Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1895-02-16
LEXOW FRUIT RIPENS.
High Officials Indicted as the
Result of the Investigation.
BX-MAYOR GILR0Y is AMONG THEM
The Special Grand Jury Appointed to Take
Up the Charges of Corruption In New
York Returns BiIIs-Three Police In
spectOrs Must Answer.

Up the Charges of Corruption In New
York Returns BilIs-Three Police In
spectOrs Must Answer.
NEW YORK, Feb. l6.-The Herald says
today: Municipal and police officials i'm
plicated in the revelations before the Lex
ow Investigating committee have been
anxiously awaiting for some time the
first big batch of indictments to be hand
ed down by the special grand jury OF the
court of oyer and terminer. The indict-
ments were expected yesterday, but were
not quite ready when Judge Ingraham
adjourned his court for the day.
The result of the special grand jury S
work was certain to be int: esting to the
public, but the size OF the sensation to be
created was not known to anybody except
the prosecuting attorneys until yesterday
afternoon, when the news leaked out that
the following had Eeen indicted and that
the papers were then being prepared for
submission to the court:
Thomas +. Gilroy formerly mayor OF
the city.
Thomas +. McAvoy. police inspector.
W. W. Mclaughlin. police inspector.
Alexander ;. Williams, police inspector.
Two police captains, names kept secret.
The special grand jury has been in ses
sion since the beginning of January. Its
main object was to investigate charges of
municipal corruption. and the room where
its secret sessions have been held in the
new criminal courthouse has been watch
ed with awe. Witnesses have gone in and
have left but their testimony has been
carefully guarded from the public ear. 1t
was said three weeks ago that the jury was
prepared to find So indictments
District Attorney Fellows and his rcgu-
lar assistants have been relieved of the
greater portion of the labor incidental to
the police cases by Daniel G. Rollins for
| merly surrogate. and Austin q. Fox, who
| We're appointed special counsel for the
people of the state of New York for the
| prosecution of corrupt officials.
The Grand Jury's Work.
They have been hard at work sorting
out the mass of material at their disposal
and presenting the salient facts to the
| grand jury. They have endeavored to
bring up only the cases in which they
were certain to find indictments and in
| which they could be reasonably sure of
| convictions putting aside all allegations
of dishonesty where they were not alto
gether satisfied with the nature of the
proof offered.
Mr.. Rollins has had long experience a. a
| public prosecutor. having been distric; at
| torney before his election to the bench as
surrogate
! Assistant District Attorney Lindsay
| now in charge of the appellate branch OF
his office, but formerly assigned exclusive
ly to grand jury work, has assisted MIR.
Rollins and Mr.. Fox, particularly in the
drawing Of the indictments. and he was
kept extraordinarily busy yesterday com
| pleting his share of the work.
The foreman of the grand jury. Francis
| n in 81 N in
dictments as they were presented to him.
| and very few witnesses We're examined
| during the day. The foreman consult ed
| Judge 1ngIabAm while the grand jury
was taking its usual recess for luncheon.
| He wished 10 know whether the judge
wanted to receive the indictments already
found. He said he and his colleagues Were
1 anxious to get some time to at end TO their
private business. which they have had tC
neglect during the last six weeks. The
| judge readily granted the permission and
told the grand jury to adjourn until
March !.
Although il was impossible TO obtain
exact information before the indictments
| leave the hands of the grand jury, 1t wa.
suthoritatively announced that the indict
| ment against Mr. Gilroy did not relate L
any act he had committed while mayor
of the city, but was based on an allega
ton of official misconduct at the time thai
he was commissioner Of public works
The nature of the charge could not h,
learned.
| Involved Before LeNow.
The police inspectors and captains
against whom indictments are pending
were all moro or less involved in the ties
timony given before !he Iexow commit
tee. and all of them were themselves call
cd as witnesses with the exception of In
spector McAvoy.
The chief witness against Thorn befor
the grand jury was Police Captain Ma,
F. Schmittberger. whose confession TO
ward the close of the Lexow investigation
made q profound sensation He swor
that he had paid 5000 IA month o Inspect
or McAvOy as his share OF tho tribute col
lected from poolrooms The inspector
record was also smlrched by others caller
before the senate committee.
Inspector William. who was captain
when Schmittberger was sergeant, wa
also attacked by Schmitthergcr and man,
| other persons. Williams positively deniet
that no had ever received dollar dishon
estly and explained his wealth by saying
that he had inherited lots in Japan whicl
he could not positively locate.
Among the persons who appeared agains
Inspector Mclaughlin In Ito committe
| was Katie schubert who had long bee
known as the keeper of a diS0rderly resor
in Chrystie street. She asserted that afte
q police "shakeup." when Mclaughlin
became captain in her precinct, he wen
: to her house with his wardman and de
manded $500 in cash from her as a con
, dition of allowing her to continue her ne
farious business Many women gave sim
liar testimony against him.
The names of the two captains who ar
} to be brought to the bar with the thre
: inspectors did not become public yeste
, day.
1t is said that Captain Schmittberger
testimony before the grand jury was ia
? stronger than when he was called by Ii
Lexow committee. as Recorder COT pui
T posely refrained from touching Oh sewers
material points Captain SChmittbergC
i had told his story in full to the preser
| recorder before going on the witness stan,
= and it was deemed advisable not to touC
on some cases that may serve as the has
for indictments.
None of the indictments will be hande
to the court until March I. and possibl
not until several days later The oyer ar
terminer grand jury will not be dissolve
] under ordinary circumstances till April /
A Steamer Burned.
WASHINGTON. Feb 16.-The Lady of Il
Lake. one Of the Oldest excursion steame