The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-20
MAGISTRATE AS A JOHN DOE.
GRAND JURY BEGINS INQUIRY
INTO POLICE COURT DOINGS.
RumOrs Concerning Large Robbery CAUSE
the District Attorney TO Act-eI 900
Bride story to ne Neutrality-suspicious.
eral Hunt for Corrupt Practice.

eral Hun for Corrupt Practice.
The Grand Jury began an investigation
yesterday into the reports that have been
current recently, some of which have been
published, that a police Magistr 4te had
been taking brides for discharging persons
accused before him Of serious crimes.
District Attorney Jerome went before the
Grand Jury with the case himself. He
declined to give the name OF the Magis-
trate suspected and also refused TO admit
that the Grand Jury vas holding such an
inquest. When a police court clerk named
Henry T. Lewis INC a police court lawyer
named Edward Carpell were taken into the
Grand Jury to be questioned the
purpose of the inquiry soon spread about
the Criminal Courts Building
According to the rumors, one OF the
most prominent Of the City Magistrates
is accused Of taking $1,000 for discharging
at least two persons connected with a large
robbery case that involved the charge of
receiving stolen goods. Police Court Clerk
Lewis was formerly attached to the Tombs
court. He is now chief clerk in the West
Chester court. What relation he has to the
case under consideration was not dis
closed, nor was there an revelation as to
what Lawyer Carpell might know.
The in vestigation is being made by Deputy
Assistant District Attorney Murphy.
In addition to the men who were taken
before the Grand Jury, Mr.. Murphy ex-
amined sundry others. There was a report
that the scope Of the Grand Jury's inquiry
would not De confined to any specific case,
but would extend to the Board of City
Magistrates in general. So many rumors
ha We become prevalent Of the sale of justice
by several of the Magistrates that il was
said a general inquiry was likely to be in
stituted in connection with the specific one
already under way.
There was printed early in the week a
report, which was founded on something
more than mere rumor, that a certain Mag
istrate had dismissed the defendant in
another case than the one already under
investigation. and that he had received
Jerome would not admit that any inquiry
was being made into this second case, nor
would he admit that it concerned the "a me
"dkuSNIdtC. III NiidL NdSC lucit NcIt w.
peated adjoumments, and after the Magis-
trate had discharged the prisoner the Dis
trict Attorneys Office took up the case
and it was prosecuted. The report that
the Magistrate received 81 900, through a
Broadway lawyer as a g~otetween, became
so widely current that it was talked about
in police court circles as a matter Of common
knowledge.
The inquiry yesterday, il was asserted.
also went into the report that a certain
Magistrate has been borrowing money right
and left and has been giving checks in
payment, many Of which have CONF back
marked mo funds The scandal OF the
Magistrates /. o. Us. has been common
property in every police court in town. and
there are lawyers who have told clients
that these memoranda constituted their
chief asset in practising before the Magis-
trate. One police court lawyer said that
his ability to make certain revelations were
the means of getting his bread and butter"
because he was always sure OF having his
clients either dismissed or let of with a
Nominal fine.
Acting District Attorney Smyth and
Assistant District Attorney Murphy had
Emil Fuchs, a well known lawyer and at
one time a Deputy Attorney-General, before
them yesterday in the investigation. Philip
Bloch, clerk Of the Tombs police court, and
Thomas A. Church, another clerk in the
Tombs court, were also questioned. 1t
became known also that s~ubpenas had
been issued for attendance upon the Grand
Jury next Tuesday. when the inquiry will
be resumed. The proceedings yesterday
we're said to be of the John Doe character,
but there was a rumor about the Criminal
Courts Building that during the testimony
the name of the Magistrate who figured in
the larceny case was mentioned. II was
after that that the rumor became current
that the inquiry was to become general.
That certain OF the Police Magistrates
were making money out of their offices in the
sale OF justice has been more than a matter
Of mere gossip for som6 time. Specific
cases have been mentioned openly. The
SUN has made Mention OF some OF the cases
within the last two weeks. 1t has been re-
ported that one Of the present Board OF
Magistrates paid SIS 900 for his appoint
ment. The gossip abou taking money for
his decisions has connected itself with his
desire to recompense himself for that out
lay. Some OF the Judges make no pre-
tense even Of holding excise cases. and Of
more than one OF them it is asserted openly
that these cases are dismissed for money,
the price being put as low as SO. There are
instances mentioned where a certain Mag
istrate has borrowed money from the law
yers Of defendants before him and has for
gotten TO pay il back, that, OF course, being
the price Of the decision. The lawyers have
not pressed for payment because an l. o. U.
of a NJ Magistrate in a lawyers pocket or the
memory Of a debt is regarded as a valuable
thing in practising before that Magistrate.
One OF the methods OF making money
~corruptly in the police courts was referred
to the other day in describing how the ia
nous pickle trust did its work. A Magis-
trate, a lawyer and a professional bonds
man constituted the trust. The lawyer
could always guarantee immunity to his
clients before the Magistrate and when any
one was put under bonds for good behavior
the bondsman in the trust was the only
one who would be accepted by the Magis-
trate. That bondsman usually could be
hired for sums varying from SIS to $50.
Frequently a lot OF women OF the street
would be rounded up and put under bonds.
There would be a lot Of scUrrying around
for bondsmen by the men who we're inter-
ested in their earnings. None of the bonds