The evening world., 1894-03-06
WILL IT AIM HIGHER /?
Action of the March Grand Jury
on Election Frauds Awaited.
Three OF the Members Are Strong
Tammany Men.
Their Influence Might BE Valuable
When Bosses Arc Concerned.

was Lworn in yesterday by Recorder
Smyth. will take up any more OF the
election fraud cases. is matter which
Is arous;ng no little public curiosity.
During the recent term of Oyer and
Terminer which finished Its work yes
terday. many facts were brought out
in the trials of election inspectors and
p1ll-clcrks which pointed very clearly
to the guilt of those higher In authority
as the instigators and promoters of the
MANY violations of law.
The small fry were gathered into the
drag net by the wholesale and are now
suffering the penalty of their wrong
doing while those who encouraged them
to defy the law have escaped scott free.
Rumors have been frequent of late that
the Grand Jury to be summoned for the
present month would make an investi-
cation of these charges which have been
made against the political leaders, and
the composition of the body which was
drawn yesterday Is, therefore. regarded
with mi ch more than the usual degree
of interest
1t IL curous fact that three of the
twenty-t.u ne men who compose this
Grand J..ry are well-known members
of Tammany Hall. One of these is
AuTnstqs ,S US N Ps'GTs Han Whg rs ra
tee, and also Chairmah Of the Consol!-
dated Stock AMI Petroleum Exchange.
He is ssia ., to both be Ross an Rieh- lni,-
Diver. IN latter is especially an Oh
jeGt of interest at present on account
of the Fea G n hs sesond Dis
trici. Gg a result Of the recent prosecu-
tions before Justice Barrett. in oyer
and Termn,r.
Another well-known Tammany man on
the present Grand Jury Is Alexander
Patten, who Is a member of the General
Committee of the Second District. which
has seemed to be the most in need OF
inv Q Sligation. Lawrence O'Brlen, third
member of the Grand Jury, Is we'll
known Tammany sympathiZer from the
Seventh Assembly Distri let.
While This may be only a coincidence,
It is remark rked by many that 1t is very
fortunate for Tammany that IT. happens
to have so many stanch friends on the
Grand Jury just az the the present ots time, e,
the air of threatening Investigations.
which will pe directed against the lead.
ing men in the organization instead of
the subordinates and district, leaders,
who are merely the tools and puppets
of their superior officers.
The panel OF fifty from which the present
Grand Jury was selected yesterday In
The law provides that the list OF those
who shall serve at grand jurors for the
year shall be selected IN September r, OF y
are contained in the lists of petit jurors,
By Board consisting of the Mayor. the
Presiding Justice OF the supreme Court.
First District; the Chlet Jnstice OF me me
Court of Common Pleas. the Recorder:
the City Judge and the two Judges OF
General Sessions
in September, when the Commissioner OF
Jurors is required to produce all the lists
of petit Jurors In his possession The
fifteen days the names of not less than
500 ncr more than 900 persons, who shall
serve for the year as grand jurors
whenever they may be required.
shall be Intelligent citizens of good char
acter, and possessing the ordinary quail
fications of trial jurors.
The Beard above named has the power
to add names to the list or fill vacancies
from time to time, and to increase 1t
whenever it sees fit. to the full compile
ment of 1000. The number of names na
This list Is filed with the County
Clerk and certified by him, and when,
ever Grand Jury Is needed for General
term of oyer and Terminer. there Is a
drawing OF fifty names from the box In
which the entire Loco have been mixed
up. r.,
Clerk or his representative, In the pres.
ence of the Sheriff. the Commissioner "f
| Jurors and one or more judges OF coliri
of record The drawings, as well as the
meetings when the names are orlginaiiS
! selected, are secret.
Each one of the Board selects as many
names for the lists as he desires OF INC
sHnarate panels are drawn by lot
The las, drawing. on Feb. l6, was mad
by Deputy County Clerk Joseph Scully
and then under Sser 1ohR RoBaoIeS B SeT'oR
| MARITIME and Commissioner or Jurors
Robert p. Mooney
From the ffty, names then drawn. fhs
| twenty three who are now serving CT
| the March Grand Jury were selected by
| lot in open court before RECORDER Smyth
Yesterday by Clerk Carroll. OF Genera
| Sessions.
In order to indict any person ma
iority of the entire Grand Jury mus
| concur in that decision. In other words
1t requires twelve votes to secure an In
dictment against any person, no matte
| how many of the Grand Jurors may b.
| present at the time OF the ballot, and
least sixteen must be present to con
stitute a quorum to take any actio!
The fact therefore, that there ar
some strong sympathizers of Tamman.
Hall on the Grand Jury, even thougi
| they may be some OF them intimate
friends of persons whose conduct ma,
be Aves tigated. does not necessarily
lmu that indiI tmentS against SuCl
| persdhs canrot bG secured, although |
i by no means certain that such juror
| would not hav, considerable influence
with their associates II II came to
close question affecting prominent Of
fic nj or politician.
John ID. Townsend. OF the Independent
! County Organization, who Is going t
| Albany to urge a general investigation
| Of city departments by the Legislature
| gave his reasons to-day why the Com
missioners of Jurors office and the sys
TEN of selecting jurors should be inves
| tigated He said:
II have 1t on good authority that II
90 the Grand Jury found indictment
against certain parties, and a prominen
man suggested the names OF useful
men for the petit jury panel, and tn
men whose names were suggested wer
put on the petit jury few weeks later.
Can you give the name of the per
son who suggested these names. or d
yon know against whom the indictment
were found ."
Wei. l cannot now give you an
names. but at the proper time this Wi
all be tod. | could go on for y ion
time telling you OF the hagrant way Z:
which the citizens OF New York are De
ing duped, but will simply put the mat
ter In a nutshell by saying that there
not a departmeut in this city which doe
not need a thorough investigation. nno
until this is done, and q rsvolutio
brought about, the present methods wi
rue supreme"