New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-24
STARTING THE DEFENCE.
CONTINUATION OF THE POLICE TRIALS

NI@i+'-''+'-'
OF THE COUNSEL CONTRAsTED.
The prosecutions testimony against captain
Dohertv and ex-Ward Men Hook and Meehan
was finished yesterday and the case ior the ue-
fence was opened before The Police commissions
ers The entire moruing session VAS occupied by
Mr. Fromme and Mr.. Grant in l"nE-Wihd'u
and exhaus;ing but utterly useless croSs-eA-
animation Of Ms Augusta ThuroW' me P'''''P''
witness for the prosecution. Ihcre were '"o
things which prevented Nessrs Grant anu
Fromme from shaking Mrs Thu'oW ''9''n"'"' o
I,,re, sha was q conscientious witness VII" -
every appearance told the truth Second h''"r'
Mr. Gran nor Mr. Fr,mmc had sufficient SKI"
~ confuse or confound her or to set AT n'uEht
bcr good intentions. Indeed. Mrs. Thurow proved
- he an excellent witness in all respects ana
uben she was finally allowed t. go h"r
testimony against all thre, defendants remained
mistaken.
A WITNESSES DIFFERENT STORIES.
Mr. Velman introduced My three or four
other witnesses TO prove the evil character -.
Mrs Thuroa's house. He had intended To "a"
others but they mysteriOuslN disappeared VI ~
t,,sod ;, remember after having been subpoenaed.
One witness was tempered with yeS'ei Jay
tween a conversation had by him with MI o7-
minutes later He told one stony To Mr.. 'so''"e
and another story under oath on the stand
Tho Commissioners certainly are learning now
en-. nolic. force can b. used to intimidate VIII
nesses. .
noli,n,nan named Mallen was the only VII
,ss called IN. the defence before the hour OF az
;ournnent arrived Mailen was formerly warn
man in The Fourteenth Precinct under captain
Dohertv Under Mi. Fromme's encouraging gun
ance he told how Jealous h. and me 'ap'"'"
had been 10 close NJ all dis0rderly houses es-
pecialty Mrs. Thurow's place
NJ Weunan conducted brief mastery
cross-examination Of Maen and at the ehu Oh -"
ninutes he had the EDWARD man compe'e!
ST his mercy and succeeded In making MS 'eS"-
n,onv most valuable FOR The prosecution
whether the accused police officials are lhNo-
cen, or guilty. no one who watches the progress
Of the trial can help regrettins that 'heH are
no, represented by able counsel by some one
,,Ao co,,ld IN a measure at least cope with the
keen Assistant DstrictAuorney who is con-
quoting The prosecution. Mr. Wellman is a.
for ansrt from Messrs Grant and Fromme as
oro tho noles Of the legal profession. one rep
resants all that is best Of intellect, educa'oh
GOOD breeding and sef-control; the others ABOUT
all that is Objectionable from the absence oi '"e
deficient development of these qualities one
confines himself to business and does Ms "o'"
x,eu-almost too well; the others indulge IN
abuse and OCCASIONALLY throw mud
The trial will be continued at 10 o'clock to-day
The temperature was decidedly more com
Portable in the little courtroom at Ponce hedu-
quarters Yesterday than 1t was last week. ana
The discomfort attending midsummer trial in
such place was at the minimum pom" l"7
commissioners took their seats about 1910
1ata Mr. u
nearad accompanied by Assistant District-At-
,ornav Osborne. Mr. Grant. Mr.. Fromme ami
II A Forster counsel FOR the defence, were on
band nromptlv with Captain Doherty, and ex-
Ward Men Hook and Meehan sat beside their
counsel CAPTAIN Doherty who has most to lose
nv a conviction. as his fall will be the greatest
as usual followed the testimony carefully ana
frequently made suggestions 10 MS lawyers
Hook who is stolid German, seldom mani
tested any intelligent interest in the proceedings
Neehan kept his eyes on the witnesses, but
never offered a suggestion
GRANT sQUELCHED.
Mr. Wellman called for Mrs. Augusta Thurow
as soon as the Commissioners signhed that they
were ready to proceed. Mr. Grant Immediately
rose and addressed the Commissioners
Mr. Grant-If the Commissioners please, before
We continue the cross-examination OF MIS-. IhuIoW
desire to call the attention OF the raniomfn
ubo are more experienced at the BAR than IT ys"l
desire to Gs re yosr nce as Friday ID IN Which
am reported as making a most offensive reference
to Mr. w Wsma" 10 rf the commissionersAre YOU
going TO allow this man to .ke any rr sort o
ment on that subject? object TO any SORT u
s' Sir. Gran1DFor my own personal. .,o,.
Commissioner MartIn,We ,t don't want any state
ment from YOU on that subject
M Mr Wellman-i object The Commissioners have
the right have this man brought before the
oOq or fGF GnT%D' or before Bar
Mr. Grant-Well there's another newspaper state
Mr.. Murray-we don't want any explanations
from you of what has appeared IN the newspapers
We are not trying this case in the newspapers
Mr.. Grant. in spite CT the prohibition Of the
Commissioners started in to talk. and Mr.. Mar
tin ordered the stenographer TO take no note of
what Mr. Grant said on that subject.
Mr. Fromme then continued what he was
neased 10 call a cross-examnaton. 1t reminded
one strongly Of the idotic questions asked by
the small boy in the familiar story about the
fly on the bald mans head.
"Oh mamma is that fly on the bald mans
head?"
What makes the ny light on the bald mans
head?"
do you suppose the fly likes to ligh, the
bald mans head?'
What makes the fly light on the bald mans
head instead Of on my head?"
do you suppose the fly would have as much
fun on my head as he does nave the bald
mans head
And SO on ad inhnitum
Mr. Fromme wanted 10 know what Mr. Os-
bornes first name was. and n seemed TO take a
great deal Of satisfaction in learning that il
Thomas. Then Mr.. Fromme appeared to think
1t was Of importance 70 get Mrs. Thurow 10
initiate the way the Captain used to talk to her
Mrs Thurow said that when Captain Doherty
was excited che talked kinder Irish" MI Mar
tin said he didn't think The Commissioners
wanted any more ~ that.