Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-20
JEROME EXPLAINING
Why He Did Not Push the Prose.
Cution of Grafters.
INSURANCE CASES DROPPED
Facts Did Not Bear Out His Campaign
Promises.
HEARING WAS QUITE INFORMAL.
Interesting Case in Which the District
Attorney Accuses Editor Hearst
of Libel.

NEW YORK, July N-In the distinction
between current beliefs and evidence goal
In a court of law lies the reason for W
liam Travers Jeromes failure to make
good his election promises to Jail life IL
surance and other corporation officials
charged with criminalties The explan,-
ton was furnished yesterday by Jerome
under an examination conducted by Clar-
ence j. Shearn, attorney for William r.
Hearst, who is being sued for $4,000
damages for alleged libel by the district
attorney.
Early in the action Shearn sought o
have Supreme Court Justice Dayton order
Jerome to produce a list of contributors
to his campaign fund. Jerome declared
he had never seen the list which is now
In the hands Of Assistant District Attorney
Cans. and that he had purposely never
looked at It in order that he might not feel
himself under obligations to any of tie
contributors. Later his personal attorney,
William Rand, jr., declared that when tie
case formally comes TO trial the list may
be produced.
The basis OF Jerome's suit is an editorial
printed in the Evening Journal, in which
1t was stated that Jerome district a
torney was at the time OF the printing Il
the article engaged in earning the money
that the rich criminals and criminal cor
nd0 given MIN Tor MS campaign
by falling to prosecute the insurance graft
ers and railroad barons. Rand suggested
that the easiest way for Shearn to get at
the facts would be to summon as witnesses
H. II. Rogers, T. r. Ryan, J. p. Morgan,
George w. Perkins and others mentioned
In the editorial.
His Campaign Speeches.
Jerome, in his shirt sleeves and putting
complacently at the omnipresent cigaretts
(the hearing being purely an informal one.
at which there was no chance of shock
ing court dignity fenced swlllfully with
Shearn and parted most OF his question:,
successfully. Finally the examination
turned to Jerome's action In the Mutual
Life scandal and the Third Avenue rail-
road grab.
Shearn quoted literally from Jeromets
campaign speeches, in which the latter had
said he would trail corruption into the of.
fees OF the Metropolitan street railway, L
1t led there. and would see that the hooters
Of the Third avenue surface road were
punished
In reply to the inquiry as to why he had
failed to keep his promise Jerome de-
clared that after he had investigated he
found the Metropolitan books were KEEP:
In such a fashion that it was impossible
to find if dividends were paid from bono
sales or from earnings. He admitted tina:
he had not caused President Vreeland to be
questioned.
In the case of the Mutual Life scandal
in which he was declared to have believed
the belief being a current one at the tlmet
that the officials had violated the penal
code. Jerome declared that he had delayed
action for the reason that a new election
of officers was in progress and he did no:
want to prejudice it.
Have you ever undertaken any officia
investigation or prosecution of the Metro
politan street railway" asked Shearn.
No"
men?'
Yes"
well, why didn't you do it?'
II did all that in my power. Ny
campaign statements were based on cur.
rent beliefs. My action was based on ac-
tual evidence before me- was Jerome's
reply.