The Washington herald., 1908-04-30
GOES AFTER JEROME
New York District AttOr-
ney'S Course ASSailed.
IS ACCUSED OF NEGLIGENCE
Lawyer for King Committee Insists
Upon knowing Why Case Against
Perkins, for Contributing Insur-
ance Funds to Republicans, Was
Not Pushed-Larse Deal Alleged.

New York. April 29.-Evidence was
taken to-day before Commissioner Hand
on the charge made by the King COM
mittee that District Attorney Jerome
misconducted the campaign contributions
case against George W. Perkins, which
resulted finally in a 1 TO 8 decision by
The Court OF Appeals that Mr.. Perkins
had not committed the crime.
The King committee charges that MIR,
Jerome purposely kept this case from the
grand jury. although il had been instruct
Cd by the court TO investigate. and that
the papers on which the test case in the
police court was based were faulty and
did not contain all the evidence.
'Air jerome" said Franklin Pierce,
after outlining some of the disclosures
of the Armstrong committee insurance
investigation, delayed taking any action
against the officials of these companies
until the March grand jury 1885. and
then, instead Of presenting the facts to
the grand jury in the usual manner and
asking an indictment. he prepared a
series of hypothetical questions. all OF
which upon their face, must as a mat
ter OF law, have been answered in favor
Of the men who had given over the trust
funds of lheir several companies TO the
chairman OF the national committee, and
he presented these hypothetical questions
to the judge in Part Of Special Sessions,
AM asked him for an answer thereto.
Referred 10 Grand Jury.
The court declined 10 answer these
questions but asked the grand jury 10
consider each case on its merits. to de-
termine whether each transaction was
honest or done under artifice and con
cealment
"On March q, 1906. continued Mr.
Pierce, Mr.. jerome had placed before
Magistrate Moss an affidavit Of Darwin
p. Kingsley, vice president OF the New
York Life; an affidavit Of z. D. Ran
dclph, treasurer, and a letter Of that
date written by George ". Perkins. the
defendant, who had pail upward of
$4,000 of the policyholders' money TO
Cornelius n. Bliss Upon this evidence,
only n warrant was issued for Mr.. Per-
kins' arrest. A writ Of habeas corpus
and a writ Of certiorari were at once OBJ
tanned and Nr. Perkins and the records
were brought before Justice Greenbaum
20 determine the sufiieiency Of the papers
on which the arrest was made
Perkins Letter Unverified.
Mr.. Pierce said that the Perkins letter.
which was included in the papers, was
unverIfed It explained the campaign
contribution transactions from Mr.. Per-
kins' side. Thus, Mr.. Jerome, said Dir,
Pierce, made the foundation Of his right
to arrest Perkins the statements of Per
kins himself, and these were what were
considered by the Court of Appeals later
when four out Of seven justices decided
that no crime had been committed
Practically the entire session was taken
up by Mr.. Pierce in reading into the
records the different documents that are
already matter Of public record.
Toward the close Of the hearing Mr..
Pierce took up the sixth charge against
Mr.. Jerome. which relates to his alleged
failure to prosecute Mr.. Perkins on the
$4,000 New York Life Insurance trans
action brought out In the Armstrong
committee proceedings. This charge will
be taken up tomorrow.