The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-31
VAHLE BEFORE GRAND JURY.
APPEARS As HEAD OF TEE BOARD
or CITY M4GIST RATES.

Checks Given by . Judge TO Pay Debts.
The Grand Jury yesterday finished its
investigation into charges against the
management Of the police courts OF this
city in general and into the conduct Of one
OF the Magistrates in particular.
The last witness in the investigation was
Magistrate Charles G.. +. WShle, president
Of the Board Of City Magistrates. 1t was
declared that Magistrate Wahle was a
witness largely in a representative capacity
and that he appeared voluntarily at the
suggestion made TO him in a letter from
Foreman Freen OF the Grand Jury to the
effect that in as much as certain testimony
had been brought out which might be con-
sidered a reflection on the Magistrates
bench the Grand Jury would be willing
to hear anything that he as president OF the
board or otherwise might care to say. The
Mag istrate was before the body for half
IN hour.
1t was settled yesterday that there will
be no indictment. No legal proof was
received to show that any Magistrate had
taken 81 900 to settle the Davis stolen goods
case, nor was there any similar testimony
regarding another case in which a Magis-
trate is said to have taken money. 1t is
not known whether there will he n formal
p~resentment.
The Grand Jury and District Attorney
Jerome have come to a conclusion as to what
il is best to do, but Mr.. Jerome declined to
reveal what that conclusion was. 1t is known.
however, that the testimony regarding the
borrowings of money by a Magistrate
from lawyers who practised before him.
giving in return checks that were re-
turned marked no funds, will be brought
before the Appellate Division for considers
ton. That action would be on on a motion
to dismiss the Magistrate from his office.
The Magistrates themselves have asked
the Bar Association to investigate the same
charges that the Grand jury has been
investigating, and it may be that the testi-
mony before the Grand jury will be turned
over TO the Bar Association. At any rate
it is expected that the entire matter will
come before the Appellate Division, but
whether there will be an open arraignment
OF the Magistrate most concerned by the
Grand Jury has not yet been made known.
The Grand Jury has learned much Of
police court methods from the clerks Of
these courts and from the lawyers who
practise in them. IL has been brought
out that one OF the Magistrates has been
borrowing money from these persons,
and that when he was pressed for payment
he issued checks hat were not honored.
IL has been brought out thar he owed one
police court clerk something like $500
and that the clerk had difficulty in getting
his money. 1t has also been brought out
that he was indebted to lawyers for sums
aggregating several undred dollars and
hat some OF these lawyers had his I'M
paid checks. Testimony has also been
received as to certain note negotiations
by the Magistrate in question, and his bank
account is said to show constant fluctuations
of a peculiar character. Members Of the
Grand Jury made no secret Of the fact
that they were shocked by the revelations
and that they believed that action Of some
kind should be taken.
1t was for this reason that Magistrate
wahle, az president of the board, was in
vited to appear. He refused to tell what
he had said to the Grand Jury, but he came
from the room smiling. Magistrate Wahle
was accompanied to the door Of the Grand
Jury room by Frank Lord Of the firm of
Rand, Moffat a Webb. District Attorney
Jerome represented his office alone. Mag
istrate Wahle answered all Questions frankly
and presented what the Magistrate under
fire had to a yabout the accusations against
him.. 1t IL understood ms he said that this
Magistrate had been in financial difficult
ties through money troubles hat a rela-
tive had brought upon him and also through
other mist ortunes; that the Magistrate had
borrowed money with the honest intention
Of paying il back as soon as he could; that
he had not Intentionally given worthless
checks; that he had not let his financial
difficulties interfere in any way with his
administration Of justice, n that he was
trying earnestly to get out of his financial
troubles and hoped to be able to do so in a
short time.
Before Magistrate Wahle was heard
Solomon Rosenbloom, an Essex Market
police court lawyer, gave testimony. He
had NTH him eun nnnaua from Aha No wia
trate in question for money loaned. They
had been returned unpaid. These were
exhibited to the jurors.
&3Mr. Rosenbloom. in response to question.
said that not long ago he had loaned one
Of the Magistrates 500 for which he re-
ceived his check in payment. he went
to the Magistrate, who said that he would
fix the matter up Immediately On the
strength of this Mr.. Rosenbloom loaned the
Magistrate 5000 more. The check for that
came back unpaid.
Mark Alter, the jefferson Market police
court lawyer, was a witness before the
Grand Jury yesterday for the third time.
Mr.. Alter gave out this statement in ex-
PLANTATION Of his position:
The testimony given by me satisfied
the Grand Jury that my relations with
Magistrate Wahle have been above criti-
cism n entirely honest. My testimony
dispeled all the insinuations that have
been unjustly cast upon Magistrate Wahle
and myself"
Leon Levy, a lawyer practising in the
West Sid court, was also before the Grand
jury. He told how he had loaned a MaRis-
trate money and how he collected It after q
check dated in advance had not been paid.
Aaron Levy. who recently appeared in
court before Magistrate Wahle as counsel
for Julius Hansen, a former client of Mag
istrate .Wahle, a case which Magistrate
Wahle declined to hear because he did not
think 1t proper, told what he knew Of the
circumstances in that case. Daniel O'Railly
also gave testimony.
It was brought out that there had been a
civil suit started against a Magistrate
because OF an unpaid check, but that the
Magistrate had caused that suit to be set
tied promptly. Some OF the transactions
In this settlement were considered.
ROY u0nT uFo MEo1rurn