The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-01-21
CAMDEN mEMBRACBRY
Something Real for the
Republican Legislature
to Investigate.
JUSTICE GARRISON'S STRONG CHARGE
The Grand Jury Will Make an
Inquiry-Judges, Jurors and
Counsel as Witnesses.
Especial to "rhe Jersey city News..,l

CAMDEN, Jan. q, 1S9S.-In language
that could not be misunderstood, Supreme
Court Justice Garrison yesterday told the
Camden Grand Jury to thoroughly inves-
tigate, sparing no one, the charges of
attempted embracery of jurors which led
"a the sudden termination of the trial
of Eli Shaw two weeks ago. The jury
had been ~reconvened at 1:3Q o'clock un-
der Instructions of the Judge, and after
a brief conference at the close of his
stirring address, adjourned to meet this
morning, when testimony win be heard.
In this the witnesses will include Judges
Garrison and Armstrong, Prosecutor of
the Pleas Wilson H. jenkins, Sheriff
David Baird, Assistant Prosecutor w. H.
Carson. and, perhaps. Attorneys Fred A.
Rex and H. S. Scovel. Furthermore, At
torney General Samuel H. Grey will be
present to conduct the investigation and
interrogate the witnesses. 1t is evident,
therefore, that the whole unhappy mat
ter will be given a searching inquiry and
that tn result will be the Indictment of
somebody.
In his charge to the Grand Jurors JUS
tice Garrison told mem they had been
recalled for the express purpose of max
ing proper examination of such evidence
as they cQulQ SdIneT Wll1 TeldllOH u
charges of alleged corruption of jurors.
He read the law bearing upon the sub
ject of embracery, which provides. a PEN
atty of one years Imprisonment or $500
fine or both. He laid emphasis upo the
fact that it was a crime to even make
an attempt to corrupt or influence a
juror. 1t made no difference, he said,
whether the attempt was successful or
not. If any one spoke to a juror 1t was
a crime. 1t was the intention of the per-
son who approached a juror to influence
him that made the crime. Whether the
juror accepted the offer made or knocked
the party down who approached him
made no difference whatever. Neither
did it make any difference whether the
juror was Influenced or not by the person
or persons who approached him. He
said, too, that it made no difference
whether or not those approached were on
the trial jury.
The Justice said that during the prog
fesss of the investigation made by the
Grand Jury it might be that the Prosecu-
tor of the Pleas would be called upon to
testify. That being the case Prosecutor
Jenkins. in compliance with the statute,
had intimated to Attorney General Grey
that it would be desirable for him to take
charge of the prosecution of the matter to
be Investigated. Justice Garrison said he
had formally requested Attorney General
Grey to act, and the latter off1eial had
province of the Grand Jury, he said. to
summon the Judges of the Court of Oyer
and Terminer to give evidence in the mat
-GI. L SGId lhclt dltoC4 AifC III AAot diAN
it was logical that both himself and
Judge Armstrong appear before the
Grand Inquest. He also limited that chron-
ologically they should be the first wit
nesses called.
The Justice laid particular stress upon
the fact that witnesses must testify when
called. If any refused the jury should
present the matter to the Court, which
stood ready to WELD all its power to COM
pei such witnesses to give testimony. He
cautioned the Jurors to maintain the ut
most secrecy in its investigation, and to
see that no one outside got information
of its deliberations.
The Grand Jurors retired and soon
afterward sent for Attorney General
Grey. with whom they held a brief CON
sultation. Then they adjourned until ten
o. clock this morning, when the taking
of testimony will begin. Besides the
Judges and officials, it is said, all the
forty-eight men drawn upon the struck
panel for the Shaw trial nave been sub
poenaed to appear and testify.
Meanwhile the County Bar Association
will make al Independent investigation
of the scandal, and take the information
from the Judges and court officials to
guide its actions.