The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-09-18
GOM MISSIONER PECK AREiIGNED.
His Case Adjourned to Sept. go. ana He
aud Ills Clerk Released on Hall.

u BahN ~"
ALBANY. SEPT. 17.--Char!es T. Peck. Com
missioner OF Labor Statistics. was in court
this morning at 10 O'Clock. accompanied by
his stenoGrnpher. Ebert Rodgers. both of
whom are under arrest. charged with destroy
ing the public documents. from which was
compiled the summary Of Mr.. peck's report.
which has caused so much comment through
out the country. The complainant Is William
Henry Dennison. the janitor Of the building
in which Peck and his stenoCrapher have
rooms. and the prosecution alleges that the
accounts werc carried from the Capitol to the
room on Sunday evening last and destroyed
by burning in the furnace.
Mr.. l. j. Meecan. the we'll known criminal
lawyer. appeared for the defendants. and the
Hon. Norton Chase. who represents Mr.. f. FL
lsry Anderson in the civil case now before the
Supreme Court in reference to the privacy Of
the documents. appeared for the prosecution.
When the defendants were arraigned they
pleaded not guilty. and then Lawyer MeeGan
said:
Il have had no opportunity as yet TO confer
with my clients. but l have Il suggestion to
make that may facilitate matters much better
than to proceed with the examination. A week
ago on Friday Justice Gutmann granted an
order requiring Mr.. Peck to show cause before
Justice Fursman on Monday last why a man
uamus SEoulu. not Do lSSueu cOmIt!llnS MN 10
produce certain papers. some Of those papers
were among the papers alleged to hsve been
destroyed. On my motion Justice Fursman
ordered that the hearing on the order
on on 4 fa.s :: ssSt. ': y One s: q the wy
questions to hc passed upon by your Honor
arises in that proceeding. and must be passed
upon by Justice Fursman. AS that proceeding
IL; s,,.s "asstit tnis as "e 9d u tdI l,ss wss ss ns way do in ms'ia
We're public or private property could he passed
upon earlier in that court. and as We intend to
iitlgate that very question It seems to me very
until = day or W subsequent to tho special
MIR. Chase-so far as. the gentleman desires
willing to concode. but as to the other point
made 10y him in favor Of an adjournment l
am opposed. The two cases are widely differ
ert. In tho civil case the relator asked the
Mr.. Peck refused. In this case Mr.. Peck is
charged with Il crime. and whatever may be
Justice Fursman's decision, IT cannot Affect
the case before your Honor. since a decision
that the papers were private to- the extent that
they were not open to public inspection. and
yet were public in the sense that it would be Il
crime to destroy them.
counsel for he defence does not appear to be
unreasonable. 1t strikes me that the question
in the civil proceeding is Just. the question
which comes up before me-whether the pa
vatc property OF NIr. Peck. Still. as the defence
are entitled to n reasonable time to prepare
for examination. | will grant Mr.. Mccgnn's re-
quest.
day. Sept. %. at 10 A.. NJ. and the accused fur
nished bonds in the sum of $1,000 each to ap-
pear at that time, The s%nreties on each bond
were Richard !" Annesloy and Thos. ]. Cowejl.
York city. where he intends to spend Sunday
with his sister.