The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-12-11
TALK OF BRIBERY,
E. A, Dugan Said to Have
Told the Grand jury
He Was Offered
$4,000.
BY AN ERIE RAILWAY LOBBYIST
The Purpose Said to Have Been
the Promotion Of a
Water Scheme.
Judge Lippincott Directs the New
Grand Jury to Investigate the
Rumor-Green Goods
Hints.

When the Grand Jury came into court,
last evening, to be dismissed, it furnish
ed the idlers who sat around with a
momentary thrill of excitement.
They had just handed in the indict-
ment against Wayne, and the Court
thinking that was all, was about to dis
miss them when Foreman Charles b.
Thurston, with a polite wave OF the
hand, interrupted Justice Lippincott, say
ing
Your Honor there is another matter
to which the Grand Jury desires to di-
rect your attention. We have had be-
fore us witness whom we sought for
a long time His testimony was OF
very sensational character and showed
that bribery has been practised more
than once In fact the witness himself
testified that bribe of $4,000 had been
offered to him.
'.In view of these facts the Grand Jury
deemed it their duty to find an 1ndict-
ment against the person accused by this
witness, and we sent for the Prosecutor
to have him draw up an indictment. That
official could not be found, however. at
the time, and we have been unable to
draw up the bill.
''As the present Grand Jury's term is
about to terminate. we desire to know
whether your Honor will instruct us to
go into session and summon the Prose
cutor to prepare a BILL or shall we leave
this matter with you, sir, and have 1T
taken up by the new Grand Jury?'
Justice Lippincott stared at Mr.. Thurs
ton for a second or two. and then with
evident surprise said
81 think, gentlemen, that as the new
Grand Jury will begin it's labors tomor-
row doday), and there might be some
will be wiser to turn this very grave
matter over to the Court, and the Court
will lay it before the Grand Jury"
Then his Honor paused for few min
utes, and after perusng a few sheets
of typewriter matter, said sleWtls-:---z-7-'-
COMMENDS THE PRESENTMENT.
1.-The presentment in relation TO the
water supply of Jersey City, which you
handed to the Court has been carefully
examined, and the Court commends the
result of your investigation to the pub
Iic The Court a long time ago de-
termined that if there was to be a change
in the water supply of Jersey City, as
well as other cities and towns in the
scandals which have been the result of
similar Operations elsewhere, and it
concluded that it was much better for
the Grand Jury to look into the mat
ter in advance than for it to be COM
PEELED to indict public officials after the
work was completed. An ounce of pre-
vention in this matter is far better than
the pound of cure.
"a municipality which is compelled to
be indicting its public officials in order
to insure honesty does not stand SO well
in the mind of the country as it ought.
''The effort of the Grand Jury has
IprSPV
increase of it's public debt, and if it can
be done with benefit to the public it
ought to be done. and therefore if the
municipal authorities of Jersey City deal
with this question in the spirit with
which you have dealt with it the result
will be the attainment of good potable
water with economy and satisfaction.
STATE AID NECESSARY
1.-The especial attention of the public
generally and of the public municipal
authorities particularly is called to that
you invoke the action of the municipal
authorities in the prevention of the pol
luton of che sources in our Sthte, from
which our water supply must necessarily
lection no new or other supply will avail
anything; no supply can ever be ade-
auate or satisfactory, and such drastic
measures both in our courts and in the
Legislature, should be inaugurated as
will in the future secure the natural
purity of the water in all the streams
of the, State. Without this action a
greater or better supply will be almost
absolutely worthless. The attention of
the Court to this matter will be main
tanned in the future at all times in order
that official action in this matter be
legal and appropriate
1.-THE Court is gratified to be able to
commend your work in this matter and
our desire is that it may aid cur muni-
cipal authorities and result in a public
benefit
Mr.. DUGAN THE INFORMANT.
The Grand Jury then retired and the