New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-07
THE PROSECUTORS OFFICE.
HOW MR. NICOLL SPENDS HIS TINE EXON
DAY TO DAY.


the evident impression in their minds that he Is
a public fountain of law and a rcdres>cr Oh uni
versal wrong, whose services for any purpose anu
to any extent anybody in trouble is en'i'ieu 10
command. definition Of the functions VI '"''
officer seems to be called for lie Is tha' servant
of the city who Is required to investigate cIphc
and prosecute criminals. How curiousV 'h's ~
misunderstood the incidents OF almost every uaS
prove. The District-A Attorney is constantly VS.
tied by people who desire him 70 collect dep's 10
proceed against the Court of Appears LOT rchoe'"e
false and injurious decisions to prevent 'he'' SUN"
from going into bad company and their daughters
from getting married and 10 bring the power vi
the law to bear in support or defence OF any an"
every private interest which private resources are
not sufficient TO conserve Every day, and
dozen times day. the question is asked la the
District-AttOrneys Office, Does 1t appear that
any crime has been committed in connection with
this matter?' And when the answer Is No.
way Of escape from Importantly and unehding
narrative is afforded II no crime has been COM
United il is no business of the Dstrct-Attorney $.
But as crimes committed. even in this beaufi-
full and well-conducted municipality. with I'M
failing regularity at the rate of dozen day.
the District-Attorney manages to keep busy.
He reaches his office in the morning, il he is
II
which some are not-at about 10 or half past
10 O'Clock. This gives him part of an
hour for consultation with those of his assist
ants who engaged in the trial of cases before
court opens. They have constant need to tell
him what they think is going to happen that
day, what are on the calendar and what
the chances are as to this case or that III "a
highly important case is on the attorney III
charge of it often wishes to consult as to points
of law that he thinks likely TO be raised ana as
to pieces of evidence calculated to strengthen
or weaken the case. Four courts are Ill almost
constant session. Four calendars must he Kept
going The witnesses for the prosecution IN all
of dozen cases in each court must be kept at
hand, their evidence ascertained and put In III Its
proper place. 1t follows that the hour inter
vcning between the District Attorneys arrival
at his office and the opening of the court is
pretty well occupied. When he has got ri OF
those assistants who are actually engagei Ill
court work and before he goes into consultation
with those occupied in the preparation of cases
he reads his mail. He is informed in one letter
signed A Friend" that somebody 50" is going to
do him. and in another. with dreadful impre-
cations. that he will never live to see Harris,
or Buchanan. or whoever happens to be the latest
convicted murderer executed This cheeriu'
intollirrncc. generally conveyed in red ink, runs
through his correspondence in an enlivcning way.
4 curious feature of the District-Attorney mail
ia tne food of letters that pOurs in upon MN
after every particularly sensational case, ealing
his attention to what the writers regard as Il
s;milar and as yet undetected affair. After the
Harris poisoning case District-Attorney Nicol'
received an avalanche of letters telling hun or
this that and the other woman who had ded
under suspicious circumstances, and calling OIL
him 70 exhume bodies at a rate when "ouiu
have disturbed the topography of every cemetery
around New-York. Buchanan, indeed, almost
csoaped punishment by reason OF the iact 'i''
the first information of his crime came 10 'he
| District-Attorncy in this way, Just al'er 'hc
| Harris trial 1t came also 10 newspaper ana
tboro received sensational attention. but buchanan
| v.s able 10 show the certificates OF TWO
| reputable physicians who declared tia'
bis wife had died Of cerebral paralysis. and he
| o,rost cot away through that circumstance anu
| tho Di,trict-Attorney's notion tha' 'hc I'd y
ahor, him was only a part of the sensational
| norsonse that pours into his Office after every
| notorious trial. -, ,o,,
| After the District-Attorney s'cre'arN Has NV
him and the work of correspondence Il dohe' '''o'
| assistants appear who are preparing c'se' w
trial They have each 4 score OF reports 10 in"'''
ne "a the quantity and quality OF the eNiu.h0
...oarr,ble in thc cases allotted TO them. Whon
the assistants have gone the Hrahd jury '''i'"'
a,..rtiop and if that body happens 10 be engaged
upon any particular investigation H'
~ ,ho time and information OF the prosecuting
aaa. oro oxoctino When II has been advised
.Lo odds and ends of his official duties are picRe
~ poon,e arc seen who have cases to pre'ent
information TO give or petitions 10 offer fApe''
IN ox1radition and pardon cases are examined ana
i,rod. matters of bail. applications for the di'
r,issoI of indictments, complaints Of prIsonefs Oh
,beir counsel who say that justice i being deieo
tbom and who want quick trial-thesc ana
ecoro of other matters complete the DIstrlc'-At
tornev's day. The quantity of this kind Oh laoo
differs widely as public conditions change. "h'f
Mr. Hill was Governor. for instance, the appii'a'ioh
for pardon were comparatively rev. N""'"'
ascertained that Governor Hills ideas OF JuS'Ic'
wore severe and that he did not pardon reaunS
c;,,oo Covornor Flowers accession these applca
tions have increased at least tenfoid Every
occunant of a cell seems impressed with the bcllc
that Mr. Flower spends his days and nights LONGING
| to pardon convicts
. Persons who are in trouble with the Ia" OF WIZ
have il in mind to offend against us m'l"''''
should know that il is regarded as bad sign u
the Dstrict-Attoiney's Office to be TOO re''i'@
about trial. IL - curious circu'hs'"
| during the term of District-Aitorn'N 'lco'
| everybody who has RACED about the dcla's d
insticc who has come into court with appiic'''oh
| TO compel the Distrct-Attorney TO com" III
| mediateiy to trial, and who has cricd ou' ina
all he wanted was a chance to prove his inho
ccnce before lair-mindcd jury OF his couhtiym'h
has without exception been convicted. Inc las
notable case of this kind that OF 'oioiie
HAYES who gave promissOry note to wohia
and then sworc he didn't do il. Hayes was posi-
lively crazy 10 be tried and at one time succf cde
in convincing almost everybody in the DISTRICT
Attorneys Office that whatever else he had doh
there was little chance to prove perjury. hu
Hayes went along in the tracks OF all th' o'he
unlOrtunatcs who are overcagcr to DE Vlhdlcatcu
The District-Attorncy Office, next To fclice
Headquarters and the city PRISONS, is the most som
| lre nlace In tnwn- There is little 70 ngntrn th