New-York tribune., 1902-03-19
NEW MAULIFFE CASE CLEW
POLICEMEN CONFRONTED WITH WIT
NESS WHO SAW A MAN PUSHED
FROM \ CAB

The activity Of District Attorney jerome and
his assistant Mr.. Lord, in the investigation of
circumstances attending the death of James
McAuliffe led yesterday to reports that several
policemen were to be indicted H. s. Stark, who
has volunteered information that he saw two
men push a badly battered man out of a cab
in SiXth-ave., near the place where McAuhffe
found dying the morning of February 16,
was in Mr.. JerOmes office yesterday. Several
policemen of the station in West Forty-seventh-
ST, where McAuiffe was locked up the night be
fore he died. summoned to Mr. Jeromes
office when Stark was there.
Mr.. Lord visited the West Side court. where
McAuliffe or a dummy representing him. was
arraigned on the morning after his arrest. Later
Mr.. Lord went to the police station. At both
places he made an examination of the records.
Commissioner Partridge ordered six policemen
of the station to report to District Attorney
Jerome. They We're Detective Sergeants Darcy
and Schoenck and Patrolmen Reddy, Barnes,
Churchill and Hawkins. At Mr. Jerome's office
they were examined one by one.
District Attorney Jerome talked rather freely
about his Investigations in the McAuIiffe case
late in the afternoon. He said he had no evil
dence either for or against the murder theory.
The facts in the case he said, were compatible
with the theory of accidental death.
He explained that in order to put homicide
case before the grand jury there must be some
evidence pointing some individual in
dividuals suspected of the crime. He said that
if this case presented to the grand jury in
its present form the best the grand jury could
do would be to present indictment accusing
John Doe" Of the crime and that such an in
dictment would be little better than useless and
would be unprecedented in the criminal an
nails OF New-YOrk County.
Mr.. Jerome asked if anything had come
to his knowledge that would indicate any Ger
tain line Of investigation which could be prodta-
bly, pursued. He replied that he did not care to
discuss that question. He was asked whether or
not the statements Of Stark had been cor
roborated, and he said that he was not willing
TO say anything that subject. Mr. jerome
was then asked whether Stark had recognized
any of the policemen who had been called TO the
office men whom he had seen before. He
! answered that he could not discuss that. He was
facts not divulged pointing TO the theory Of
! homicide He admitted that he had such facts.
! but that none of them We're strong enough to
! be legal evidence.
Mr.. jerome emphatic in denying that he
/ had ever said he intended TO make an arrest In
the case. and replied In the negative TO a QueS-
! tiOn as to whether not a warrant had been
| issued for anybody in connection with the case.
/ He was asked about the theory that dummy
( for McAuIife had been arraigned in the West
Side Court. He said that he personally placed
little credenCe in that theory. As 70 theorlzinE,
he said the theory was more probable that Nc
| Auliffe had been produced in the police court,
| and had then gone To saloon, where he had
! been done up"