Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-03-05

The Charge u Made That the Dir
trict Attorney Refuses to Pros
scute Rich Criminals.
PETITIONED his REMOVAL
Exposure Of influential Grafters and
Failure TO Proceed Against
Them Breeds Socialism
and Anarchy.

New York. Feb. 2S.-Twenty-twt
specific charges are made In petition
praying for the removal Of William T
Jerome as district attorney Of the
county of New York which was SEM
to Gov. Hughes &C Albany Thursday
by committee Of stockholders of the
Metropolitan Street Railway through
their chairman, William F. King.
The petition alleges that Jerome
failed properly to prosecute charges OF
alleged Jury fixing and the giving OF
false testimony in street railway cases,
that the prosecution of violations OF
the criminal law by the life insurance
companies Of New York, as disclosed
by the Armstrong committee had been
delayed; that an alleged criminal con-
spiracy to divert the property Of the
Metropolitan Street Railway company
of New York into the hands Of few
men was allowed by Mr.. Jerome to go
on and hundreds of stockholders to be
robbed Of their money, and that no
attempt was made to punish men al
legged to have committed other frauds
in connection with New York city trac-
ton deals.
I'm not worried" was District At
torney Jerome's comment when told
Of the charges and request for his re-
moval sent to Gov. Hughes Thursday.
This Is another one, suppose. They
file them up there every week or so
against me by the reports. The gov
ernor has never asked me to explain.
II he does then we will take cogniz-
ance Of them"
Albany, N. Y, Feb. Ex-Governor
Hugher said Thursday night that the
charges against District Attorney Je-
rome would take the usual course. A
copy of them will be sent to Mr.. Je-
rome so that he may send an answer
to them to the governor, after which
the governor will decide as to his
course.
William F. King, former president |
OF the Merchants association, who |
filed the charges, gave out a state
ment in which he severely criticises
District Attorney Jerome. II main
tain," he said, that much of the
blame for the present deplorable con-
ditions of affairs is due to the failure
Of Mr.. Jerome, as district attorney, to
prosecute the rich and influential
grafters who have robbed our people,
and disgraced the name Of our city,
commencing with the ice trust, the in
famous clique who filched the money
Of policyholders from the great insur-
ance companies and last in the list,
but first in open, shameless audacity
ind barefaced, stealing, the men who
Dotted and wrecked the Metropolitan
fraction company.
1.-THE public exposure Of these rich
and the failure to prosecute
hem, and others of the same ilk who
'wned and controlled many great
,anks and trust companies, is the pri-
nary cause of the want of confidence
hat caused people to rush to banks
o withdraw their deposits and place
hem in safe deposit boxes, and al
hough the so-called panic is prac-
ically over as far as the banks are
oncerned the want of confidence is
ere to stay, and will stay until the
eople see some of these wealthy
punished, not fined, but put
a Jail, just the same as would happen I
) criminals of less prominence. The
allure to enforce our laws is breedingl
ocialism and anarchy and only the
reatest vigilance will prevent us
rom repetition Of rloting, only on
reater scale, such as has recently
neighboring city" /