Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-11-02
JUDGE THEODORE BRENTANO.
An Distinguished Lawyers.
Grand Jury undertaking to repeat the
operation Of the previous one.

Grand Jury undertaking to repeat the
operation Of the previous one.
Not only has the sitting Grand Jury
undertaken this task. but II has done Nd
in the most insOlent and offensive man.
ner that II Is possible to conceive.
Scarcely had the last words Of tho
three eminent judges and able lawyers
been pronounced than the gentlemen
over on the North side had resumed
the work of the previous body which
had been practically condemned by the
court.
This insOlent haste on the part Of the
Grand Jury has displayed liz animus.
1t disclOses the bitter feeling unterly-
ing the whole business. and shows that
1t IL a case Of persecution pure and sim.
pie.
II Is u pity there II not some way Of
reaching and furnishing individually
and collectively the men who constitute
irresponsible and vcnOmous Grand
Juries. The action Of the present one
amounts In effect to contempt OF court.
In the course which It II now pursuing.
and In its manner Of pursuing II, the
Grand Jury Is simply flying In the face
Of the court.
II is cOntunaciOns conduct Of the
most glaring character, ana we repeat
that II In pity there II not some way
Of Furnishing the guilty. parties.
Judges Brentai,o. Knvanngh and
Dunno decided that the fees Of the OIL
Inspectors office belonged to the incum-
bent OF that office. and that Mr.. Burke
was not called upon TO make any ac.
counting OF them to the city.
The court further decided that the
act Of Mr.. Burke In turning over 800.
OOO to the city for the purpose Of max.
Ing good any alleged shortage" which
the MOrtOn.Stewart Grand Jury pre-
tended to have discovered. was entirely
u work OF supcrerogntiOn. II was not
necessary. the court held. even for the
purpose Of defense or protection against
the Indictment ana possible prosecution.
Yet In view Of this finding. the sitting
Grand Jury has gone on probing and
nOsIng around looking for some peg
upon which. II possible, 10 hang another
Indictment.
Max Praeger, the chief clerk OF the
on Inspector. has been haletl before the
Grand Jury ana harrled ana badgerel;
books, returns, accounts and reports
have been called for and demanded. al.
though the smelling committee on the
North Side has been told as plainly az
the English language can convey any.
thing that the books and accounts of
the OIL Inspectors office, beyond such
rs show the efficiency OF Its methods
In enforcing the provisions OF the stat.
utes creating the Office, IL none Of its
or anybody else's business. A Judge
Of the Criminal Court has gone 10 far
even as to fine Chief Clerk Praeger for
alleged contempt Of court because he
refused to he put through sweatbOx
process until he had first consulted his
lawyer.
This conduct IL simply int0lerable.
II " u travesty upon justice. 1t IL
nothing short Of an outrage. Such high.
handed conduct can only have the ef.
feet Of hastening the day when grand
juries will he but unpleasant reminis.
cences.
The Eagle repeats that 1t Is necessary
now that something be done to make
members OF grand jurles amenable to
law. II Is nothing short of ridiculous
that u number Of irresponsible individ-
uals can be brought together, ana act
ing under II common title empowered
To override the very courts Of law and
justice.
Yet this IL precisely what the sitting
Grand Jury has done and IL doing
Here are the words of the decision ren-
dered by three of the ablest judges In
Cook County in passing upon the ha-
beas corpus case involving all the es-
sentlal issues In the entire prOsecu-
ton set up against Robert Il. Burke:
"The claim OF the city OF Chicago to
any moneys collected by the relatOr
Burke. as OIL Inspector, Is based upon
the ordinance Of the city Of Chicago.
II that ordinance be in conformity with
the State law it Is the duty Of this
court to declare 1t valid and binding
upon the relatOr. III II Is In conflict
with the State law 1t must be held null
and void.
"The statute declares that the com
pensatlOn paid to him shall be his. The
ordinance declares that 1t shall belong
to the city. In this the ordinance con-
tiicts with the statute. The ordinance
requires him to keep a book in which
he shall enter In detail all the fees
charges and emOluments Of his office.
This Ia In conflict with the statute The
statute simply requires him to keep In