New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-10
GRAND JURORS REBUhED.
Jr.DGE LENT. OF WESTMINSTER DE-
FINES THEIR POWERS.
He CITES 4 PAPER PRESENTED TO HIM AS An
EXAMPLE or fNDIsCRIM1NATE FAULT
FINDING AND INTIMATES THAT
THEY MAY BE HELD To An
swER BY AGGRIEvED

CITIZENS
County Judge Smith Lent yesterday called IN inc
Grand Jury Of the November County court Oh
Westchester which Is still In session a'hous" '"e
trial part OF the court has adjourned, ana Haue
charge concerning matters connected win 'he "a"
MI River Drainage Commission. the ihves's".'o.
Of which together with the alleged fraudu'eh'
aIirg cf the Citizens League certihcate OF noun
nations In the County clerks Once mas e's's,u
~. ,,or,I,n Of the Jury for several weeks lie
said in part ,,
I have received from your foreman document
recilng the proceedings taken D! yVu , Do I'm
provement This document Is signed oy oy NJ
OF your number. 1t recites mar 10 b, ~ moiwith
the p.nAl code has been violated ou'' ~" Tho
standing that recital. goes on To s'a.e ,'ounfv
records which It says are missing IRON, ,he blame
Clerks Office. would probably Sho" "y ,nars ,nou
Tor m. alleged DISAPPEARANCE Of the paPerS upun
some on. Interested in the prose. uii3n % IN ratbrr
seeming terms very many people characterizes tne
proposed assessment as wronstu' ai, e had
hv yonr BODY will enable the persons whosr p,op
efty is affected to successfully resist the pay men"
though I made myself understood on N1Ve eor
~ last when instructed you una. u" ,,h ,hr deter
you nave nothing whatever 10 "o "a, IN. nrop-
mlnation OF the question whether OF nov bave !,
erty-owncrs affected by m, lmpro.r'Ihs ~. eyed I
defence to an asses sment when ma! W. Tbat The
rcn.nt in substance what then sald !na ma ~ -,
orders authorizing this mpi9Ve,irn' hsd he"n done
this Court that all the worl don. IA" r;,bnut u
under the authority OF this ourt q. III, rouId
that II dom without II no @sssSs', s to the propr-
ETY. or power OF ievying any asS-ssi,,n xere made
the amount OF such asscssinsh where ali the
nsr,ics can be- heard where witnesses may ne c;s
examined and cross-exam'hhs', n Tn' proved
wh. vour body deter mined that no crime nan
b.en committed you determined 'h' o''''
you haa ao o Sob, OF your right present TO the
court in any form you pleas pleas S .nJ nv YOU under
49, section named The form should pe SnV ,cai In
ever a. make no charge o, rytoing be estab-
any individual unless that won, WON and he OF such
usiod clearly 10 your satisfaction. Anu W. inu' IN
a nature to constitute N,o'" ~ wrong doing
hnid he charged either directly or by insn..,o"
or lnnuendo except IN me ,o, as Grand Jurors
w, ,,snJ upon the same plane as any p, " an,
cen and must answer 10 10 any ,1 1 same manner ana
70 ,ns same extent as II you signed 's al '''''
vid"al - l., .or,,oad 70 the Court by your
,oroman md clerk. any other paper pf,srn c,r
vo, viii be signed by the members u Wv '''''
'@ TIE aanseT o. ndscrmInae is E g
Illustrated IN the doeu ln,arrea a'"'''
iyn Wow OF the suggestion o. the @
on Friday ast that ne soT your " duty to hear
marty chmrgtI with the commission o. ,r ,h
Voluntarily comes before Souf ", Nomination sat
9rncs m. INT ,hen CORRECTLY stated me law TO
iou vn or'e ~ any person charged Win me com
mission OF a crime. you may anu nv Won ~
voluntary statement. anu eo,so ,apd ~
h .,a,onon, you'd not In any sens" tenu 10
,.',,",e an Indictment should You ma one against
him o rguslon AS 10 what I
ii,, 1asrribe "a the relative rights OF inuiNldual
ra,a Jurors Every man I'm the Grand Jury room.
,iInnn on ms a right absolute legal right TO
g"n'IrmtI'. 'n,o,,lenen | want witness who can
sSglain tbs. or throw some light upon H. ana
ASK ~ 80" anv citizen who comes before you and
demands he Investigation Of any charge 1 OF crime
~ q, anJ e. is your duty to produce that witness.
Alter one OF the Grand Jurors had explained
,ho, he had supposed the paper handed was to be
corrected and returned for signatures. and tn"
statement by the foreman that II was the cor
r.c.ed paper the Judge returned the paper to the
Grand Jury.