The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-03-31
Monday to plead, and that they will all
plead not guilty and give bail for trial.
cp A Nh JIrpy,S pRESENTMENT

In cOQ06cLlO0 W1IQ I16S0 lOui luNASuiiiShuS
which Judge Lippincott directed should re-
main in the Court of Oyer and Terminer for
trial, the Grand Jury made the following
presentment, which Judge Lppincott directed
should be read in open court and also pc
printed in the official newspapers IN the
county
To the Honorable, the Court of Oyer and
Ternli,ser Of the County Of Hudson
The Grand Jury now in session for the County
of Hudson respectfully present Co the court;-
First-That the investigation BY the Grand
Jury of complaints in refereuce to the highway
bridges In the township OF kesrny, over the
Western Railroad aud the New York ond Green.
wood Lake Railroad, has disclosed the fact that
said bridges are inadequate to accommodate the
public demand, and that they are 10 dangerous
and unsafe condition for lack OF repairs.
The Grand Jury is advised that it Is the urg ent
duty of the railroad companies ia the first iu-
stance to maintain and keep 10 repair Their
bridges and that In case of default In that dnty
the Freeholders are empowered to make tne
necessary repairs at the expense OF said com
panles. The Grand Jury, therefore, recon-
mends that the attention of the Freeholders be
called the dangerous condition OF these struc-
lures, to the end that they may take the neces-
sary steps to put the same in a safe and suit
able condition Of the accommodation OF puolc
traffic.
We would further present the evidence given
before us not only dscoses extremely lax
condition of discipline in the Police Department
of jersey City, but strongly points to the aoso-
lure protection by the police authorities OF cer-
| tain classes of crime.
We further call he attention of the Court to
the present conditi on Of the Hall OF Records
| Our Investigation leads US to believe that the
structure 10 dangerous, unhealthy and unsafe.
The roof is insscurely constructed; the heating
and ventilatng apparatus called Tor by the con-
tract has never been completed. Trusses
beams aud details of finish have been omitted.
In short, in the construction Of the building
plans and specifications and terms Of the con.
tract appear to have been openly disregarded
and violated.
investigation of this condition of affairs is q
difficult task. for the reason that tor long
time, some five years, has elapsed since the con-
tract was awarded, and the personnel OF the
county authorities was frequently changed
during the construction OF the building. We
took up this matter quite recently. aud the ex-
piration Of our official term cut short our inves-
tga ton before we were able to locate the en-
tire responsibility for the great wrong done co
the county by the improper construction OF the
building. GEo. L. RECORD Foreman.
It was few minutes past five o'clock yes
terday when the Grand Jury entered court,
Toffey. Judges Lippincott and Hoffman
were on the bench to receive the body.
Clerk Gritten called the roll and every mem
Der was present to answer to his name
Foreman Record, In the customary manner,
handed Judge Lppincott thirty nine indict-
ments. The Judge slowly but carefully
glanced at the important papers, and select
toned he said:
"These may remain In the Oyer and Term
iner, the others may be handed down to the
Court of General Sessions.
Judge Lippincott next asked Mr.. Record
if the Grand jury had completed its labors,
and was informed that it had. The Judge
then said:-
1.-THE Court desire to extend thanks to you
gentlemen of the Grand Jury for the faith
full attention that has been given by you to
the business of the term. You are dis
charged
THE WORK PERFORMED.
As the last word fell from Judge Lippin-
colts mouth, Sheriff Toffey's first Grand
Jury expired forever. This Grand Inquest
has been one of the hardest worked that ever
before did duty in this county. When the
members were sworn in Office rumors
were prevalent on the street
that every board and Official In the towns,
cities and the county was reeking with cor
ruption. This had been campaign cry at
every election for number of years, and
campaign orators had shouted the facts SO
| long and SO hard that large majority of
the people were willing to believe anything
evil that might be said. The members of
the Grand Jury themselves believed that
| this condition of affairs existed, and deter
| mined upon thorough investigation OF all
alleged official corruption.
| Work in this direction was postponed for
several days to permit the Grand Jury to
| formulate indictments against the Gutten-
berg race track people upon evidence accu-
mulated two years prior, and this done, sub
poenas fast and thick were issued in the so
called official cases. The Street and Water
| Commissioners, Fire Commissioner Kern,
| Superintendent of Police Smith, the City OF
| Bayonne, Town of Union, Town Of Kearny,
| the office of the Prosecutor of the Pleas, the
| Board of Freeholders and a number of other
offices and officials were Investigated. Al.
most every man filling an office was looked
upon by his neighbor with suspicion, and
| official life became misery to the guilty
and not guilty alike For thirty nine days
| the Grand Jury received evidence and cogi-
| tated upon it. The other days since the
second Tuesday in December were spent by
| the Grand Jurors in digging and roofing into
| facts and conditions SO as to know whom to
subpoena before them.
Hard work these Grand Jurors did to dis
| cover crime Paid trained detectives could not
have worked harder in the search for crimi
nals Everything tainted with suspicion was
| investigated, and yesterday, when the court
| discharged them, they had accomplished
whata
| An old court officer said:-"They had as
| certained beyond question that this county
and the municipalities in it were not the
mass of reeking corruption that had been
| by wholesale charged against them. They
| had only been able to find cause for indicting
/ the Street and Water Commissioners, Archi-
| tect Giele and Superintendent Smith.
| A vINDICATIoN FOR SOME.
| This result is taken to be complete vindi
/ cation of all other public officials in this
county, municipal or otherwise, and that the
| failure to find evidence to warrant indict
ment must be considered as certificate of
| good character, Notwithstanding the cries OF
| corruption Republican campaign orators
| have continually shouted.
| When the Grand Jury filed out of Office it
| left record of having found in all 2S4 in
| dictments, which is a less number than
| the previous Grand Jury found. The
| Grand Jury went to it,
room, and then presented Foreman RECORD
with an open face gold watch, chain and
| locket, and Clerk Michael Kelleher with 6
beautiful opal scarf pin set with four dia-
| monds The Grand Jury constables Richard
w. Dewey, John II, Mitchell, Frank Meyer,
Harry Neville, John Hope, Joseph Locke
| and James Donovan were each presented
| with bran new ten dollar bill, and were
told that they had rendered admirable ser
vice to the Grand Jury. Today Sheriff
Toffey will announce the names of the Grand
| Jury for the April Term, which will begir
next Tuesday.
JUDGE LIPPINcoTT'S ORDERS TODAY.
This morning Judge Lippincott directed
| the clerk of the court to serve on the man
! ayers of the New York, Lake Erie anc
| Western and the New York and Greenwood
Lake railroads copies of the presentment
| He also directed that copy be served on
the Police Commissioners and on the Boarc
| of Chosen Freeholders, and to make another
4 ~ tf<.. y s,,lr