New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-12
STOLEy INDICTMENTS.

7. T. q sor,ous charge which Recorder Golf
hrinrs against the management Of the District
Attorneys office. Equally serious is his state
mont that he believes Inspector Mclaughlin Is
interested In delaying until his own case is set
,,sd the trial OF some of the missing indictments
II Is not for a moment to be presumed that the
pocorder beInr rs he is. the head OF the Grim
,naI courts OF this city, would make public dec
loration concerning the workings OF related
branch Of the city government unless ne hau
absolute proof Of the corruption when he ne
nounces. He has had exceptional opportunities
for information concerning the Dlstrict-Attor-
news office AS an assistant there he became
thoroughly familiar with the methods employed
IN the disnosition Of cases. and a. Judge II mas
hc,n his duty 10 take note Of the efficiency dis
nlaycd in the prosecution OF crime
AZ = result OF his observation he declares that
,borc IS 4 thief in the District-Atorncy Office,
that the papers " the courts are ncsiigchtF
handled and actually distracted. tha' ne HAS
discovered strong motives for the doing away
with those naners. and that the Bureau OF For
fo;,od pecognizanccs Is n "hotbcd OF scandal
This statement quite accords with the common
IMPRESSION on the subject. 1t Is new ON! III
that ii is definite and specific concerning cer'Ah
things about which the outside puphc WHO
suspicious. haG to be content with geheraI ho'
tlons Ii Is surprising only IN mat IL colhes
from an official Of high authority ana grave re-
snonsibilty These charges are not campaign
material. nor newspaper gossip. nor well-ihtch-
TONED blunderngs OF officious youths bchi on
instituting reforms without knowing how. Ihry
are deliberately made by Judge charged Win
IN, oversight Of the office and the adinhs'rl-
,iop NJ the criminal law. The Recorder sp"-
officially exoncraes the DistrctAtiorney ana h.'
assistants from all completely In the Sprung
away of papers. and is inclined 10 lay the blame
ON suborlinates and outsiders In whose interest
they worked 1t Is perhaps proper 10 do that III
IN. absence Of any proof to the contrary. But
nubc opinion will not so easily acluit Colonel
Fellows Of blam" During both this and his
former administration Of the prosecutors once
his close ~nnection with the corrupt leaders Of
Tammany Hall has been notorious ana inc
difficulty ~ reaching through him any wrong
doer with Tammany pull has been provcrb'al'
IL Is not surprising that his suborilia'c> drew
n less fine line than he between Official ana
political relations with thieves Instead 81 try
ing TO help their friends by statements concern
Ing law which they knew 10 De- untrue. they Just
LET Indictments against them get lost. More
over. If he had carried on the affairs Of The office
with anything Ike vigor and discipline. had
selected his clerks with a view 10 their honesty
and fitness instead ~ their standing In Tam
many. such scandals rs the Recorder has mad"
bubble never could have occurred.
The Dlsrict-At,orney' office j. In urgent need
of thorough Investigation 10y some competent
authority II Il not nj all likely that The things
So far discovered make up tho sum II tn" inilui-
ties To be found there Either the Judges II ih"
Court If General Sessions. or The Commissioners
Of Accounts or some independent commission.
whichever may be found besi qualified fof III"
work should xiv. the Office thorough o'rrhin4
ing and find how many more Indictments are
missing. what forfeited bonds are uncoll'ct'd.
and who are the people who have pr"hi'-l 10y
irregularities In the department ~ pu'I' prose
cution. II Is perfectly certain that they are mol
notify thieves but men with political influence.
OR. II they are petty criminals. then ih'r IN
munity comes from a system - blackmi which,
II il exists M ALL must rival that built mp 10y
the police in It's !nfamy. only an exhaustive
investigation can clear Colonel Fellows ONCE
Of the suspicion Of deeply Intrenchcd corruption.