New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-25
CITY WORKS TRIAL BEGINS
,,,py CHOSEN INCLUDES FREDERICK B.
PRATT.
.,s-p,cr.ArroRNEY STEELE HAS ONLY CIR
u,-,,sr.xrra1, EVIDENCE WITH WHICH
TO CONVICT MEssRs. WILLIS AND
PHILIPS OF THE CHARGE
OF CONSPIRACY


s'andara on interests and with the Long
i,.,.,6 Railroad liberal giver TO educatonai IN
,,t,ons and son OF the founder OF Pratt lnsu-
.,,a is one of the jurors IN the trial OF mcclure
- willis former City Works Commissioner ana
=. police Commissioner William f. Phiiips IN
S.Aa sointlv for conspiracy in the giving OUT OF
~,,r,c,nal contracts. The case came up for triai
'-,s-sav afternoon before Justice Wiimot M
ssr,,,h in Part V of the Supreme Court for ''e
a., time in the history of Kings County jury
A chosen under the law which provides Tor an
'~,raordinary panel With exceptional prompt
80 fury was chosen by 4:20 o'clock, the 'riai
ussrr,ne at o'clock on account of the absence
pse'. .to smith in the morning. Only about
"a -. s,,e talesmen were called In the SELECTION
a, the twelve jurors $4,000. A.
7. uas the general impression that Dlstric'-A'-
.ornev Steele was not inclined TO scruthi@e 'oo
iosslv the men called to the stano' ana tha' al
hough the average intelligence OF the jury. on ac
ount Of the presence of Mr.. Pratt ana soi"e
e.hsrs Is higher than usual. there is still nothing
1-.,aora,narv about the jury as body AFTER
- ssiec+ion of the jury District-Attorney steele
- MS opening address Justice smith theh
rad the Jurors about discussing the case out OF
acourt and allowed them 10 go, adjourning court
mill 10 o'clock this morning. wheh 'he eN"''
zion Of witnesses will begin.
The Jury Is made up as follows:
xpopF. George c. No Keap-st., tobacco dealer ~,
PFsTT Frederick B.. No. 2S2 Clinton Astral OIL
vt seTIan; George w No SIS Marcyave photographer
DUNCAN Colin No ses see eniIsrT
AIpa ASMss' kSssbam. 10 SOC Flushing butcher
LEVY benjamin. No 3s5 seoekon-st. real es'a,e d
Is. ArSoN Raphael No 2s3 Monroe-st. insect ana rat
BAER Samuel H. No l+o Ruuedses''' MANUFACTURES u
.NpREWs William. No loss Bushwick-ave.. real
maxwell. Samuel w. No. ss7 Safest bookkeeoer.
COUNSEL IN THE TRIAL.
General BENJAMIN F. Tracy and Colonel Albert
= Lamb appeared on behalf OF Willis and Philips,
while District-Attorney Steele and Assistant Dis
trict-Attorneys William J. Griffin and John E.
Kemble were present for the prosecution In the
early part Of the examination a number of talesmen
were rejected by common consent as they con-
fessed 10 having formed some opinion on the case
or else were averse to convcting on circumstantal
evidence.
William A. Mathers a fire insurance agent. Of
No. 6i6 Macon-st, seemed 10 suit both sides until
General Tracy inadvertently brought out the fact
from Mathers that the latter was opposed to the
trial because he thought it was political perse-
cution He was excused by Justice Smith.
Edward B. Bellows, of Fourteenth-ave. and
Forty-ninth-st who is wholesale dealer In hard
ware in Manhattan. said that he had sold goods TO
Mr. Willis's store. and he thought he would be
prejudiced in favor of the defendants.
Raphael Isaacson who chosen to the jury,
J
in Manhattan. When asked If he had ever seen
General Tracy before he replied:
, mo. but am glad TO know him. have heard OF
him."
He caused an outburst of laughter when. in re-
ply TO the question as 10 whether he belonged TO
political "oreanization he said, with much feel
a; hrst he said bluntly that he would never vote
10 convict man on circumstantia evidence, but
by manipulation General fraey-s got hiHs-to say
that be might DO e II he ts wss eon
not be barred out on account Of his CONVICTIONS
about circumstantial evidence and, as Mr. Steele
The case which District Attorney Steele has to
Vas received from contractors in return for city
contracts and the money WAS PAD 70 phps VINO o
the contracts according TO the agreement.
THE KENT-AvE. CASE.
One Of the items in the indictment. which was
outlined by the Dlstrict-Attorney in his opening
address and which. he says. II proven will be SUI
cent for the purposes Of conviction is an alleged
transaction in the matter Of repaving Kent-ave,
between Broadway and North Sixth-st. 1t is said
that Commissioner Willis obtained permission from
the Mayor 10 invite bids. instead of throwing the
work open 10 f on me srUThd t n, bs
Indictment. opened the bids privately and awarded
the contract to man named FRAZER VINO was
then protested against paving any assessment on
the contract g ON Was awarded 10 Thomas Monahan
But according 10 Mr.. Steele. Monahan was not
he had seen Mr.. Philips and paid to him 800,
osiensiby for campaign purposes II Is said that
Philips. refusing TO receive it, the money was paid
IN bills The check, however is said 10 be in
Another count in the indictment states that. al
though Harris and Mcguire were the lowest bid
ders for a contract for laying distributing mains in
Fort Hamilton-ave between Thrty-seventh-st.
and New-Utrecht-ave,. Daniel Doody received the
award through a alleged agreement that Philips
should receive 10 per cent of the contract price.
L A p will q Ona mr.
two. in his efforts to prove the charge Of con-
One Of the first things to be done to-day will be
the presentation by the District-Attorney OF a
cuiion 90 cry st me deSence Wi, agree ~ sbe
admission OF this matter without much protest as
allowed Daniel Doodv who has turned States evil
oence will be the first witness,
DIsTRICT-ATToRNEY's HARD TASK.
The task which District-Attorney Steele has be-
Tore him is a difficult In order to prove the
he must rely wholly upon clrcumstan-
iial evidence. AS he said in his opening address to
the jury, he has TO face the problem of so con-
Meeting happenings and transactions. Of themselves
Wholly innocent that they will show beyond
Ssw '1s1 there are T pS M
CTS VINO u Is alleged were favored in the giving !
MI Steele however. set himself heartily at his
go yesterday afternoon. IL generally
sia N MS opening statement to the jury he
motive than the prosecution OF his duty He said
IN Part
MS rs tne nrst jury ever impaneed under the /
special law in Kings County. shall assume gem
emen Una. you iSy appreciate the responsibility
mat Is paced upon you. This is case OF special
Importance not because of the measure Of nm
shment 10 be inflicted but because OF the nafure Of
me acts charged anc the serious menace they hear
10 the welfare and safety Of our institutions
The gist OF their crime is Conspiracy The |
definite charge Is that T. B. Willis and w =
Philips entered into an agreement 10 obstruc, and |
prevent the true administration OF law 49,
The District-Attorney then said that In orders-o |
Illustrate the nature OF the crime he would hsya.to
1raw attention 10 one overt act This he dtd hv |
Getting the Monahan transaction. He then ciosed |
BY saying that his interest and that Of the nenns |
we're the that Of the jury. He hone6 tbat |
hey would not convict innocent mar. he trus,aS
hat neither through his own weakness nor throuSh |
he stubbornness lack Of sincerity OF the tnTv |
,uty men should escape
Justice Smith then told the jury that he Womb |
,ut them their honor, and allow them freedom |
etween the sessions of the trial He warned then,
eriously against discussing the case In any Xav