New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-01
NOT ENFORCING THE la w.
THE ICT-ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. Sc
vERELY CRITICISED.

EXCISE CASES NOT PROMPTLY PROSECUTED
REMARKS OF JUSTICE JEROME IN THE
COURT OF SPECIAL SESSIONS.
Justice Jerome of the Court OF Special Sessions
Yesterday read a typewriter statement ABOUT eA-
else cases and the Dstrct-Attorney oftce' Al
dressing Assistant District-Attorney Beringer, ne
said after speaking of the efforts OF the PONCE
Board to enforce the excise law:
We venture TO say that there is not one OF that
Board who personally does not believe mat me law
T Ta0mn De uGchaEged BY the they
will be false to their oaths unless they 40 enforce
effort 10 see that its provisions were observed IN
the past that law has not been enforced excep, III
certain instances for political reasons ana loI
backmall, but they strove to give IL an nomes a
effort to com 1e obedience the law by series OF
penalties increasing as the weeks went by. ana as
min, to compel obedience instead or ms t tesu,,
being attained. when the penalties iniicted Desah
action OF the olice Board and Of this court OF any
effect by removing excise cases into the ooGf. OF
mined and Organized pan to defeat this law an. ana
the LIQUOR dsa lers have themselves charged tnat
there understanding with the Dstrc e. 4,
torneys oics that the removed cases wouu ~ no. b Is
county was > presidne in the only part OF General
Sessions then in session. and he had control OF the
did not dare TO ignore. The Justices OF this court
communicate The situation to the Hecoruer ana ne
conferred
place at thai time do not feel at liberty TO dis
close but II may suffice TO say that the Distrlc,,
Nav TO the ia, A. of the Recorder. But this was
not all! -, Recorder summoned the foreman OF
foreman OF the Grand Jury man.festly understood
the meaning OF official oath: indictments were
law Who had removed their the Court %
General Sessions Juries promptly convicted
or mofe OF the However idle Citizens may ike
ha ~ afai N a
munlty that any body Of men shall stand up
and say that trey VII not obey law the s RE-
mission OF the organized liquor dealers;
Alter ample notice for excise violation IN Sep s.
on those who pleaded guilty. and in the cases OF
conviction after trial sentence Of three months his
place before the list Of September took place again
enee vas sessions meanwhile the Recorder mad
gone into another part OF General Sessions where
We have yet to learn that a single one OF these
transferred cases of September violation mas oeeH
tried although there have been three parts Of
the General Sessions sitting. while there was only
one when the same situation last arose
The effect OF this failure to promptly prosecute
those removed cases done in August was
at once on the second sunday IN september
the number Of arrests for excise violations was
eighteen: on the third Sunday twenty-seven an In
of 80 per cent on the fourth SUNDAY s s
the second Sunday. As to yesterday we have not
Mr. Assistant Dstrct-Attorney this is grave
situation Experience has within two months
demonstrated that IL the Dstrct-A ttorney does ms
duty the efforts OF the Police Board ana this court
in enforcing this law will be rendered effective;
1t is true that this court cannot control
the actions OF the District Attorney generally oui
there is a power in the State which can controi
even the District-Attorney. ,
Mr. Assistant District Attorney, we snail cause
transcript OF our remarks TO be furnished you and
we shall cause another transcript TO be forwarded
to the Governor OF the State OF New-fork
When District Attorney Fellows was informed OK
what Justice Jerome had said. he remarked: Il
don't care what Justice Jerome says or does. The
Justice seems to think 1t is his business to attend
10 matters in the General Sessions. II he Will stop
to think a minute. he must know that business
in General Sessions is none OF his. What shall
do? Nothing except to attend to my business IN
m. ueual way and Justice Jerome may attend to
his / am sorry Justice Jerome should have Vio-
lated the Sunday law by working over such
speech 10 deliver to-day.