The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-03-23
JEROME Is
k=gffn4 zen : -e@a
TRIUMPHANT
New York Gamblers Must Take
TO the Tall Grass at
Once.

ALBANY, N. Y, March 23.-The Je
rome witness bill, SO called, introduced
by Senator Bowling at the behest OF
District Attorney Jerome of New York
with intent to abrogate the privilege
Of persons who have participated IL
gambling, which the law makes fei
ony, of refusing to testify ON the plea
that such testimony would tend to de
! grade or incriminate them, has beer
passed by the senate after nearly five
hours of the most sensational debats
Of the present session. -
The vote was; Yeas, q; nays, 20,
The bill as passed is in the original
form to take effect Immediately. The
proposed amendments designed to de.
fer the operation of the act until Sept.
and to declare it lnapplicabIe to any
pending case or proceedings were de-
feated.
The closing debate on the bill, which
gives the courts the right to force per
sons who have entered gambling
houses to testify against the proprie-
tors thereof, was marked by the bitter
est attacks on District Attorney Je-
rome of New York, who is the father
of the bill. Mr. Jerome wants witness
es against Richard Garfield, the noted
alleged gambling house keeper and he
has openly asserted that he particular
ly desired to find out what Reginald
Vanderbilt and Jesse Lewisohn knew
about Canfeld's. At the first hearing
of the Garfield case Mr.. Jerome at
tempted to make Lewisohn testify, but
the court OF appeals decided that Lew
isohn need not testify If he didn't want
to.
Senator Elsberg briefly recited the
history of the Lewisohn case before
the court of appeals and drew vivid
picture of the abuses which might
arise under the proposed law. He
characterized it as both vicious and
unconstitutional.
Senator Bracket finally withdrew
his original amendments and substi-
tuted one providing that, while the act
should take effect Immediately, 1t
should apply to no pending case.
Senator Malby, while dlsclaiming any
concern with Mr. Jerome, spoke in fa-
vor of the bill He said that at Can
fields and other gambling houses
man had mo show" whatever for his
money; that the term gambler" was :.
elevating as applied to such, whereas
thief" was the proper word
Senator Malby said he could see no
reason why the bill should not be
made to take effect Immediately"
This bill il passed" said Senator
Grady, "will apply to all cases, all
witnesses and all district attorneys,
and the intent to make Il applicable to
the case OF Richard Garfield or Regi- |
maid Vanderbilt has nothing to do with |
the matter at all This bill is threat |
against the fundamental rights of the
Individual"
Senator Malby said he wasn't sitting |
up at nights worrying about the rights |
Of any witness who had been partici- |
pating in the crime of gambling.
Senator Il. L, Brown referred to the |
case Of Reginald Vanderbilt, "a young |
man twenty-one years DID, and asked
how Senator Malby would feel If he
were his own son or the son of broth
er senator.
In terms not unlike those OF Senator |
Bracket, Mr.. Jerome was denounced |
by Senator e. r. Brown. He further
said that Mr. Jerome was anxious on
any terms to keep his name associated
with that of the Vanderbilt family.
Senator Marshall, on the other hand,
scored Senator Bracket for his alleg-
ed relations with Garfield. He said
the senator had consumed an hour in
an attempt to prove himself an honest
man.
Senator Raines was accused by Sena-
tor Bracket Of standing under the &C
cusation Of having accepted a bride
and refusing to sue for libel on the
ground that he was too poor, while he
has since lost thousands in bucket
shops.
Senator Raines accused Senator
Bracket Of carrying advocacy for his
client, Canheld into the senate cham
Der and went back into the history Of
Gale Mitchell, who killed himself on
the doorstep Of Senator Brackets Of
fee In the Saratoga town hall. Alto
gether It was one OF the most enjoy
able of the sessions from the stand
point Of a spectator and listener inter
estsd in the workings of statesman
ship as they are exemph8ed In the leg
islature of the great state of New
York.
The vote was then taken on the
that the bill should take
effect Immediately, but should not APP
ply to any pending case
The amendment was lost by a vote
of 16 to 81. The main question was
then put to vote and the bill passed.