New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-12
PART II.
PAGES II TO ia.
ARE GRAND JURIES PACKED7
LIQUOR DEALERS RATHER ABUNDANT.
A REPORT THAT LIT OF THEIR NAMES WAS

\ REPORT THAT LIT OF THEIR NAMES WAS
SENT TO THE COMMISSIONER OF JURORS.
1t might be well for the Rev. Thomas Dixon. r.,
or some other phlanhopist bent exposing the un.
lawful practices which have grown into customs with
the Work City government, to inquire how 80
many wholesale ard retail quordea'ers are summoned
every year 10 serve on the Grand Jury. The methods
prescribed by law for securing honorable and public
spirited citizens serve upon the grand inquest OF
the county every month nave recently been detailed
at length in The Tribune. The persons to serve as
Grand Jurors at the courts OF oyer and Termner and
General Sessions are selected from the persons con-
taned in the lists of petit jurors by board lawfully
composed Of the Mayor the presiding Judge OF the
supreme Court the chief justice OF the superior Court,
the first Judge OF the Court Of Common Pleas, tho
Recorder, the city Judge and the judges of the Court
Of General Sessions. Four members constitute q
quorum Of the board II must meet for organization
on the first Monday in September Of each year, and
within fifteen days thereafter must select from lists
submitted by the Commissioner of Jurors a list OF
names OF not less than coo than 1000 per-
to Grand Jurors for the succeeding year.
The last board which met on Septcpbcr 20, Sc,
lccted 653 names from the lists which the Commits
sloner Of Jurors presented The board was composed
Ct Recorder Frederick Smyth, chairman; Judge Fftz-
gerald, of the Court OF General Sessions Chief Judge
DAILY, Of the Court If Common Pleas and Judge Cow
Ing City Judge. The statute provides that the Grand
Jurors shall be ntelg gent citizens OF good character,
possessed of qualifications by law required OF per:
sons jurors for the trial OF issues OF fact.
1t does not say that they shall be wholesale retail
liquor dealers, nor will any fairminded citizen
be likely to maintain that special effort should
be made TO get persons who are In
tcrested In the liquor traffic upon the Grand Jury.
Nevertheless, 1t has been represented by citizens
who assert that the fact can be substantIated that
in June July last, and prior to the time for SUBJ
~.
well-knOwn iquordealer Of this city requested that
list OF twenty-five or moro wholesale llquOrdeaers
should be made, with the avowed purpose Of having
the selected summoned rs Grand Jurors in the
Courts OF oyer and Tefner and General sessions Of
the City and County Of NewYork The list WAS
prepared and given the nquOrdealer who asked for
1t and subsequently it is alleged the identical
upon the list were drawn at various times as men,
bers of the Grand Jury and duly summoned, and
a majority served in the several Grand Jurles of
the lst year. 1t Is certain that II these names had
not been included in the 653 names certified by the
board to the County Clerk. they could not have been
drawn from the wheel and summoned as Grand Jurors.
1t is perhaps needless TO say that the member Of
the liquordeang fraternity who Is said 70 have re-
qested the list. and who is supposed to have trans.
mited 1t to the Commissioner OF Jurors to be incOg
porated in his list denied with great positiveness that
he asked for any list Of wholesale liquor dealers. or
that he took any steps to have such list Included In
the S53 names which were placed in the Grand Jury
wheel for the year Of 1s91'92.
Three four years ago." he said ave talked
in our meetings of the New-York Liquor Dealers As
ISOLATION about trying 10 get some substantial and
highly respectable uquordcalers summoned as Grand
Jurors. Many thought that were entitled to rep
reentaOn on the Grand Jury, nell other trades.
our object to prevent If possible Indictment in
many petty excise cases. But the matter ended in
talk. Nothing done about It to my knowledge.
ard have heard nothing the subject since"
Commissioner Of Jurors b. +. Martin was asked
by Tribune reporter yesterday list OF wholesale
liquor dealers twenty-five, more less, had been sent
OF handed to him, be included In his Grand Jury
list for the current year. Mr.. Martin listened With
the utmost courtesy to the question, and answered
NO such thing occurred"
"Was any list OF lquordealerS ever given or sent
to you. either by liquor healer by any other
person. since you became Commissioner OF Jurors 2"
lie asked.
Never" the reply. "No man living dare
offer such an insult 10 me-"