The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-22

hall will not result in an Indictment,
but 1t can be relied upon that the
grand jury will submit q report that
will be read with more than passing
interest.
Enough has already been disclosed to
convince the jury that the reports SO
common about corruption in city legis-
lation and the administration of city
affairs are founded on facts, but as yet
there is wanting the testimony that
would warrant sending the guilty par.
ties before jury, and until that Is
secured 1t would be not only vain, but
unfair and injudicious, to cause a great
scandal at a great expense, without
effecting anything more than giving
the transgressors firmer belief that
they can offend without fear of being
offended.
Some things have developed which
would warrant the jury in sending cer-
tain persons into court If the offense
of which they are prima facie proven
guilty was within the scope of the in
quiry, but as the charge of Judge Ed
wards directed the jury to inquire into
three certain matters, the telephone
ordinance, the electric light contract
and the slot machines, they are not at
liberty to inquire indiscriminately into
transgressions of the law Of all kinds
and characters. but must confine them
selves to these three particular SUBJ
jects.
A councilman could confess to hav-
ing burned a church and the jury
would not be called upon to take cog
nizance of 1t.
ALLEGED COMBINATION.
What the jury is particularly striving
to run down Is the allegation that a
cabal was formed in councils for the
sole purpose of eXtorting money from
parties seeking privileges. One of the
| early witnesses made the disclosure of
| the existence of this leg-pulling COM
bine and indicated to the jury where 1t
| might look for confederation.
He said the members of the cabal
had a regular organization with a full
set of officers and held formal meet
| ings whenever there was anything
| doing" Its outside work was done by
an executive committee. and among its
| achievements was to successfully Sc
cure a regular monthly stipend from
a certain large corporation. which had
occasion to frequently be in need OF
friends in council.
The jury has sifted the thing down
so that it now rests with three or four
witnesses yet to be examined to prove
or disprove the story. Some of these
witnesses are out of town, and it may
be they will not be back in time to
permit the jury to avail itself of thei,
knowledge. If they can be secured
they will have some explaining to do
The jury will likely be in session al
of today and part of tomorrow. Theil
report can be looked for tomorrow af.
ternoon or Saturday morning. Thirty
witnesses were examined yesterday
and abut half as many more are sum.
moned for today. Among these latter
| are Mayor Moir, who was subpoenaeC
last night, as Il result of certain de,
velopments of yesterday. The mayo,
went down to the court house yester.
day and loitered about. the corridor
outside the grand jury room, chattins
with the waiting councilmen, and ex
pressing himself as not only willing
but anxious to get before the jury.
The witnesses examined yesterday
were: Select Councilmen Finlay Ross
H. 7. Fellows, Simon Thomas. Richard
H. Williams. Adam Schroeder John J
McAndrew, T. j. Coyne. Wade NJ. Finn
Thomas O'Boyle, Edward Frable, JohI
L. Roche, Common Councilmen NJ.
Cusick, John Nageli, NJ. j. Norton
Thomas NJ. Watkins, Luther Keller
James Grier, T. F. Morris, NJ. V. Nor
ris, p. +. Calpin, Charles Wenzel, Ed
ward Coleman, Mounted officer JOSEPH
Bloch, Mayors Secretary H. c. Hat
ton, Alderman ]. p Kelly, Constabl,
]. w. Clarke, Bartender A. j. Phalen
Constable Joseph F. Woelkers ant
Hotelkeeper f. F. Melvin.
SOME HARD QUESTIONS.
Some of the questions put to th
councilmen fairly took their breatl
away. One of them was asked If i
was not true that he had been pait
$500 to withdraw his opposition to al
extension of a street railway line fou
years ago. He referred the jury t
the minutes of council, which, he said
would show that he voted against tn
measure to the end.
Nearly every councilman was aske
to give his reasons for voting for pass
ing the telephone ordinance after hav
ing so often encompassed it's defea
and why they had almost to a ma
voted to award the electric light con
tract to the higher bidder. They wer
also asked if they were not in tn
habit Of cumming with lobbyists a
certain hotels, and If it wasn't tru
that they had accepted money oppos
ing the telephone ordinance at the out
set and then again for favoring 4
EuNl-