The Penn's Grove record., 1908-01-31
TRACTION STOCKHOLDERS
D|STRUST JEROME
Offer to Relieve Him of the Trou.
BILE of Getting at Looters.
MANY CHARGES ARE FILED
The Suggestion of William II. King,
Of the Protective Committee,
That He BE Permitted to Provide
Special Prosecutor Refused.

New York City. - Seemingly be-
lieving District Attorney Jerome was
either unable or unwilling to prose-
cute the Metropolitan traction graft
ers and looters, William F. King, for
mer president of the Merchants AS
ISOLATION and head of the firm of
Calhoun, Robbins & Co., and
Glis associates on the Metropolitan
Stockholders Protective Committee
went before the Grand Jury and made
the proposition that they be author
ized to conduct the traction ingesti-
cation through their own lawyers,
backed by the powers of the Grand
Jury and the District Attorneys
Office. Jerome rejected this unprece-
denied proposition, the makers of
(which were led by a mar who had
been as prominent as any other in re-
electing Jerome. King has said
openly Jerome was not making
good OF his a~nte-election promises.
If rumor be true, he told Jerome
practically the same thing in the pres
enco of the Grand Jurors. One ele-
mont which makes King feel so keen
ly the failure of jerome to bring the
traction hooters to book is that King
collected from friends when Jerome
was running for reelection large
amounts for Jerome's campaign fund.
He assured those friends Jerome
would make good" The under
standing is that it was to make King
put up or shut up" that Jerome had
him and his associates before the
Grand Jury. They admitted frankly
they had no positive proof crime had
been committed. They insisted, how
ever, it existed, and it was Jerome's
duty to get 1t and to prosecute the Of
tenders.
King was before the Grand Jury
ninety minutes. When he emerged
he was agitated and seemed on the
verge of collapse. 1t had been his
intention to tell outside everything
he had said to the Grand Jurors.
They warned him not to do so, and
he needed the warning. Neither he
nor his associates were sworn before
they were questioned. Jerome was
present. He had with him several
assistants. The District Attorney
deemed the situation so important he
broke away from the Thaw trial.
1t was only after spirited discussion
that Franklin Pierce, of counsel for
the committee, vas permitted to enter
the Grand Jury room. Eugene S.
Kramer, another lawyer, was exclud-
Besides King, the witnesses eX-
amined were George L. Degenerm, |
William Mas, Nathan H. LYMAN and
Isaac Blum.
Before any of the men were called |
the Special Grand Jury had before it
a communication sent to the body
and to Mr.. Jerome by the committee.
In this the committee offered to pro-
cure, at its own expense, evidence Of
connected with the manage
ment of the Metropolitan system.
The proposition made in a letter by |
the Stockholders Protective Commit
tee to take charge of the prosecution
of the traction hooters reviewed much
testimony already made public. !
The committee said rejection of the
would be construed to
mean the District Attorney had no
heart in such a prosecution and that
committee would meet with OBJ
structions. The letter also criticised
Jerome severely for compelling the |
committee to appear. Assertion was
made that millions of persons in New
and vicinity believed the officers
and directors of the Metropolitan
have wrecked the railway to their
advantage, and that such men of
great wealth could not be punished
for their crimes.
The King committee asserts the
crimes of forgery in the third degree,
conspiracy, the crime of paying divi-
dends out of capital, grand larceny
md false statements have been COM
Mr.. King was armed with a care
July prepared statement from which
read to the Grand Jury that the
funds of the Metropolitan Street
Company had been wasted
and stolen and the accounts falsified
10 conceal the operations of some of
its dishonest directors and officers.
He read that Mr.. Jerome was in
possession of statements of expert ac-
;%ountants, showing, as he admitted
at the time, irregularities and
Yet no one was prosecuted
ind the books were returned to the
company.
The Grand Jury, it is understood.
after Mr.. King had been subjected 10