The sun., 1901-08-01
TO CONTINUE
EXAMINATIONS
Levy Court Doings to be Investi-
gated Further.
ATTORNEY GENERAL TALKS
H. H. Ward Gives Reasons for Keep
ing the Examinations Pri-
vate-He Will Welcome
Assistance.
ATTORNEY GENERAL TALKS

Attorney General III. III. Ward yester-
day gave out the following statement
regarding his conduct Of the inyestiga
ton Of the proceedings of the Levy
Court
Il am going on my vacation, starting
tomorrow and expect to be away during
the month Of August. 1t has been a
pretty hard year, so far, for Inc, and ]
need Il rest. have proceeded so far
with the investigation of public charges
against members Of the Levy Court and
others, rs 10 satisfy myself that there
should he n more complete and definite
examination Of certain of the charges.
Notwithstanding the intimations in GER
tain editorial ntterances in the papers of
this city, that | may have been diverted
from my purpose. ] intend,5-on my re
turn from my vacation, to take up th"
matter carefully and thoroughly, and
Shall welcome any assistance which any
newspaper, any organization, or any
citizen may he willing to give me-
Owing TO the character of the in
veStigation, it necessarily cannot be pub
lie. 1t would be lnanfestly unfair to mir
in the public prints suspicious which the
attorney might have against any
particular person, or the steps which hA
might take IN the examination of any
charge against such person; because.
after all. such person may be entirely
innocent Of blame. In such case, he
ought not to he subjected TO public crit.
cism merely because the attorney general
might have had IL suspicion against him
-"On the other hand, if person
whose transactions the encouragement
may investigate IS, in fact, guilty OF
suspected wrong, Il publication of the
steps in the examination by public otic
ials of the charges against him, would
simply enable such guilty person to sup
press testimony and to block the investi-
gation IN Il multitude Of ways.
.fPhere seems to be somewhat of an
uncertainty in the public mind as to
the extent and objects of the attorney
generals investigation in the matter Of
the Levy Court. The attorney general
does not esteem it to be his duty to
take cognZance of mere administrative
Irregularities in the conduct Of the bnsi
ness of the court. Whether Il particular
job Of work should have been done upon
advertisement, or whether a meeting
ought to have been held at which cei'-
tain orders ought to have been passed be-
fore an open court, and so considered,
and many other matters are, according
to the estimate of the prosecuting officer.
not matters in which he has any official
concern. Such things must be controlled
BY public opinion. or by legislation, di-
rected to such points. The only concern
of the attorney general is to ascertain
whether public moneys have found their
way into the pockets. either of Levy
Court Commissioners or other persons,
by the commission of a crime. whether
the crime may be denominated larceny
or otherwise. There are many ways of
committing theft, other than the manual
taking and carrying away of articles OF
value.
The attorney general believes il to
be his duty not only to withhold from
the public at present the evidence which
he has in his hands. hut also to refrain
from action until he is reasonably salts
fled that he has a ease sufficiently com
pletc, technically as well as substant-
ially, 10 secure a conviction. OF the time
10 act. he must take the entire respon-
siblity. He realizes that he should be
upheld by public sentiment, particularly
in cases of this nature, but he cannot
permit public impatiencc, or even an I'M
Just cutlery against him, because of
necessary delays, TO warp his judgmen.
and force him to act sooner than hc
feels himself prepared"