Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-02-20
BITTER ATTACK
UPON JEROME
PROMINENT NEW YORK MAN
SAYS HE Is A POSER AND
A CRATER.

New York, Feb. ia special to
the Tribune from Albany. N. ", says:
Charges including subordination of
perjury, bribery of lawyers, miscon-
version of millions of dollars AMI the
enlistment of District Attorney Je-
rome in a conspiracy to whitewash the
offenders were made against the Met
ropolitan Street Railway company and
it's officials at a hearing before the
assembly committe on ways and
means yesterday.
William N. Amory, of New York,
formerly treasurer of the Third Ave
nue. Elevated Railway company, and
who has been fighting the MetropOli-
tan for several years, made a viru-
lent attack of District Attorney Je-
rome. Armory submitted figures
which he said proved that frauds
amounting to millions of dollars had
been perpetrated by the officers of
the Metropolitan system on it's stock
holders and the public. The COM
pany, he charged ,bribed Judges. jur
les and witnesses.
Gave Him the Information.
Information of this in many cases,
and especially in one case where he
himself furnished the material, had
been sent to the district attorney,
said Mr.. Armory. but instead of act
ing to convict the offenders he had
entered into a conspiracy to let them
escape. Because of this, Mr.. ArmOry
declared, he intended to ask Governor
Higgins to remove the district attor-
ney
The FOelker resolution, asking for
legislative investigation of the
street railways of New York city,
and particularly of the recent merg
er of traction interests in New York,
brought out these charges A legisla-
tive investigation. Armory said, would
force Thomas Ryan and his asso-
ciates to "disgorge" $3O,OOO,OO0 or
$4O,O00000. Still the Metropolitan
was so rotten financially because of it's
frauds that not even a combination
with the financially sound August
Belmont road, almost its equal in NOR
al iniquity, could save the system
long.
Saying that financial statements is
sued by the Metropolitan company
and it's representatives and filed with
the various state and city depart
ments were false and misleading, Arm
DRY went on:
Somebody made $4,5OO,00O profits
in 1903 in discounting $660.000 of the
per cent notes of the New Yorl
City Railway company, owned by the
Metropolitan Securities company
In another instance in 1908, Mr.
Amory charged that President Vree
ohf =
Stockholders of the International "tt
pay for the Third Avenue stock,
which had been paid for years be
fore. Proof of this, which he hat
laid before Jacob H. Schiff, he said
enabled Mr.. Schiff to force restitution
of $6,000,OOO from Thomas F. Ryan il
1903 Of $12,00O,000 collected at tn
same time for electrifying the roa'
about $3,00O,O00 was spent for tina
purpose. he said:
Attacks His Honesty.
III the district attorney of the coun
ty of New York were honest ant
fearless, as he himself has SO oftel
declared it would not be necessar,
for me to appear before this commit
tee. If he were honest enough t,
fulfill his campaign pledges of 1901
and follow the trails Of wrong doin,
and corruption into the office of tn,
Metropolitan Street Railway com
pany-if he possessed the courage t,
arraign against himself the most dan
gerous, the most vindictive and tn
most powerful influences at work il
the community quote his owl
words-the necessity for an investi
cation by the legislature of the act
of this band of heartless criminals
would not exist today.
But because the chief crmina
prosecutor has put premium upol
great crimes, because he has used tn
power of his Office to protect rattle
than punish big criminals. and be
cause the civil courts are inadequate
to supply the remedy, l appeal to thi
committee.
Suppressed the Facts.
Il declare that Jerome is fully ad
vised Of the guilt of the metropolitan
managers. l declare that he mas il
his possession legal evidence sufficien
TO convict them of great crimes.
declare that he told James w. Os
borne and me that he was satisfied a
to their guilt, and that the evidenc
was sufficient to convict. l declar
that Jerome subsequently entered int
a conspiracy to allow these criminal
to escape. | declare that in furti
erance of this end he suppressed fact
and deliberately issued an officis
statement, which is proved by the re-
ords to have been wilfully false"