The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-20

This morning the grand jury will
commence It's probing into the alleged
corruption In city hall in connection
with the new telephone franchise, the
electric light contract and the slot
machines. A professional lobbyist who
is said to have said in the hearing Of
several reliable men that 'he had to
buy every man in the municipal build
ing from the janitor up" is to be one
Of the first witnesses.
1t is said subpoenas have been made
out for nearly all the city officials
including the three councils. select.
common and the third or uncommon
council, composed of the lobbyists.
At 1.30 yesterday afternoon the grand
jury came into court room No. 2, where
Judge Edwards was sitting, and
through Foreman p. A. Barrett made
known that 1t wanted to be instructed,
specially, as to its powers in the mat
ter of investigating alleged public ir-
regularities.
Judge Edwards, after going extern
sively into the powers of the grand
jury and the right of individual MEM
bers Of it to bring information they
possess to the knowledge of the other
members. said:
JUDGES REMARKS.
1t has been published in the newspapers,
and 1t Is a current rumor on the public
streets of this city, that certain mem
bers OF the councils, both of the COM
mon and of the select, while they were
considering what is known as the tele-
phone ordinance, received certain
amount of money as a consideration fcr
hot .s,t-
to the reports of some of the newspapers
run quite high. And not only in con-
nection with the telephone ordinance, but
also In connection with the electric light
ordinance that has been recently passed
similar charges have been made-that
quite a number of the councilmen of the
city of Scranton received quite an amount
of money in connection with both of
these ordinances. in order to secure the
desired action OH their part.
The rumors have become SO persistent
and the charges of this nature have been
repeated SO frequently that think this
or some other grand jury is perfectly
justified in making an investigation. to
see whether they can ascertain the truth
or falsity of these charges. 1t is a seri-
Gus charge to make against a man who
occupies the responsible position of q
councilman of the city of Scranton, but
the charges are made so freely. as un-
derstand from public rumor, that they
ought to be Investigated.
The charge, Of course, that IL involved
In these rumors. Is that of bribery, ard
always involves the bribed and the bri-
Der. and the strong arm Of the law will
throw its clutches upon both parties.
Anybody connected in any way, with
the bribery of public official. is just as
guilty in the eye of the law as the pub
lie official who Is bribed. apprehend
that you will have considerable difficulty
in securing evidence.
HARD TO GET EVIDENCE.
1t may be that you will not succeed in
securing evidence concerning any par
ticular act of bribery, because such work
Is done surreptitiously, stealthily, secret
ly and in the dark, and II Is difficult to
bring the truth to light in charges of
this kind.
But I take it that you will call before
you the men who freely make these
charges the possible Intermediates, who
are charged with being the go-betweens
between these corporations and the coun-
cilmen.
One Of the Jurors asked if they had
a right to investigate the charges Of
bribery in connection with the slot
machines. The Judge replied:
I will include the matter of the slot
machines in the question of municipal
corruption and misfeasance, and you can
take that into consideration In connection
with the other matter.
A Juror-''Suppose a man Is willing to
give evidence Of bribery, shall we en-
courage him to do so by promising not
to prosecute him If he gives his evil
dence?"
The Court-"The district attorney is the