The sun., 1897-01-30
POLICE ESCAPE A BLAST.
GRAND JURY WAS GOING TO CON-
DENY PROvOCATIVE AGENTS

For Their Conduct In Disorderiy Housss-
District Attorney Oicott aud Com
missioner Roosevelt Addressed Them
and stopped It-Bow IL Came About.
The General Sessions Grand Jury for January.
which completed its labors yesterday. had pre-
pared strong prosentment condemnlnR the
methods employed by policemen In disorderly
houses to obtain evidence. but District Attorney
Olcott succeeded In persuadins the jurymen
that they would be putting premium on crime
by scoring the Police Department without hrst
giving the proper representatives Of the depart
ment q chance to be heard.
Tho prosentment had been prepared and was
about to be signed when Assistant District At
torney Battle brought the matter to the atten-
tion of Mr.. Olcott. In some way the story
leaked out that the prescntment was coming
aud when the Grand Jury made Its report for
the month without making the presentment 1t
was whispered about tho Criminal Court build
ing that District Attorney Olcott had held up"
the presentment.
Later IN the afternoon Mr.. Olcots sent for the
newspaper men In the building.
II want to explain this matter fully"
he said. so that the public will be properly In
formed on the subject. I have been Informed
that some OF the newspapers intend to miscon-
strue the facts. Tho story 10 just this: Mr.. Bat
tlo Informed me that the Grand Jury had
ordered presentmsnt to be drawn up scoring
the Police Department for ordering members Of
the force to get certain evidence In dso-derly
house cases. The Grand Jury believed that the
Police Department sanctioned the work Of GER
tain men who went too far in getting this evil
dence. know that this wasn't true. and I sont
word that would 20 before the Grand Jury this
morning and explain the facts AZ they are.
I did It to-day. Commissioner Roosevelt
happened to bo in my office to-day. aud after
had talked to the jurymen l asked them II IL
would be agreeable to them to listen to what
Mr.. Roosevelt might say on the subject. They
expressed q desire TO listen to tho Police Com
missioner. Mr. Roosevelt then went before tho
Grand Jury and stated that the Police Commis-
sioners did not approve of pollcema an commit
ting criminal or indecent act for the purpose
OF securing evidence against q disorderly house
policeman who went 90 far a. TO commit sdul-
terry for the purpose OF getting evidence violated
be put on trial at police headquarters for 1t.
This explanation satisfied the Graud jury.
&C course d the tslt had also had srsa, %
they were on the wrong track. made speech
telling them tina, Il would DO contrary to public
policy. and would produce an exceodingly bad
impression upon the public mind that II would
cause rejoicing among criminals and encourage
whole trouble was that the Grand Jury believed
that policemen were directed and authorized TO
20 TO extremes In order to procure evidence and
when ibis misbeiief was removed the 1urymen
Immediately realized that the prcsentmeut was
unnecessary. Consequently IL was not signed"
=" The talk. Mr. Olcott, was that q Tammauy
wa. on this account that sou refined in the
Grand Jury" suggested one reporter.
THAT IL not true" said the District Attorney
"Mr. Battle drew tho presentment, and IL was
he who called my attention To Il. Then made
| tho declaration that | would ike TO explain
matters. aud ! did. telling the Grand Jury that
they po-,essed the great powers IN the matter
was their duty To SEQ that criminals should not
be encouraged. ! may have made n regular
stump speech to the GRAND Jury. but did Il for
the good of this public"
When Mr.. Olcott was asked for n COPY OF the
prcsentment he said II had been torn up.
II IL not known precisely what evidence tho
Grand jury had before them. but It very likely
consisted OF admissions made by police witnesses
on the trial Of Morett. the owner OF part OF
"soubrette Row." together with the bills Of
policemen for expenses W hich Comptroller Fitch
held up and some OF which were published in
THE SuN as they were presented TO the Supreme
Court. They certainly had before them the
evidence Of \ policeman whose evidence against
his prisoners Is likely TO lead to trial for him
self.