The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-11

Nolle prosequs were entered yester-
day morning in the cases against the
eleven former councilmen of the city.
who are charged with having solicited
and accepted bribes for their votes.
There was a big crowd in attendance.
anxious to witness the disposition or
the cases. At the suggestion of Attor-
ney j. Fl. Torrey, counsel for the
Municipal league. court entered n noi
pros. in each Of the following cases:
Common Councilman James j. trier, bribery;
Edward d. Sturges. prosecutor.
Common Councilman James j. Grier, bribery;
Edward y. sturgcs. prosecutor.
Common Councilman Morris V. Morris, bribery;
William A. May, prosecutor.
Common Councilman William V. Griffith, br1h'
cry; +. d. St,irges, prosecutor.
Select Councilman Thomas j. Coyne, bribery;
Edward u. Sturyes, prosecutor.
Select Councilman Thomas j. Ccyne bribery;
William A. May, prosecutor.
Common Councilman David H. Reese, bribery;
Edward b. Sturges, prosecutor.
Common Councilman Thomas +. Morris, brio'
cry: J. A. Lansing. prosecutor.
Select Councilman Simon Thomas, bribery;
Colonel H. N. Boics. prosecutor.
Select Councilman H. 7. Fellows. bribery;
Colonel II. NJ. Boies, prosecutor.
Common Councilman Charles L. Wcnzel, brib-
cry; William A. May, prosecutor.
Common Councilman r. NJ. Watkins, bribery;
j. 4. Lansing. prosecutor.
Common Councilman Charles f. Godshall, brib.
cry; Colonel H. NJ. Boies, prosecutor.
Select Councilman II. r. Fellows, bribery;
Thomas Lcyshon, prosecutor.
RESIGNED LAST WEEK.
~. Int,
sitions in council last week with the
exception of Fellows, whose term eX-
pred last April. They resigned in con-
formity to an agreement entered into
with the officers of the Municipal
league with reference to these cases
which required their designations and
retirement from public life for five
years. the signing of Il Paper prac
tically admitting their guilt and the
raising of a purse of $1,000 for charity.
The entire amount Of the purse has not
yet been raised. The attorneys for the
co'lncilincn urged that verdit,s of n"t
guilty be taken. but the officers Of the
Municipal league would not agree to
anything more than a mol pros.
After the general list of jurors had
been called in the morning Mr.. Torrey
and District Attorney Jones went be-
fore Judge Kelly who is presiding in
the main court room this week. and
Mr.. Torrey made the following state
ment:
with reference to fourteen of the
bribery cases on last weeks trial list
which We're passed until this week.
the district attorney has asked me to
make a statement to the court which
I wish to make as brief as possible. 1t
is simply to the effect thai the COM
monwealth is satisfied that the inter-
ests of justice and the interests Of the
public will be best served by returning
nolle prosequis in these fourteen cases.
(Here he named the cases).
STATEMENTS CORRECT.
THE public press has very largely
published the statements with refer
ence to agreements which have been
made. Those published statements
have not been made by any authority
or through any communication among
the representatives of the common
wealth or the prosecutors, but as those
statements have been confirmed by the
action of the parties the court can see
that they are correct. Beyond that the
district attorney requests the court to
accept his conviction that the public
interests will be best served and the
end sought to be obtained by the in
stitution of these prosecutions will be
best achieved by the action suggested.
1t will save expense to the public by
entering nolle prosequis in these cases,
none Of which could be disposed of be-
fore jury without a long struggle,
and possibly more than one trial as
has been seen already in at least one
instance. The Cutting of the trial list
would follow and the work of the
courts be impeded. The costs in these
cases have already been settled"
In allowing the nolle prosequis to be
entered Judge Kelly said:
THE court has already consulted
with reference to these matters. We
understood that a motion to this effect
would be made last week. That Is the
reason the three judges held CONSUL
tation and without consulting further