The evening world., 1894-03-06
WILL IT AIM HIGHER 4?
Action of the March Grand Jury
on Election Frauds Awaited.
Three OF the Members Are Strong
Tammany Men.
Their Influence Night BE Valuable
when Bosses Are Concerned.

| Whether the Grand Jury for the
March Term OF General Sessions, which
was sworn In yesterday by Recorder
Smyth, Will take up any more of the
election fraud cases. Is Il matter which
Is arouslng 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 II election inspectors and
poll-clerks. 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 10y the wholesale and are now
suffering the penalty OF their wrong
doing. while those who encouraged then.
to defy the law have escaped scott free.
Rumors have been frequent Of late that
the Grand Jury to he 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 this body which was
drawn yesterday is. therefore, regarded
with much more than the usual degree
Of interest.
1t IL II curious fact that three of the
twenty-t,ice men who compose this
Grand jury are wcii-known members
OF Tammany Hall. one OF these Is
Augustus n, Peters, who Is Chairman
ot the Tammany Hall General Commit
tee, and also Chairman, of the tonsoli-
dated Stock anl Petroleum Exchange
lie is said to be an intimate friend Of
both Croker and Police Justice Patrick
iec, of interest at present on account
OF the great number OF frauds and ir-
rlgularities discovered in his Second Dis
trict IS "A result of the recent prosecu-
tionS before Justice Barrett. In oyer
and Termln, r.
Another wel-known Tammany man on
the present Grand Jury Is Alexander
patten, who IL Il meD,bar of the General
Committee of the Second District. which
has seemed to be tn" most In need Of
investigation. Lawrence q .,rien. third
member of the Grand Jury. Is n we'll
known Tammany sympathizer from the
Seventh Assembly District
While this may be only u coincidence.
II Is remarked by many that II is very
fortunate for Tammany that II happens
to have 80 many stanch friends on the
Grand Jury just ut the present time,
when there are all sorts OF rumors in
the air OF threatening Investigations,
which will he 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 nifty for which the present
Grand Jury was selected Yesterday In
open couri, was down on Feb, lG.
The law provides that the list Of those
who shall serve as grand jurors for the
wear shall be selected in september of
clch year from persons whose names
are contained in the lists of petty Jurors
residing Justice of the supreme Cour;
First District: the Cnief Justice OF the
superior Court, the chief Justice of the
Court OF Common Pleas. the Recorder.
(, l,.
General Sessions.
This BOARD meets on the first Monday
In September when the Commissioner or
Jurors Is required to produce all the lists
of petit jurors in his possession, The
Roard must select from these within
fifteen days the names of not less man
Go nor more than l,o0 persons, who shall
serve for the year as grand jurors
whenever they may be required.
The only qualifications are that they
shall be intcllir"nt citizens of good char
acter, and possessing the ordinary quail
iications of trial jurors.
The Board above named has the power
to add names to tn" list or I'LL vacancies
from time to time, and to increase 1t
mrnt of l.GnO. The number OF names
now on IN" list is between go and LOB
This list liz tled with the County
Clerk and certified by him, and when
ever "A Grand Jury IL needed for General
Sessions or a regular or extraordinary
term Of oyer ana Termin"r, ther" Is -
drawing OF nltN nhWPS from tnt boN III
which the entire 900 have been mixed
up.
This drawing Is made by the County
Clerk or his representative. In the pres
rnce Of the Sheriff the Commissioners "f
Jurors and one or more Judges OF a court
of record. This drawing, as we'll as the
meetings when the names are originally
sc'"ctCd. are secret
Each one of the Board selects as many
names tor the lists as he desires OF the
original making up Of the list, but the
s"oHratc uaucls are drawn hv lot
The last drawing on Feb. l6 was made
by Deputy County Clerk Joseph Scully
and then Under sheriff John r. Sexton.
in the presence OF Judge Randolph B.
MARITIME and Commissioner of Jurors,
Robert l.. Mooney
From tho tifty names then drawn, the
twcnty-three who arc now serving on
the March Grand Jury were selected by
lot in omen court before Recorder Smyth,
yestrrd ~. 10y Clerk Carroll, of General
Sessions.
In order to indlct any person a ma
iorlty Of the entire Grand Jury must
concur IN that deciSi n. In other words
dictmcrt against any person, no matter
how many nf the Grand Jurors may he
present at the time Of the ballot, and at
least sixteen must be present to con
stitute quorum to take any action
whatever,
The fact. therefore that there are
some strong sympnthizers OF Tammany
IIall on tn" Grand Jury. even though
thcV ma. be some OF them intimate
friends of y rsons whose conduct may
imply that indiotments against such
persons ClnrOt he secured. although vt
/ hv no means certain that such Jurors
would not have considerable intlusnc"
= g. "roni'n affecting n prominent Of
nC.Gl or politician.