The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-12-27


taking judicial officer when Law Judgi
of Hudson county. His decisions ane
rulings have always been noted for theii
evidences of careful consideration and
broad comprehension of the law. During
the seven years he has been upon the
bench he has been called upon to con
slider some most important matters and
has always disposed of them in manner
which has given satisfaction to all right
thinking people. He never hesitated to
fearlessly face gigantic public evils, and
never wearied of calling the attention OF
Grand Juries to abuses which required
prompt and energetic consideration at
their hands. No matter how unpopular
such action might be with certain ele-
ments of the community, Justice Lippir-
colt always demanded that every facility
at the command of the county or muni-
cipal authorities should be put in full
action for the suppression of evil.
No better demonstration of this can be
found than in the case of gambling. ID
is not so many years ago that pool-sell-
ing, especially in Harrison and North
Hudson; policy, slot machines and other
means of gambling were prevalent in this
county. With a tenacity and determine
tfon which was commendable Justice Lip
pincott took up this matter and fearlessly
charged Grand Jury after Grand Jury un-
til there are few communities in this
State that are as free from gambling in
any form as is Hudson county. Profess
sional gamblers, persistent yiolators of
the law, property owners who leased their
property for gambling purposes and pub
lie officials who acquiesced in the law
breaking have been convicted and sent
to JAIL through the untiring efforts of
Justice Lippincott.
While engaged in this work one Grand
Jury, whose attention Justice Lippin-
cott had called to certain place where
it was notorious that pool selling was
carried on, failed to find an Indictment
Justice Lippincott was very indignant
over this action of the jury, and in dis
missing the jurors he said THE Court
has only this to say, and it says it with
full, firm conviction, and it is saying only
those things which 1t is called upon to
say in the performance of its duty as
minister of the law, having only judi
cially the jurisdiction and administra-
ton of the law, that, in behalf of The
public and the vindication of the laws of
U11o . ldlc, II Is lIlDOSSlDle lOT the 0OHTL
to pass this presentment in silence. The
Court is convinced, deeply convinced, con-
WINGED in such a way that there can be
no doubt of the position of the Court,
from the evidence presented to it; that
there should have been from a dozen to
twenty indictments presented against
principals, agents and employees who have
been engaged in conducting and manag-
ing affairs at the place called Monte
Carlo, a gambling house on the events
of horse races and a gambling house in
other FORMS Instead of that you have
presented no indictments. The Court has
an abiding confidence that there are those
on this Grand Jury among you who have
been desirous of performing their duty
and who have, in all their acts, con-
formed to the oaths- To those the Court
desires to express its hearty appreciation
of their efforts and to them the thanks
of the Court are due.
but this Court is sorry to say that the
of your body are not in that
To them the Court must say
that they have not performed their duty
according to their oath of Office and ac-
cording to their judgment, nor according
TO their own consciences. YOU speaking
of the majority of the Grand Jury, have
turned aside from the evidence produced
and laid before you and have taken coun-
sci of your own unlawful and evil desires,
or counselled with men or aggregations of
men who have encouraged, or advised, or
directed you to disregard your duty to the
law and your oaths of office. Your failure
to present indictments against Monte
Carlo absolutely demonstrates this proro-
sition."
The courage which can utter such lam
guage as this under such circumstances
is the kind that is needed in our judiciary,
and demonstrates that Justice Lippincott
is the right man in the right place when
he occupies a seat on the Supreme Court
bench. 1t might also be stated here that
this failure of the Grand Jury did not
discourage Justice Lippincott but made
him all the more determined to persevere
in the good path he had chosen. He kept
at the subject and instructed subsequent
Grand Juries until finally one man con-
nected with this notorious gambling hell
was sent to jail and others became fugi-
tives from justice.
AS a fair example of the manner in
which Justice Lippincott pursues evil
doers might be taken from one of his
recent charges:-
You can, with benefit to the public well
fare investigate the manner in which
municipal contracts have been and are
being made, and the manner in which
they are being performed, and the man
ner in which payments upon them have
been or are being made. Whether the
contracts are clothed with the formali-
ties required by laws relating to the ex-
penditures of public moneys. Where
these formalities have been wilfully dis
regarded Indictment should follow and
even il the forrnalities have been COM
piled with, If the contract should be
found to be the product of corruption
presume that grossly extravagant ex-
penditure of public money Is corrupt
expenditure SO much as to place the Off
Gals making such expenditure upon the
defence OF it under an indictment even
though the technical formalities of the
law have been complied with. You can
also inquire whether the appropriations
or limit of expenditures, has been exceed
ed. The act of excess is indictable re-
gardlesS of the intention of the officials
in incurring the obligation in excess of
the limit.
In one or more Of the municipalities Of
this. county, portion of the public press,
freely and openly charges bribery and
corruption against public officials induc-
ing the award of certain contracts and
perhaps other official action. This charge
or accusation should not be made with
impunity and without responsibility.
There is no need of further detail. Many
members Of the Grand Jury, undoubtedly,
have knowledge of the reference which
the Court makes. An Aninvestigation should
be made. If the truth of the charge be
made to appear, Indictment of the officials
a q<II< : u. i