The Irish standard., 1908-05-30
NEW WORKERS TRY
TO GUST jerome
CLOSING ARGUMENTS ON CHARGE
OF DERELicTIoN IN OFFICE
ARE HEARD.
ASSAILANTS DECLARE
CONDITIONS PERlLoUS
William r. King Says "Thlnss In
County Are More Dangerous to
the Welfare Of Society Than Mur'
der ITSELF"

Elizabethtown, N. ", May 27.-Clos-
ing arguments on the charges Of der
ELECTION preferred by committee
headed by William F. King against
District Attorney William T. Jerome
Of New York county were heard here
Tuesday by Commissioner Hand. who
was appointed by Gov. Hughes to hear
testimony on the charges. In addi-
ton to the oral arguments counsel for
both sides submitted briefs to the
commissioner.
The brief submitted by Franklin
Pierce, counsel for the complainants.
declared that every thoughtful man
knows that conditions in New York
county are "a hundred times moro
dangerous to the welfare Of society
than murder ITSELF" and that "a graver
calamity could not visit the people
of New York than the continuation
of the evil example and the disgrace
full conduct of William Travers Jerome
in the office of public prosecutor OF
New York county" The brief is a
document of nearly 200 printed pages
in which the charges against the dis
trict attorney are reviewed.
Would Remove Jerome.
Mr.. Pierce argued that even in the
investigation of these charges the dis
trict attorney has conducted himself
in a manner warranting his removal
from Office He declared that Mr..
Jerome all through the examination
threatened witnesses with criminal
prosecution, "and used other methods
Of that kind"
Mr.. Pierce takes the ground that
the district attorneys failure to in
vestigate and prosecute the alleged
':jury fixing" in the Metropolitan
street railway cases was a case of
neglect of duty which was wholly mex
cusable. "The extent of the exist
ence Of bribery Of jurymen. bribery Of
court officials, tampering with wit
nesses and controlling by criminal
methods the conduct Of the whole
court" said he, 'is of the highest i'm
portance, because a universal condi-
tfon of crime of that sort is in and Of
Itself notice to the district attorney"
T0TNtue NA6S u OISCu88e0.
Taking up the case Of George w.
Perkins in the so-called political con-
tribution case, the brief says: 1T fs
undisputed that Mr.. Jerome would not
furnish any evidence to the March
grand jury, and we have his own state
ment that II they had found an indict-
ment against George w. Perkins he
would have refused to sign It," For
the purpose Of shielding Mr.. Perkins
from criminal prosecution, Mr.. Pierce
says, the district attorney instituted a
proceeding, land thereby procured
decision which he says controls his &C.
tion as against all other companies
making campaign contributions" The
brief concludes with reference to the
allegation that Mr.. Jerome advised F..
r. Thomas to employ a certain attor.
ney when Thomas was about to he in
dicted in the banking cases; that he
violated the law against gambling by
shaking dice at dollar throw in
q restaurant with the sons of Thomas
F. Ryan, and that he dined with Will
liam Montgomery, banker who was
under indictment, and talked over
the project Of trapping another man
An alleged public offlcer-into the
commission OF crime and consented
that this man under indictment shall
90 forth on such an errand as that.
and the man goes forth and claims to
have accomplished IT,
Steamer 10 FIoatsd.
New York, May 27.-The Clyde line
steamer Seminole which went ashoro