New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-17

Judge woodruff announced tina, he would not sit at
one trial because he had been counsel for the ac-
cused Does this that the judge OF a criminal
court was counsel for a man VINO was likely to he
mentS Was Judge woodruff council for any ore
before the senate iting c9mmittee when ne
proba bilty be arraigned at the bar OF MERGERS
Coonel John G. Van Ceef tried first. and
although the Prosecutor made an honest effort to
before the Senate Committee he was acquitted
Judge Clarence Conover. OF Monmouth County. oc-
chosen from the regularly drawn pane: Of forty
eight jurors then in the Courts service uo,.oa
about that Prosecutor Stockton suspected that each
Of the regular jurors had been interviewed by the
fused 10 try the against Kuser by jury drawn
from the regular panel. and ne startled the CouI!
Jury That this materially nterfered with the plans
Of the indicted plain from the consternatlon II
mf was ' not occupying the bench Judge conover
ng y MS Place ss at as eu wa most
binary procedure in New-Jersey. II was the frst
!i stfuck' jury was asked for to try criminal in
dictment. Judge Woodruff had also announced at
this trial that Judge Conover would sit IN the kuser
The selection of struck jury Is most inter,
esng proceeding. and such jury honestly drawn Ii
by a dsinterested Court could scarce help but
composed Of the very best est material Gdhr, As n1
think. too, that when politician was on trla "a a
political barnacles But not 50 in this Instance ow-
Ing to an alleged peculiar little twist which rumor
says the Senate Investigating Committee may try
an" Under sr the laws Of SewJersey 1t is necessary
T proyde 10 the ss' coari with list qaaded
voters of the county From this list the Court
selects wefe excused BY the se and
defence. leaving twenty-four. and at the selection
| challenges leaving in reality only eighteen men
from which to select the weye,m sSo jnrSy ,ras
retire. olGS .I Of 2 names which the Sheriff had
| n1.I I'M hat he
rapid readers else some one had prepared list
Court With the sherin's books 1t required about
twenty minutes for the CO. Court to select the
William s. s. Yard is lay Judge Of Mercer Countys
Court and he sat during all the trials with judge
at G Belmar during the summer pld Judge Woodruff
to Remar the day before the selection OF tie
Ing the question, and they feel that If the Senate
S ma T be b.
matters and even enlighten the public on several
RE OGse%T ' 6 P@rt STs that con-
II was common talk at the time Of the trial that
ie afs had aia handed and IN list Of names
and that this list was subs equenty approved az the
asked 10 affirm or ieny the truth Of this because
the act was performed In judicial privacy and such
the rDGE % S try ss pQ anu s
bers the trial and how the verdict OF acquittal was
i T tin. iSa RSssr "a Judge of
Mercer Court interested himself so much to
when he was not occupying the bench. and partcu-
larry after vacating the bench because he bad been
he Would be liable to Impeachment Judge Wood,
ruff confirmed for a dye-year term by the SEN
ate Of 1895.
FARCICAL TRIALS IN ESSEN.
There have been frequent fragrant miscarriages of
Justice In Essex County during the last haf-dozen
Things have not been quite SO bad since the
election OF Sheriff Lehlbach he has the selection
Of all Grand Juries. and he takes pains 20 get good
men. But b, has control over the trll OF in
dlctmen;s has he anything to do with the co.
lection of evidence which Indictments based.
There T. a fruitful field for investigators IN the civ
cumsiances connected with tine farcical trials OF
public officials for example. Judge Kirkpatrick and
leaders Of the rep1Gated Democra,c ring When
6ossed the county so risidIy for years and Mr.
COMPLAINTS IN CAMDEN
There have been many Complaints from Cam len
about the quality of justice deal. out there 1t has
been nsnuated more than once that verdcts could
be bought at regular scale OF prices. Color was
given this last week by Prosecutor jenkins when
he asked for the discharge OF the petit jury panel
for the september the ground that I; was
incompetent or worse.
But the jurors have always been the persons
at fault When TIE law was violated by politicians
or persons having political pull indictment was
next 10 impossible. Offences against the ballot-bo
against the gambling laws. etc, seldom or
never punished The Judges and prosecutors have
been appointed at the dictation OF William j. ThOmp-
son, owner Of the Gloucester racetrack
THE SITUATION IN BERGEN
Bergen County has been fortunate In having such
judge James NJ. Van Valen. So Ear as he was
concerned constant and determined efforts have al
ways been made TO enforce the law equally and i'm
partially. The Sherins and Prosecutors have not
been so vieiant, however. They have allowed gam
bling to until forced to act by newspaper
pressure and popular clamor. An inquiry into the
reasons FOR their inertness might develop
esting facts.