The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-07

WINFIELD AFTER M'GlLL
Regards the Grand Jury Present.
ment as the Doctors Private
Communication.

Today Prosecutor Winfield, in Response
to a number of questions put to him by
several reporters concerning the presents
menr of the Grand Jury. said to them:
IT havs read that portion of the pre-
sentiment which ssts forth:
That upon sadvice given by the Prosecutor
flee that the action OF the Acting Mayor and
certain of the Street and Watsr Commissioner
was q violation OF law. the Grand Jury
promptly found indictments against the parties
implicated, but q subsequent investigation BE-
fore the indictments were presented TO sAe
Court convinced the Grand Jury that II was In
error m to the law on the subject, and that no
conviction could be had under the indictments
found; they were therefore unanimously re-
considered.
You will observe that DR.. McGill does
ret say that be got the law from me, but
that he got II from the Prosecutors
ofice. Now. l have in my ohce an as
Sisuant, two detectives and a clerk. From
which of these DR.. McGill got his 1n-
formation l don't know. He certainly
aid not get 1t from me.
He has seen 1t to uncover the secrets
of the GRAND Jury, which be was sworn
TO protect, for some reason which ! can
net imagine; whether to aim 9 blow At
me, or 10 cover up his own tneHcisncy, L
don't know and don't care TO enquire.
~ have also read that portion OF she
presentment whleh lays
We desire to call the Courts attention to the
pactics which prevails whore q prisoner WAC
fails to be indicted and who Is unable to give
bail. is retained at the expense Of the county In
the Jail on the change Of q subsequent iudict-
msnt of his application for trial at Special Sss-
sions, 10 reprshensible and ought to be diacon-
tinusd unless the charge against ths prisoner
is OF q serious character aud the proof OF guilt
ia clssr, and then the prisoner should be held In
custody only by the express sanction Of this
hnnnrohla n0Ilrf Wa understand the Grand
Jury to be one of the constitutional bulworks Of
freedom aud that whsn it has considered the
give bail, and has failed to indict him, he should
bs promptly restored to liberty, and not held
until he is cosrced to some action that will
afford official fees. unless for good reason that
holding has the express authority OF this Court.
.'Whsrs the Grand Jury has failed to
Prosecutor Winfield. Continuing. be
added, ''the whole allegation on that
suhjscs 10 one OF DR.. McGill's vagaries.
He admits the prOpristy OF such ds,en-
tion IL the man Ii clearly guilty, aad Is
detained By the saaction Of the Court.
There never has bssn q man held from
one Grand Jury 80 smother duriRE
my occupancy Of this Office where he
was not clearly guilty and bis dstsntion
sanctioned by the Court. What can /. as
Prosesnter. do, when = criminal, mani
testify guilty. IL fer some reason operating
u9on the Grand Jury. ct which | eau
have no knowledge. is not indicted. But
TO take .ssme method to prevent his
sscaps frsm Justice.
"Snch instances have occurred and
probably will ecsur again. My method
has always been to object bsfsre the
Court to their discharge. asd submit the
complaints to the next GrRnd Jury, bat
there has not been one such sase in the
las9 Two years. and there has not been
more than ten during my occupancy of
the officer Of Prosecutor.
THE last Grand Jury did good work,
aud / have only praise for The result OF
their lie bors. ] regard the pressptmept as
DR.. McGiil's private communication. aud
| am sorry that il WIS presented In the
name of the whole Grand Jury"