New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-03
PRICE THREE CENTS.
HICKMAN AND GRAND JURY
GOSSIP AS TO WHY HE WAS NOT TAKEN
BEFORE IT
GARDINER CRITICISED FOR ALLOWING
COPIES OF THE MOLTNEUX INDIcT-
MENT TO GET Ot,T PREMATURELY-
TIE pI L AnING NEXT TI.ESDAY.


Recorder Goff in Par, Of the General ses-
sons adjourned the time for the pleading or
Roland B. Moneux. indicted on the charge OF
poisoning Mrs. Kate J Adams. until Tuesday
next This adjournment was taken AZ the re-
quest OF Weeks Battle & Marshall. counsel for
Molineux. who wanted longer time TO examine
the Indictment and to prepare motions. wnicn
would give them an opportunity 10 scrutinlze
the minutes OF he Grand Jury. as well as OBJ
tain Photographic copies Of the handwriting SUD-
mitted in evidence before the Coroner
Whether Moneux is guilty or innocent OF the
crime charged against him by the Grand Jury
in it's Indictment the promises 20 cause
some serious complications in the Dstrict-At-
torney's office il the gossip in the Criminal
Courts Building can he considered Of any value
and part Of IL - verified by the legal records
one Of the leading points brought out by clerks
and attorneys at the building was the fact that
District Attorney Gardiner did not allow Mich
olas Hickman. the letter-bOx man az NO Zo'
West Forty-second-st. 10 go before the Irano
Jury Hickman AT the Distrct-Attorney
office ready TO go before the Grand Jury out
the plan was changed. and ne was not allowed
10 testify. His evidence before the Coroner was
the most important given. as he swore positively
that Molineux had rented a letter-box at his
place of business under the name OF H. C.
Barnet" last spring
His evidence was given before the handwriting
experts were called. and the fact that ne would
testify was told them when the specimens OF
handwriting were submitted 10 them for identi-
fcaton. At the time ne testified there were
witnesses in court who We're ready 10 90 on the
stand They said they were able 70 prove that
Hickman had previously told them stories which
MS
mony. None Of these witnesses were allowed to
testify Just why Colonel Gardiner got Heck
man TO make this positive Identification Of
Moneux before the C0roners jury and then
failed TO call him as witness before the Grand
Jury is a matter not entirely clear 70 those who
have been following the case carefully. but the
following facts from the records Of Colonel Gar
diners own department may throw some light
on the matter
Nicholas Hickman is under Indictment for
bribery at a general election, and as far as the
records show has never been purged OF this
charge. II is further shown that on Monday.
February %. the indictment and papers in this
case were taken from the Indictment clerks
office into the District-Attorneys private Office.
and that on the next day. after conference
with the District-Attorney Hickman was ready
to identify Molineux, although previously. ac-
cordng to the police. he had told Captain Nc
Clusky that Molineux not the man who
rented the letter-box from him.
This Indictment OF Nicholas Hickman was
found by the Grand Jury on November 26, 1884,
for bribery Hickman then living al No.
sos Flfth-st He bailed on December |.
1854 and on December pleaded not guilty AS
far as the court records show nothing further
was done in the at the time. Ii is also
shown that up 10 the present date the indct-
ment has not been nolle pressed, nor has the
been tried before jury From all appearances
the papers had been filed away and left un-
touched until Colonel Gardiner turned his office
into a detective bureau