
the Grand Jury has found 175 indict.
ments, as THE News published yester-
day. Out of this number Sheriff
McPhllips has only made 122 arrests,
leaving ffty-three persons under indict
ment at large, and free to go whittier
they will very large number of the
122 arrests returned by the Sheriff were
jail cases, where the prisoners had
hesn locked up to await
the action OF the Grand Jury.
If the Sheriff had been ever
SO negligent in his duty he could scarcely
have avoided bringing into Court these
persons, who were already in custody.