The sun., 1908-02-28
ASKJERONE'SHEADO HUGHES
KING COMMITTEE FILE CHARGES
WITH THE GOVERNOR.

About q Hearing--Mr. jerome Makes
an Informal Answer Public at Once.
ALBANY. Feb. 27.-William +. King and
his committee OF minority stockholders
in the Metropolitan Street Railway Com
pany filed with Gov. Hughes to-day petit
ton asking for the removal Of District
Attorney Jerome. Gov. Hughes said to-
night that the charges would probably
take the usual course after he had had
opportunity 10 examine them, The Gov
ernor will cause a copy Of the charges 10
be served on the District Attorney and
will give the latter time to prepare and
file his answer, after which the Governor
will decide as TO whether he shall refer
the charges for hearing 10 commissioner.
as was done in the case of the charges pre-
rerred recently against Supt. Leary Of
the Metropolitan Bureau of Elections
Fixing a date for hearing will depend
upon the decision as to whether the charges
shall be heard by the Governor or by such
a commission.
The petition contains twenty-three
and the other committeeman show that
Mr. Jerome is unfit TO continue in Office
The members of the committee besides
King are l. Blum, George l.. Degener
Nathan II. Heyman. John II. Parsons and
William Mas. Franklin Pierce and Eugene
J. Kraemer. as attorneys for the COMMITTEES.
accompanied King and Secretary Blum
when they visited the Executive chamber.
The petition charges Mr.. Jerome with
failure to prosecute the Metropolitan Jury
fixing" cases and with neglect and unneces-
sary delay in prosecuting the Insurance.
cases. 1t condemns Mr.. Jerome for the
way he handled the test case against George
W. Perkins in the matter OF campaign con-
tributions by insurance companies, and
accuses him Of having failed 30 prosecute
in many Of the insurance offences. OF fail
ing to prosecute the Interborough-M Metro
politan as an illegal combination. and OF
failing to prosecute the ice trust. As 70 the
ice trust il alleges that the assistant who
presented the case to the Grand Jury was
related to persons interested in the trust
and that no thorough examination was
made.
The petition alleges that Mr.. Jerome
has done practically nothing in the Metro
politan Street Railway cases; that he failed
to act not only on complaints made TO
him before the Public Service investAga.
ton but that he has not accornp shed
anything since. Speaking OF tho men
who have been accused in the Metropoh-
scandals. the petition says. ia
"Mr. Jerome has assumed tho attitude
Of their protector and advocate. has avoided
investigation and instead OF investigating
the matter through persons acquainted
with the facts has subpRnaed the meun-
b ers Of the stockholders committee and
their chairman before him, well knowing
that they had no personal knowledge and
could give him no aid, and this has bsen
done for the apparent purpose Of dis
comiting them and deterring them from
contending that the criminal law should
be enforced"
Mr.. Jerome's statements in regard to the
Justices OF the Supreme Court OF the First
Department it is charged are not only
improper but scandalous in their nature.
The committee charges that the District
Attorney misconducted himself in failing
to indict and seek convictions OF some
of the officials OF the New York Central
railroad in connection with the Park
avenue disaster in 1902; also that no action
was taken by him in the cases Of the United
States Shipbuilding Company, the New
York Building Loan Banking Company
and the failure Of the Merchants Trust
Company.
The petition says that the acceptancs
Of IS 900 from Samuel Untermyer James
II. Hyde's counsel, as a contribution 20
the Jerome campaign fund when Hyde
was likely to be investigated by the Grand
Jury was entirely improper. and 30 with a
s.. 500 contribution presumably from Jacob
II. Schih. It says that Howard 8. Cans.
then one OF Mr.. Jeromes assistants, re-
oeived contributions in that campaign from
many men connected with corporations
seeking favors from the District Attorney.
The petition goes on
That said Howard s. Cans has since left
the ONCE of the District Attorney and has
! established himself in private law practice.
and that unfortunately for the administration
OF the criminal law In New York county, how
ever innocent Mr.. Jerome may be Of being
subject TO the influence OF Mr.. Cans. there IL
an impression quite popular at the bar and
among the people acquainted with the situa-
tion that Mr.. Cans has undue influence In
the District Attorneys ottice.
He is alleged TO have been retained for the
defendant In many celebrated cases. q few
Of which are as follows: Robert A. GTannis.
under indictment for offences committed in
the Mutual Life Insurance Company; Harry
Thaw. George W. Perkins. President Mont
gomery of the Hamilton Bank, Mr.. Heinzs.
Mr.. Cravath and Magistrate Droegs. Pre-
sdmably the relations between Mr.. Cans and
Mr.. Jerome are perfectly innocent. yet the
existence OF a belief to the contrary u detri-
mental 20 the due Administrations Of the
criminal law in New York county. tends 10
impair the confidence Of the people In lts
administration. and such relations ought 70
be q subject OF inquiry to dernonstrats their
innocence and TO remove the District Attor-
neys ONCE from the breath OF susplclon.
The petition concludes a. follows
By reason OF the above facts, which have
been brought into marked promnenos
through the existing depressed condition
Of the country. Mr.. Jerome has lost almost
completely. we submit. the confidence OF tine
people Of the county OF New York. His habit