The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-06-19
I..x =. l. admin. ,ered.

There are at least three items Of news
in this mornings papers which are
calculated to fill students of the tenden-
ciesT Of things with despond. There is
the Laidlaw-Sage case, for instance, in
which MAY be observed the practical i'm
possibility of any ordinary citizen OBJ
tanning justice from a man who has the
money to avail himself of the laws de-
laws to their m possibilities. 1t is
true that a trial jury in New York, yes
terday, rendered a handsome verdict in.
favor of Laidlaw against the multi
millionaire stock jobber; but the winner
of the case is as far today from collect
ing the amount of his judgment as he
was on the previous occasion years ago,
when a Judgment for $4,000 was given
in his favor.
Laidlaw was injured in 1891. He has
been suing ever since. Once a Judge
threw his case out of court on grotes-
quely Illegal grounds. Then he got The
Judgment mentioned above. This was
set aside by the higher courts and a new
trial resulted in a disagreement by the
jury. The latest stage was the verdict
for $40, 600 given yesterday, but as this
was followed hot foot by q stay upon
notice of appeal, it is only fair to think
that we are just at the beginning of this
interesting litigation. By this time, we
should think Sage must have spent at
least sa5, 600 in defending the suit, and by
the time the Judgment is confirmed in
Lasdlaw.s favor-if, indeed, 1t ever is
we should think Joe Choate's share
of the proceeds would be a great deal
more thar his clients.
This is a pretty bad case. and yet it
does not involve so radical an abuse as
that disclosed in the proceedings in the
Henry murder case in Brooklyn. I'm the
extra-judicial action of the police in his
case we find a final abandonment of all
common law principles and the adoption
Of the methods of the Civil Code. as
they prevail, for instance, in France.
The police suspect in this case, William
HENRI. has been subjected to what is
called the third degree by the BROOKE
1yn police officials. This is a n invention
Of Super~ intendent Thomas T. Byrnes,
OF New York, and it is not too much to
say that he deserves the disgrace into
which he has fallen for devising it. 1t
is a species of moral torture to which
accused persons are submitted when the
police cannot get any evidence against
them. 1t is designed to lure or to goad
them into some indiscretion which the
fnduisitor can seize upon and with 1t
drag from his victim a confession OF
quilt.
This IS the way they do things in
France. But it an open public proceed
ing, and the prisoner has full and fair
warning. His examination by the Presi-
dent of the Tribunal is a contest OF
wits. The President uses all his intel
lect to entrap the accused. The prisoner
reI;es on his innocence or his ingenuity
to battle his assailant. 1t is all right in
France. because it is the law and the
custom. 1t is all wrong here. because 1t
is an outrage upon the common law
and an unauthorized innovation in prac-
tfce. The law in this country holds
every man Innocent until he is proven
guilty. II holds that no man shall be
required to incriminate himself. and II
preseribes that no Injurious inference
shall be drawn BY a prosecuting officer
ut in this case, Henry was badgered