The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-25
WANT TO BE lEXOWED.
NEW ORLEANS GRAND JURORS REC
OMMEND AN INTERROGATION.

Tssir Preseptmsnt ssys that vyiIfui Per
tury H. AIsrrnins iy Freauent, MunscIpa
Omoisis Are Corrupti Money ,s squss
serea Through Jobs nsd Divided n,
spons, votes sad Frs.ehisss Are sold
esmbu.a FIourishes Cscheeksd, sus
vioistors OF the Laws are Cn-oIestsd
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 24.-The Grand Jury,
which has been in continuous session for two
months. made their final report to-day. Judge
Ferguson thanked the jurors for their distin-
guished services and the personal sacrifices they
had made during the two months and dis
charged them without date.
The report mentions the alarming extent to
which wilful perjury has increased; the large
sums aguandered in the new Court House and
jail through jobbery or divided as spoils; the
utter want of decepcy and sclf-respect mani
tested by indicted Councilmen: strongly con
dennis the Mayor fer not suspendlng them
pending their trials; cites the evidence OF Of
fetal corruption. and recommends the direct
scrutiny OF future ordinances granting cen
tracts and franchises.
The action OF the police In the recent levee
troubles is strongly condemned. The Grand
Jury recommend that prize fighting. or so-called
glove contests, be sumnsrily suppressed. In
reference to perjury, the Jury says:
"wilful perjury for the purpose Of shielding
criminals is either becoming more frequent or
presenting a more alarming stage, and unless
checked by stern measures will soon become an
ordinary method OF hiding crime and defeating
the inhiction Of its penalties.
Your Jury has been startled by the character
OF some evidence sworn to before It; evidence
which went far enough to satisfy us that we
were hot on the trail Of bribers, but that was SO
guarded and Witnesses coached so as TO stop just
shnrt nf reyaalinu tho criminal anI Hrinu ,,
him the responsibility"
In reference 10 municipal jobbery the report
legea which belong to the future "a well a. the
present, the sworn evidence of licensees that
proper applications for ordinances. warned them
that their passage was impossible unless paid for;
wee wSrS :" S wsylaiS e III sse T Soisl w eafrid CITIZENS 9s
have dishonest proposals made to them;
the mSstsrious payment for franchises
which never reached the public treasury; the
official favoritism which secures contracts TO
one and excludes another: the charging of extra
fees by clerks in the mortgage and conveyance
offices. and at the city Hall In that part Of the
office, require. hut a recital TO show the degree
to which official debauchery has gone; and we
methods, and the i~nfiiction OF the severest pen
atty upon each exposed offender"
On the subjee, Of public. contracts and fran
icial corruption and individual corporate greed
going hand in hand, the one used to tilch from
WV thNtt ubih oGNto ZIG
ment of the other and the sworn testimony OF
citizens that the. public treasury Is not the first
consideration when contracts are to be let or
when franchises are sought. call for the right
eous ind lRnation of all honest men. and the
closest scrutiny OF the ordinances granting con-
tracts and franchises is recommended"
Under the caption OF sunday law violations"
source Of crime Is the Enclosed saloon. openly
and .persistently violating the law every sun
day"
Referring to gambling the report states that
the jury Is of the opinion that gambling Is car
ried on in the city to an alarming extent. not
withsianding the stringent laws against il. We
believe that these gambling rooms are not I'M
known to the police, and. for reasons best known
to them, they allow places to continue to operate
in open defiance OF the law.
" Your jury" the report goes on to say. no
tices with great interest the Investigation being
made by the Lexow committee In New York
city, and is confident that. should our Legisla-
ture create such n committee to operate along
the same lines, IL would result in the best good
to this city and state
The Grand Jury this evening brought in an
tortion in office. The p~resentment was made
with the report. II Is charged that on
Sept. IL. 1877. City Engineer l.. w. Brown ex-
torted from the McEwen 81 Murray Lumber
Company SOL more than any lawful compensa-
tion to which he was entitled for u switch track,
which the company was authorized to construct
by an ordinance passed by the City Council.
man cases having arrived at no verdict, the
court. at 2:45 O'Clock this afternoon, was adj
journed until Wednesday morning at IL 80
Unless they conclude to bring in n YER
dict in the mean time they will spend Christ
mas In the New Orleans Court House.