New-York tribune., 1903-03-23
NEVARKERS WONDER.
UANT JURORS TO act.
Punishment, They Agree, Should BE
Inflicted for Wrech.

u-, ,,o ., Newark are wondering greatly
what action the grand jury Will take hooI
CIIfton-ave tragedy, in which nine heh -
nuns lost their lives. The greater part OF ldSt
80 aoyo+od +o an investigation" held neiihu
closed doors Before this the grand jury. II "a
known had received information resdIuI,,e res
causes and effects OF the wreck one Pc -.
n,oned before 1t being the Rev Henry H. hoSe,
n C,ah - tho Redeemer Newark. who had
nreached a stirring sermon on the acclueh' anu -
conditions which had helped to bring II aoout.
nov, a month since the collision ana "ii'ie ~
mediate horror Of the disaster has worn on GU
-, i.,z.,s do not discuss it with the same
+oo,,,g of nersonaI anger and outrage Wncn SHai
acterizod their utterances Immediately dI'
wreck there a sentiment actlve' Fls"l
earnest that something must be done tha' Sol-
action must be taken 10 preEeli' '0
another such fatality. go,
II have felt all along that u was ho' a" -
dort E, declared a prominent Newark cluzeh !e0'el
6a,-. "it was rather, crime. That coiiis''"
not unavoidable something happening d' an
-,ort,e earning due unforeseen causes VI IIhd
heen predicted for years. and only sio't "
fore II happened the conditions theFe hdu N."
nubcIv called to the attention OF every one III te
pT:s -oeseaoe Put the responsibility where you
niu there was gross negligence there resuilink III
loss of life That. it seems to me- Is M
for which the law provides penalty ouch 10 'ii7
feeling prevalent in Newark To-Day EXPRESS"
-otber nuietIv other informants are not SO con
servative in expressing their opinions or IN SAD
ding the responsibility
speaking
~ every. class in the city, said another Ne"aFhe'
.fs that pubc feeling demands that the grand
fury give q verdict according 20 the hndlns Oh 'r
| coroners inquest.
lust what the grand jury is doing Is not easy to
| learn Proceedings kept rather quiet Last
u-eek many witnesses, including some who had ap-
reared at the coroner's inquest were Su9P'fhdeu'
| Among them members OF the BOARD OF r>i"'a-
| ton and conductors and motormen- The examiha-
| ton of the witnesses it was learned from hlsh
| authority was conducted almost wholly hy the
| Prosecutor. few questions being asked ny the
| .urynen that it regarded as an incident TOT
Juror to break his silence Regarding this lnFeS-
tfgation.'' one Of The Tribunes informants SAID
at is weak I don't consider it investigation al
| all. The Prosecutor Is doing all the "orK' ehd
hear they have only gone over what the coroner
| inquest brought out. The testimony given at the
inquest typewrtten. lies on the Prosecutors desk
hut there is only the copy for the tWenty-Iour
turymen. and if wants to see it he has 10 ask
| for it. There is great pressure on the Grand
| Jury and, while I think its decision will prob
| ably censure the city officials and the Board OF
| Works 1 doubt if any real punishment will be IN
| hicted on the trolley COMPANY
In speaking cs the probable decision Of the grand
| hIrv every NeWarker aIudes TO the Influence.
political and financial under which the jury IS
working 1t seems TO be regarded as a matter OF
| course that such influence should be at work.
no one seems to regard it as strange that forces are
at work to affect the decision. although all depore
| If Said one well known Newark lawyer yesterday:
There some members OF the grand jury
WHO are pretty independent men. and We are hope
| full that a. majority may deserve 10 be cassed in
that category Still there will be tremendous in
| huence to work against. and there Others OF
| whom I'm Undoubtedly some action
| against the trolley company will ne taken I an
| indictment OF the officials is not brought. toward
which the evidence at the coToners inquest points
| Perhaps there Will a minority presenrment'
| Another Newarker spoke OF the efforts which
| would probably be made to shirk responsibility.
| IF any indictment Is found against the trolley
o1yfn he fine a e. 70.
''Oficias will put the blame employees and the
| employees would blame the management Probably
it would end in holding the motorn1an. who did his
/ utmost. and the sandman, who had one thousand
feet of double track road TO care for. The supern
tendent of that division believe, is out OF the
Still another prominent Newarker in cumming
| up the alton, spoke about the demand among
| question another fatality like the Clifton-ave
wreck If the .o 3GlaIs G od Id IN me 5resg Te@PE @
| such Corporations would not soon forget he de-
grand jury ought ito to kno% 0ors ao" @ the 1Oe PeoPs
Newark man. 1T would not be right to try to CO.
the jury, wrongly 10 affect ITS decision. but
the the czena Rnh T I've sad gh along that it was
WITH to m the Of foy c6r T y and s exs aGd h e
lice Department share the responsibility to a GER
there IS much doubt There are great forces at
| nation Of corpora tions. and grand juries have al
ways been more. or less Influenced by these. This
Bemocrat, has been sitting since last Decemher AS
II was noI cnoSeh @ eSpec!a!Iy WI WIN reLeFeRce 10 d
| fard TO figure what IT may do II represents all
| shades of political opinion, but political lines
forgotten when anything touching the trolley trust
| is at issue.
The Prosecutor. hear, Is conducting the whole
! examination It Will be pity II some of the
| grand jurors don't help him by doing a lot OF
| questioning on their own account. because keen
| business often get at the heart of a thing
| quicker than lawyer. You will see what mean
| II you take the testimony given at the coroner's
the ProseeuoT questions Sith those " Of MI H coe
| the foreman Until Mr.. Coe began to ask his
| pointed, direct questions. would have thought
/ that the trolley company had a faultess system
| Now, unless there is alert, thoroughly
| equipped grand juror taking the trouble ask
questions, it is to how that body might be
| left with very different impression from that
| brought out by the coroner's inquest The people
| will require accounting in this case l. the YER
dict differ greatly from what the evidence brought
| out there demands.
TALL BUILDINGS AND THE WIND.