Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-08-28
INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE FINDS
NEW YORK DISTRICT ATTOR-
NEY BLAMELESS.
HIS ENEMIES ARE SCORED.
Report Is Given to Gov. Hughes, Who
Will Probably Dismiss All the
Charges.
PROBE WAS AN EXHAUSTING ONE.

SlOner tt1c0arU IL. hduO, uuueT udle III
August 20, reported to Gov. Hughes that
the evidence does not sustain the charges
filed with the governor against District
Attorney William Traverse Jerome OF
New York city.
My conviction upon the whole case,
says Commissioner Hand, lis that MI.
Jerome has been shown to have DIS
charged the onerous duties of his office
with zeal and ability. having the pubic
good as his motive, and that no incapaci-
ty, Indifference, or neglect Of duty mas
been shown in any case.
Mr. Hand was appointed by Gov.
Hughes on April Is last to take testl-
mony in the Jerome charges and he mas
been at work since then sitting the
charges in ali their details. he took
about 1000 typewriter pages OF testl-
mony and in addition examined the Vo-
luminous exhibits and briefs filed by
both sides. AS the governor always CON
firms the report and recommendations OF
the commissioners appointed, 1t Is eA-
pected that Gov. Hughes within the next
few weeks will make an order dlsmlsslnS
the charges against jerome III accord
ance with Commissioner Hands report.
Twelve Charges Filed.
There were twelve charges against
Jerome The first four related for the
most part to his failure in the face OF
evidence of crookedness in the Metro
poIitan Street Railway company, to
prosecute the officials or employees there
for. The fifth sixth, and seventh
charges had to do with insurance compa-
MES. George w. Perkins polite arrest
and Jerome's virtual defense instead of
prosecution of him, contributions to the
Republican campaign fund, etc. Inc
eighth. NINTH tenth and twelfth charges
were based on 0erome's nactlvltleS
against Whitney, Ryan, Dolan, ana
Widener in the manipulation OF the Met
ropoltan Securities company ana also re-
garding transactions of the 1nterurpah
Street Railway company: Commissioner
Hand finds charges dlSproVed III All
cases. He says:
1.-THE general conclusion which follows
upon the foregoing findings is, manifest
". nc occasion or reason for the removal
of the district attorney, and 1t appears
that the charges should be dismissed.
Crookedness Known at Albany.
at is easy. rs it seems to me, to I'M
derstand the entire situation winch re-
suited in the presentation OF these
charges. Enough irregularity and inn
pOpriety in the conduct OF many great
| enterprises in the city of New York was
known or at least suspected, 10 can TOT
a legislative investigation with view
to determining the nature OF the evil ana
| what remedial legislation might be found
desirable. and the Armstrong commit
| 49, ,x-o, IN that end Such an
| investigation was entered upon, conduct
| ed bv counsel for the committee with
| conspicuous ability, and by the commit
| tee with great patience and thorough
| ness.
THE information derived thereby was
given wide publicity. The nature Of it in
| eyitably produced q feeling that the
great evils had originated and grown
! to monstrous proportions by reason Of
| the indifference of the public, even
| that part of the public having Il per-
sonal interest in the matter The ten
dency of corporate management toward
| permitting one or a few officials to
| handle all the interests involved without
| proper supervision by the trustees, who
! should have given their personal atten-
ton to the discharge of their duties con-
stantly increased. The investigation dis
closed the evils, suggested remedies, and
|
which all good citizens hope will not be
! Intellectual toward securing a better state
! of things.
Popular interest has expressed itself
in a great many forms, one of which is
the conception Of certain worthy peo-
| pie that they as committee of stock
holders in street railway company had
a public duty to perform in seeing to it
| that all persons connected with the evils
,1zn. y Il, l.,
| brought to punishment.
Cause of Jerome's Election.
The respondent, Mr.. Jerome. gener-
| ally is known throughout the city and
| was believed to be Il man of great abil-
! ity, absolute honesty, perfect courage,
and with large measure of familiarity
with the needs of the situation and
measures which might be effective to-
| ward satisfying those needs, particularly
| III relation to the irregularities which
were disclosed by the investigation of
the Armstrong committee.
| This favorable estimate of Mr..
Jerome was SO general and the desire
| for his continued services We're go great
as to produce his election for a second
| term to the office of district attorney
| under the peculiar circumstances of a
candidacy supported by no political or
| ganiZation and confronted. by the reg
ular and powerful political organizations
existing. This result was accompanied
| by great enthusiasm for the successful
candidate personally and an extraordi-
nary hero worship on the part of large
portion of the inhabitants of the city
produced the most extravagant expecta-
tons of striking and immediate results. -
The report then states that those who
shouted loudest for Mr.. Jerome have
| turned against him. overlooking what he
has done and only believing that he
! should have done more. This demand,
Commissioner Hand says, is unreason-