The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-11
VERY BAD DAY FOR COL. ToFFEY-
Failing TO Get at sheriff Heller,
Purifiers Try TO Drag His
Brother Into Tboir Net.

The doors of Chancery CHauapeis, oNS
the First National Bank Building, hao
lust been thrown open at ten O'CLOCK
this morning for the visit of the Gieoniii
Committee. when red-faced young man,
with an air of great Importance, secrecy
and mystery. entered, leading four little
bows with four dirty faces: one little
whipersnapper wearing raggy par
of knickerbockers, through mole OF
which he exhibited a portion OF gar
rnent which ought to be sacred from
public scrutiny. The quartette took seats
outside of the bar and the red-laceo
Young man mounted guard over tnem'
whispering to each that he mustn't talk
to these dreadful newspaper men. Out
side in the ante-chamber was ex-Con-
stable Godfrey Dilloway, the subpoena
server to the committee, and he, like the
red-faced young man aforesaid, hadn't
word to say.
Counsel William NJ Klink came in a
few minutes afterwards, nattily dressed
and as provokingly uncommunicative as
the rest His colleague, Mr.. Robert Nc
Carter, was punctual, too, and so far as
giving anything out was concerned the
statute of Harpocrates in Athens was
perfect ehatterbox alongside of the dap
per little gentleman from Essex. Then
in came Assemblyman Squire, who with
the counsel retired into the Chancellor's s
private room to wait for the remainder
of the committee.
A few minutes later Detective John
Clos marched in with two huge packages
which he placed on the counseFs table,
and these were records of the Police De-
partment for 1891. He had barely laid
them down when Chief of Police Ben
jamin F. Murphy, in full uniform, ar
rived He and Mr.. Clos had been sub
poenaed to produce these records.
County Clerk John G. Fisher was the
next arrival. He, too, had been sub
poenaed and he carried in his hand the
minutes for 1881. It was then that the
crowd of spectators began to speculate
as to the object of the boys appearance
and the nature. of the testimony to be
taken today.
THAT settles it," confidently said one
man with a black patch over one eye and
a bruise under the other, 'sthey're going to
dig into poolroom and gambling at Bald
win Park and Harrison
did you hear" said another eager to
have something to tell, "that Sheriff
Heller, Prosecutor Erwin Tommy Cum
mings of the City Clerks office. and a
man named OHalloran of Greenville
have been subpoenaed?"
NO. said the others, delighted that a
sensation had at last been sprung, and
he who communicated the piece of intelli-
gence was at once regarded as an au-
thority, which position he bore with be-
nected with the yellow Evening Journal
fitted to and fro, pestered the counsel and
committee with gratuitous advice and
tried to impress on the spectators that
their jaundiced sheet was running the
committee. The authority alluded to
was right so far as the Sheriff and Prose-
cutor Erwin being subpoenaed were con-
cerned, for scarcely had he told his ad-
mirers so when Mr.. Heller came in fol-
lowed by Deputy Ambrose Lynch and the
Sheriff's counsel, Mr. Allan L. McDer-
mott. and Mr.. Robert Davis. and next
Mr.. Erwin.
Here was sensation No. 2, and the spec
tators looked at each other and there was
an unmistakable now-we-are-going-to
have-an-interesting-s session look on each
countenance. Excitement increased when
Chairman Henry w. Gledhill arrived and
summoned his colleagues for prelim-
mary conference The door of the Chan
cellor's room was closed and that inter-
esting Cerebus, Captain Jack Graham,
mounted guard.
One of the committee, when together,
suggested to his colleagues that out of
respect for the memory of Mr.. Winfield
the committee should adjourn. Some
thought it a proper proceeding; but in
view that many witnesses had been called
it was decided to go on. They then came
into the Vice Chancellor's Chambers.
where the crowd were anxiously waiting,
and as the hands of the clock, which is
the particular aversion of Vice Chancel-
lor Pitney turned to eleven ChairNan
Gledhill tapped with his gavel and the
second day of testimony taken by the
committee opened.
Counsel Nccarter started the machinery
by saying
j Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
Committee-Out of Difference to the death
of Mr. Winfield. whose burial takes place
today. it was at first deemed advisable to
adjourn; but after some deliberation, be-
cause Of the number Of county officials