Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-03-23
JEROME TRIUMPHED
Senators Attack New York's
District Attorney.
GAMBLERS MUST HUNT TALL GRASS
MnIby said Gamblers Did Not Play
Fair Games THIEF Was Proper
Title For Them-Marshau
Scored Bracket.

ALBANY, N. Y, March 23.-The JIG
roma witness bill, so called, introduce,
by Senator Bowling at the behest o
District Attorney Jerome of New Yorl
with intent to abrogate the privileg'
of persons who have participated il
gambling, which the law makes a fel
Ony, of refusing to testify on the pie;
that such testimony would tend to de
grade OF incriminate them, has beer
passed by the senate after nearly hv'
hours of the most sensational debate
of the present session.
The vote was: Yeas, 81; nays, 20
The bill as passed is in the original
form to TAKE effect Immediately. The
proposed amendments designed to de
Ter the operation of the act until Sept
| and to declare it inapplicable 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-
:ors 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
IS against Richard Garfield, the noted
alleged gambling house keeper, and he
nas openly asserted that he particular
!ly desired to find out what Reginald
Vanderbilt and Jesse Lewisohn knew
about Canfield's. At the first hearing
Of the Garfield case Mr.. Jerome at
tempted to make Lewiston testify, but
he court of appeals decided that Lew
isohn need not testify if he didn't want
to.
Senator Elsberg briefly recited the
history Of the Lewiston case before
the court Of appeals and drew a 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-
,uted one providing that, while the act
should take effect Immediately, it
should apply to no pending case.
Senator Malby, while disclaiming any
concern with Mr.. Jerome, spoke in ia
vor of the bill. He said that at Can
ield's and other gambling houses a
had mo show" whatever for his
money; that the term gambler" was
sleyating 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 If passed." said Senator
Grady, will apply to all cases, all
witnesses and all district attorneys,
md the intent to make it applicable to
the case of Richard Garfield or Regi-
lald Vanderbilt has nothing to do with
the matter at all. This bill is a threat
against the fundamental rights of the
Individual"
Senator Malby said he wasn't sitting
up ut nights worrying about the rights
Of any witness who had been p~artici-
pating In the crime of gambling.
Senator e. X. Brown referred to the
case of Reginald Vanderbilt, "a young
man t%wenty-one years old" and asked
now Senator Malby would feel If he
were his own son or the son of a broth
er senator.
In terms not unlike those of Senator
Bracket, Mr.. Jerome was denounced
oy 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
IN 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 hr
has since lost thousands in bucket
shops. 4l4t .3
Senator Raines accused Senator
Bracket Of carrying advocacy for his
client, Garfield, into the senate cham.
Der and went back into the history OF
Gale Mitchell, who killed himself on
the doorstep of Senator Brackett's of
flee in the Saratoga town hall. Alto
gether 1t was one of the most enjoy.
able of the sessions from the stand
point of n spectator and listener inter
ested in the workings Of statesman.
ship as they are eXemplihed in the leg.
lslature of the great state of New
York.
The vote was then taken on the
amendment that the bill should take
effect Immediately, but should not ap.
ply to any pending case.
The amendment was lost by a vote
of 10 to 81. The main question was
then put to vote and the bill passed.