New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-08

JEROME PREFERS TO WAIT
Bat the People Demand Immediate
Proceution of the Criminals.

There is little probability that District At
torney Jerome will press the investigation of
the old Dock Board scandal until after election.
When asked yesterday bv q Tribune reporter
whether or not he intended at once to resume
the investigat.. he said:
Il hail consult at once with MY assistant.
Mr. Clarke. who has had the details of the
prosecution in charge If 1 find that the in
terests of the city will not he jeopardized by
waiting. then shall not do anything with the
matter until after election IT, on the contrary
1 find that the situation demands immediate
action the matter will be taken up imme-
diately"
District Attorney Jerome on July 90 last
appeared before Justice Bischoff and in the
course of an argument made this declaration:
desire 10 say that june n GRIM
maj "ction was commenced against Charles
IF. Murphy, Peter f. Meyer md j. Sergeant
er"m- This information laid before
Magistrate Mayer. and it il i'm writing and
describes the nature of the crime, its date.
ana thnt IL WINS committed within the period
prescribed by the statute of Iimitati tons, and
was committed within the county OF New
York.
Inc exposure OF the old Dock Boards mis-
deeds was begun by The Tribune last April, and
there is good deal of surprise that the District
Attorney cannot see his way clear to 60 ahead
with the investigation, no matter whether there
is political campaign or not.
lt is regarded entirely probable. that If
Tammany returns to power next year little more
will be heard of the Dock Board scandal. Ex-
Senator Thomas c. O'Sullivan. counsel to the
New-fork Contracting and Trucking Company.
owned by the Gaffneys and Murphys is slated
10 be the next Corporation Counsel There
actions pending in the civil courts attacking
the official ects OF the old Dock Board and
looking TO an abrogation of the Egan dumping
board lease OF the Twenty -ninth-st. bulkhead
the collection of damages in the sum of 5000
Tor Illegal occupancy of the Old Slip pier by
Brown d Fleming and the ejectment of the
New-fork Contracting and Trucking Company
from the Seventy-ninth-st. pier An easy death
is predicted for these actions if Tammany wins
this fall.
Joseph Egan, who. according TO the complaint
papers, obtained his lease of the Twenty ninth
st. bulkhead by conspiracy and fraud, was ex-
amined before Justice Mayer last July. Coun-
sci for the people was trying to find out Egan's
relations with Dock Commissioner Meyer.
Egan refused to say whether he had seen any
of the old Dock Board about his lease before
it was granted. each time refusing TO answer
on the ground that it would tend TO incrinl-
mate him.
The lease to the Old Slip pier granted to
John Fleming. of Brown & Fleming. the last
before the old Dock Board went out OF office.
The charter expressly stipulated that the Old
Slip pier must not be let for dumping board
purposes. AS soon Dock Commissioner
Hawkes. heard that the lease had been made
he tried TO Gust the company. II took him
eight months 10 do IL. The rental had been
fixed by the old Dock Board at 1000 a year.
The War Department stands ready to pay
$1,000 a year for IL. Corporation Counsel
Rives began action to recover damages for
illegal occupancy of the pier and his assistant,
Edward ]. Mcclure, secured verdict for the
city for damages for something like eight
months occupancy of the pier. A verdict for
5000 obtained from a Jury IN Justice
Amends court The case is on appeal.
There is an overwhelming sentiment in favor
of immediate ana vigorous prosecution of
the Dock Board scandal. District Attorney
Jerome has reams upon reams of testimony.
How pertinent il is one but himself and his
assistant, Mr.. Clarke, knows. 1t seems to
Justify him in telling Justice Bischof that the
old Dock Board had been charged with crime
and that he had begun action against II.
Candid citizens do not why crime should not
be punished no matter if il is the beginning Of
a political campaign. and matter if Charles
r Murphy is likely to come out of the investiga-
ton with additional bruises.