New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-26
A POOR PLACE FOR RECORDS.
GRAND JI'RY MINUTES on THE FLOOR OF
Az EMPTY COURTROOM
prropDrr corF DEMANDS An EXPLANATION
FROM THE DIsTRICTATToRNEY- ANDREW
FlY's CALM AND PHILOSOPHICAL
VIEW or TIE MATTER


VIEW or TIE MATTER
pscorl.r ON Yesterday demanded from Acting
District Attorney Weeks and Assistant Ds'rict-A'-
torney I'uger IN explanation az TO matter c"A-
rec,cd with some important Grand Jury records
They were fount hy boys the floor OF one OF
the empty courfrooms. Among them we're bound
volume Of the minutes Of the jury for August i'''
and the minutes Of the jury for Nov 'nh'r, lS'l'
These minutes are ,ecre, and should not under any
circumstances be disclosed to any on" outside ~ the
District Attorneys ONCE. or onr e the JnI.'s or
the court OF General Sessions. \ search i'i ihcs'
papers has been carried on for over m"n'h by
IN, CLERKS of the Dstrct-Atto'ueys Office, The mri
that they were missing caused a great d'hi "l IN
easincss and serious trouble In the work Of cvmlnr
Ing the Grand Jury records with the indict"'ht
supposed have been In the pos-c'fion ct the Dis
irlct-Attorncy's office before H. was competed by
Recorder Con- to turn All indictments In his pos
,.sion over to the chi,f clerk " the General Sos
sions The District. At rncys chief clerk has had
charge OF this work o. computing. The CLERK hnd
reported no trouble In making the comparison
Th, Recorder. speaking Of thr discovery OF the
lost papers yesterday. said:
"rhls l. u mos; scri,us matter. and calls Tor an
Immediate explanation by the District Attorney The
minutes Of the Grand Jury are ordered by an ex-
press statute % the law be kept secret. aud the
DiSirict-Attorncy is Avcn required 10 Keep 'n"m III
a strong box where they Will be entirely safe.
Even during tho short transit from the Grand Jury
room 10 the Disif!c'-Auorncy orir" the records
always carried In m iron b'N which u SUPPOSED
10 be clo-pl, sealed Nobody u supposed 20 @'c the
records cXccrg the Grand Jurors themselves. their
sworn clerk aud the lsrici-At;orney. on the few
occasions when the Court has 10 consult IN" MN
utcs which happens rarely the books are handled
with great care AMI a.ways returned 20 their
proper cust,dian, This happens only rarely how
ever ana / myself have yet never had an occa-
sion 70 call for these minutes. 1t IT, Therefore. quit
nexplcat.e to me how these books got into that
courtroon, unless they We. deliberately put there.
for the room has not been used since July but ma,
on Tho other hand been daily cleaned ahn dust'h-
From the bench Of Part J. whore ] hold court can
look across through the windows into Iart III, ana
allnos; every DAY NhIc holding court could &c
persons moving about IN me empty courlfooh' 'He
doors Of which are no. KEPT ptAed . $500
This is certainly "A serious matter, ana IN case
the District ttorrey should be unable To give a
satisfactory explanation IL would bc ut subject 10
lay before the Grand Jury
andrew FAY tho assistant clerk In the District
Attorneys ONCE. said:
VERY frequently the prosecutors send for those
records - snow the Cour; hat rome Gef'nlant az
the bar had been indicted or t.icd before Probably
ono II The Assistant D!strlct-Attorneys used those
books ~ that manner Even II u books had been
stolen Justice would not have suffered. for dupt-
clerk Of the court The whole thing s an attempt
NJ Inger stated that \ -sis'ant I)istrici- AitoT-
neys Vernon DAVIS ana Barlow :. Weeks h'd
used the records while prosecuting DR.. Newton
Whitehead.