The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-06
Sweeping Report Of the New
Orleans Grand Jury.
THE CRIMES OF DETECTIVES.
O1alley and His Partner Had q Ire.
mendous Pull ct Court.


NEW ORLEANS, May 5.-After six weeks
investigation the grand jury has COM
pleted its labors in the italian case. and
this afternoon presented . voluminous
report TO the judge. The report recites
the killing of Chief Of Police Hennessy,
the trial of the Italians, and referring to
the verdict rendered. saws:
We cannot be mistaken in the assertion thar
the verdict was startling, amazing, q bitter dis
appointment. shocking 70 public opinion. pro-
yoking repeated accusations that some of the
jury were unfaithful to their Office
The report goes on at considerable
length to speak of the comments made on
every side before the termination of the
trial. touching the action of some members
OF the jury, remarks dropped in and about
the courtroom, quarrels in the jury-roosn,
ETC. Careful observers, testifying with
special reference to the marked inattenfion
OF the jury as witnesses submitted their
evidence of conduct most unbecoming
and fraught with the grayest consequences
wnen the momentous import of the issue is
considered. The report continues:
We are led toconelude that the jury undertook
70 try the case when il was submitted. by their
own estimate of the value of statements made
BY parties not called as witnesses With strange
unanimity they dwelt upon what they knew by
reading and hearsay of certain incidents of the
assassination prior to the trial, and made these
the basis of powerful persuasion for giving the
accused the benefit of the doubt and continued
deliberations in their favor. We take occasion
TO say IL was not expected to obtain any
evidence of undue influence from members
OF the jury. for those who were uncorrupted had
had nothing to reveal, while the Others would
So fhAx
their numerous statements much was obtained
having direct connection with and supported
by the great volume OF testimony elected during
the course OF the inquiry. 1t is clearly brought
out by the evidence of jurors that - affecting
three OF the accused. Politz, ScafFedi and Monas-
tero, the jury engaged in deliberation four or
nve hours. and on repeated ballots stood six
guilty, kix not guilty. This is q clearly
dehned indication of . conviction that
the evidence was SUFFICIENT to justify the
six jurors who stood resolute and determined
Tor verdict of guilty, making il well nigh inn
possible to reach any other conclusion than a
mistrial- The three accused named above were
probably unwilling actors, designated by the
leaders Of the conspiracy to execute . villainous
part, in which they had neither psrxonal mo-
tives DOR interest Following this investigation.
It was quickly learned that talesmcn had
been approached in various manners, the
vile work being carried forward in the courtroom
during the trial One favorite expression Wa
that big money might Be made By going on tho
jury and doing hight There II no doubt that
such attempts were made by various parties IN
the service Of the defense, being entertained by
some taiesman and scornfully rejected by
others In some instances . rebuff was met
with the answer that it was joke, but surely is
was well directed joke Of deep significance
when the leading part was enacted by
counsel Of one of the accused awaiting
trial, and who Is now under indictment for
trying to bribe . juror Another class of tales
men took special care to deny any knowledge Of
the vile work or showed remarkable deficiency
OF memory, causing US to conclude they wera
silent from fear or had been cautioned about
discriminating any one. A number of witnesses
most emphatically denied having been ap-
preached or spoken to. even after telling IL to
their friends, who informed us Among tho
talesmen were . number OF our citizens who
have nobly come forward, relating their ex-
periences, and furnishing some of the missing
links in the chain of circumstantial evidence
drawn around an organized band of jury -briberS.
1t is not to be questioned that the work was
systematically executed. after careful prepare
tion, and had to be done quickly. The necessity
was imperative for complete list of talesmen,
and the grand jury knows that list of the tales
men was in the Office OF O'Malley and Adams at
II O'Clock Sunday morning, February -, though
the trial judge had issued orders that the list
should not be made public or given 70 counsel
for either side until Monday. 1t is not shown
by whose hands the list was secured, but enough
is secured TO confirm the secret and powerful In
auence of the so-called private detec-
tive agency and Counsel Adams to handle
the machinery of the court. The evil
dence shows that the list OF names
was tampered with when drawn for the jury and
before they reached the jury box in court.
O'Malley was put in possession of the list al
most imnediately after the names were drawn,
and before they reached the district attorneys
Office. An influential friend alone could accom-
plish this, but he was secured in the person OF
one of the jury commissioners, lately removed.
1t IL further learned that In the Office Of the de-
tectiye agency Is kept . book of names and sd-
dresses OF jurymen- OF 800 names drawn
for the February panel thirty-two wers
on 0'Malleys list, and when the
talesmen were drawn many more names ap-
peared that were on that list. Truly the bust.
ness of this enterprising detective agency was
facilitated when thirty-two names of their selec-
ton could be drawn on q panel of so jurors,
from a wheel containing 1000 names.
The report goes on TO speak of the unre-
liability of some of the deputy sheriffs
about the court and at the parish prison,
although they were not detected in any
act of infidelity. When the indictments
against McCrystol and Cooney were read
in the courtroom in blank, the fact was at
once communicated to the indicted men
through some subordinate officer of the
court. When these men were arrested in
O'Malley and Adams Office, deputy sher.
iff, at the request of 0'Malley, reported 10
the court that the arrest was made on the
street.
The report dwells on the sworn state
ment Of Thomas Collins as of great value.
He, after entering the employ Of O'Malley
and Adams, was commissioned special
officer by the mayor and paid by the city.
The report says:
His duties while acting in his double capacity
were performed with the strietest fidelity, a.
evidenced by daily reports of everything seen
or heard It's details and material features are
90 closely connected with the circumstances Of
the trial, as confirmed by other witnesses. that
there ID not the slightest reason to doubt the
curacy and correctness OF Collins sworn
statement 1t unfosds the whole story OF ths
iniQuitous workings OF an arch conspirator ana
his lieutenants revealing the boundless power
of man TO overcome and defy the majesty Of
the law in criminal and civil proceedings
through the operations OF INSCRIPTIONS private
detectives The difficulties OF establishing the
existence OF such coaspiracies by adequate
proof are almost insurmountaoie. Secrecy 10
an essential element, and seldom does IL happen
that any one OF the participants viii reveal the
yillainy either before or after its execution
sufhcient evidence, however, was offered b.
voluntary and reliable witnesses to justify the
Indictment Of six men. as follows: Thomas Nc
OMasley. for attempting 70 brihe . tales