The sun., 1908-02-28
JEROME READr TO ANsWER.
he Sees NIiSinfOrmRtiOn and Lack Of In
formation In the Charges.


IIe Sees NIiSinfOrmatiOn and Lack OF In
formation In the Charges.
District Attorney jerome talked to the
reporters last night about the charges. He
went over the specifications one by one,
but didn't seem to be worried by any of
them.
Il see there are twenty-three specifica-
tions," he said with laugh. and under
stand twenty-three means skidoo."
He said that many Of the matters we're
flIlly explained in a letter on file in Albany
which he had sent voluntarily to Gov.
Higgins
-All this stun in the petition about the
Mutual Life said Mr.. Jerome "is dis
cussed fully by me in an elaborate report
which l sent to Gov Higgins. The Perkins
matter is in the Court of Appeals. the Nylio
transaction is still running. and in fact all
these things complained about have been
threshed out dozen times at least
MIR. Jerome went on to say that several
of the blind payments to Thomas +, Ryan
by the Metropolitan Securities Company,
which had heeu brought out in the Public
Service Commissions investigation and
are specified IN the petition. had been eX-
planned by Mr.. Ryan before the Grand
Jury.
THAT $4,000 which II is asserted was
taken by Mr.. Ryan from the treasury of the
Metropolitan Securities Company said
Mr. jerome. was investigated very care
fully by the last Grand Jury and was ac-
counted for by Ryan as being money eX-
pended in investigating a raid on Metro
politan by the same people who were behind
the getting up of the Teichman and Hertel
report. OF the further sum Of S2S.OO
which these complainants say Ryan took.
the explanation il that when the Metro
politan Securities Company was organized
It had a capital Of $50, 900 paid in cash. This
capital was afterward inreased TO $40
100000 The SS0,O0 was fully paid stock
and afterward the S2s.OOO which Ryan had
advanced on that stock was paid back TO
him. Mr. WINS did not call before the
Public Service Commission the witnesses
who could have testified in relation to that
payment because he felt that to do - would
grant To- them immunity from prosecu-
iion " the circumstances should seem 90
warrant it. Therefore the items were left
unexplained in the records Of the Public
Service Commission"
In regard to the petitions references to
his criticism of the judiciary. he said he
expressed his views at dinner and IN his
private capacity.
Mr.. Jerome said the charges were loosely
drawn. One of the matters charged was
fully explained in the minutes Of the Public
Service Commission proceedings, Vet the
Complalnants seemed 10 he unaware Of that.
In regard to the Park avenue tunnel
disaster, Mr.. Jerome said he urged tho
Grand Jury TO find indictments against
rhe directors Of the road for maintaining
public nuisance. but they refused.
Mr.. jerome declared that he had in
vestigated the ice trust carefully and had
come to the opinion that no crime had
been committed. He had not moved
against the lnteTborough-Metro olitanCom
pany as combination in rest raint Of
competition because he differed from the
opinion handed down by Judge Holt in
the United States Circuit Court. lie was
waiting for decision by the Circuit Court
OF Appeals, when Justice Scott of the Appel
late Division wrote an opinion which dis
posed OF that question and puts Judge
Holt's opinion in the light of not being the
law of this State
As to the Shiphuilding case, there is no
doubt in Mr.. Jerome's mind that false
pretenoes were Tractsed but in order TO
prove IL II would he necessary to institute
proceedings i'm five different States and
HrreT' khat he would have been confronted
with the fact that he couldn't take deposit
tons in criminal cases before the Grand
Jury without the consent of the defendants.
There was no way Of doing it," said Mr..
Jerome, because there was no defendant.
and the Grand Jury simply would be trying
20 find one"
Mr.. Jerome said he investigated the New
York Building Loan Banking Compan ny
thoroughly and no crime was discovered.
Referring % the campaign contributions
m 1905 and favors alleged TO have been
shown to Howard =. Cans. his campaign
since then. MIR. jerome said:
You had better ask owaTd Cans about
that especially as TO how no was treated
UP here Everybody he has represented
up here has bsen indicted. II Cans has had
any favors hero since he entered private
practice he has got them in the back of the
neck
Mr.. Jerome said that It was true that
Samuel lntermy"r had contributed S. 900
TO his campaign fund. but he didn't know
that Jacob n. SchIn had contributed 50 500
until after the campaign. Mr. Jerome
thought there were one or two gratuitous
hes IN the charges regarding the campaign
contributions
As to the reason that Robert A. Gran
Mss, George ". Perkins, Charles :. Fair
child and others indicted in the insurance
cases hadn't been tried. Mr.. jerome said
their cases depended upon the outcome
Of Justice Dowl wlings decision in tho case
"T President HegefGan at the MetrOpo-
tan Life, which is now before the Appellate
Division
Il didn't know Howard Cans ever rep
resented Harry Thaw," said Mr.. Jerome.
"Ex-Presldent Montgomery of the Ham
ilton Bank is under indictment; this Office
has nothing to do with fIeinzc except to
IIse him as witness before tho Grand
Jury; and as to Mr. Crayath, most siren
Nous efforts were made, Iut | cannot ac-
Celerate proceedings fast enough to suit
everybody
NEW ELECTION CASE ROW.