New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-28
QUAY TRIAL POSTPONED
DISTRICT ATTORNEY ASKED TO Ulvu
1T DEFERRED FOR SIX WEEKS
NO REASON ASSIGNED FOR DELAY-RuMops
OF TAMPERING WITH JURY PANEL.


OF TAMPERING WITH JURY PANEL,
Philadelphia, Feb. 27.-Polltical circles we,.
shaken to the centre to-day by the unexpected
postponement OF the Quay trial. and there 4,
speculation in every quarter as 20 the cause,
which brought II about There Ia little do,,h,
that both sides were ready 10 go on. All N.
parties to the case were on hand. and every.
thing was apparently In readiness. when Die.
| trict-Attorney Rothermel arose and asked Jud,.
BETTER to postpone the trial because the Com.
| monwealth was not ready" AS soon as III,
| sensation caused by this announcement mad sui.
| sided Messrs Shields and Shapley counsel T.
| Senator Quay and his son. put in a vlgoru,
! protest against further delay. but the Cosr
| granted the request and fixed April 10 FOR IA,
trial
THE fact OF the matter IL that there Ia no,h.
| ing whatever in the case. Our experts have o.
amined the books and docum ents They Arr
mutilated. false and a fraud upon their far,
| We are prepared to prove conclusively tina, the
| entries duplicating Senator Quay and his Son
| were made six months after the alleged con-
spiracy had been cousummated, and the fruits
II any. had been reaped. The Commonwealth
| must admit this. Their own experts VIII testify
| to IT, We are confident that there Is not
Judge on the bench to-day who would not. IN.
| der the evidence available. order the Jury 4,
| acquit"
RuMORED CAUSES OF DELAY
Runors were afoat all day-one that the trial
| had been postponed because the death Of former
| state Treasurer Haywood had m.n'mlzed the
chances Of Senator Quays conviction. and an.
| Their. which gained the greater credence tha,
r. member Of the jury panel had informed til.
! District Attorney Of an attempt a. lmpersona
/; tion.
| Although interest in the trial was in,enS
| throughout the city there was no orowding
| the courtroom. because OF order issued BY
| the Court that only the lawyers directly Inter.
ested in he case. the panel Of witnesses and
limited number OF newspaper men should be al.
| mitted into the room. Senator Quay. with his
SON entered the courtroom promptly az 10
I o'clock. the hour fixed for the opening Of the
trial Accompanying the defendants were their
! counsel Rufus T.. Shapley. 4. :. L. Shields and
! David T. Watson Of Pittshurg. The presence %
! the last-named was a surprise 10 those in attend
! ance, as It was generally understood that he
/ had retired from the case after MS argument
| before the Supreme Court 70 have the trial x
! the case removed from the Philadelphia County
court
! The opening proceedings consisted Of toiling
. the talesmen. Tho rollcali showed the presence
J of fifty Jurors The remaining eight had been
! excused on account Of Illness or other reasons
satisfactory to the Court After the tally OF me
| Jurors had been completed, there was lun Ia
! the proceedings, and a whispered consultation
was held by the defendants and their attorney
PosTPoXEMENT ASKED FOR
pistrict-Attorney Rothermei and his assist.
| ants also held A brief consultation. at the
| clusion OF which the D!strict-Attorney arose
and said that for reasons which he did not care
TO state at present, he desired that the trial Of
the Messrs. Quay be postponed He was no.
! ready 10 proceed with the trial now He stated
/ further that as the Judges ~ the court would
| be engaged for the greater part or me present
month in hearing the liquor license appAca.
lions he would ask that the date FOR this uid
| be fixed for April 10.
Mr.. Shapley. OF counsel for the defence, %.
posed the motion. He said the witnesses had
been subpenaed and every preparation mad
TO bring the trial TO an immediate CONCLUSION
Mr. Watson he said. had been brought ron
Pittsburg to aid in the cauGe Of the defendants
who themselves were present ana anxous ior
trial A postponement at this time he SAD
would cause great inconvenience and would D.
unfair TO his clients. He admitted the privilege
Of the District Attorney 10 request postpone
ment, but hoped that the Court would direct
the trial to proceed at once.
Judge Better however, announced that h
would grant the motion, inasmuch as the Dis
| ct-Attorney was not at present prepared 70
proceed. He named April 10 as the date FOR
| taking up the case
Mr.. Shields made the statement IN court that
! the motion for postponement was complete
surprise 10 the defence, the District-Atorney
| not having apprised Mr.. Quays lawyers OF ms
! intention 10 make the motion for to-day Until
| this morning.
After court adjourned Nj Rothermel san
| IN reply to an interrogation While VIII say
nothing whatever about the cause which z.
| duced me to continue the case. except "ha'
| said in court | can state that the ehure suv
| iect was submitted to Judge Better and az
| proved by him before / made the application :"
| postponement. ,, a..
Upon the question Of tamperng with ts
| Jury. the District-Attorney made most slsh.
| cant utterance in court. avowlng tha' 'He p,,.s
ponement was duty 70 the CommoNNe1 ..-
| Beyond that ne refused 70 speak save 20 -,
! that il would be unwise 20 give ms teasoI a.
| present judge Better had been informed \.
| it, and that sufiiced His manner ana MS 49, 49,
! conveyed the idea that proceedings are "A a.,
| to grow out Of the discovery. ana mat no ~
| closure could be made I'm advance ~ the s'sf, ~,
| that the Commonwealth might take WI" ~
say anything about the Jury pane" "'
| finally"