New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-04-28
MET. VOUCHERS FOUND.
Used IN JEROME INQUIRY.
For Money Spent to Influence Court
Terdicts. 1t Is Sad.


been paid by the Metropolitan street hanNay - ga,
many TO Jurors court officers, court clerks VII
,,esses ard in general for the purpose Oh
court verdicts were admitted in evidence yes'eu"s
afternoon by Richard l. Hand. appointed "s Wv
e--o- Hughes 10 succeed former Judge Ahdre"s as
a commissioned 10 hear testimony on the twenty
,hree charges preferred by the King cofnfil''ee
against District Attorney Jerome Ai"o"s M
,ouche-s are some ii is said, for money pa'o 10
-iIlinghast. the bribed juror
lanes /. ouackenbush. Of the Metrorohbdii 4""
,ssos--r,er- some time ago assured Samuel SCI
bury then judge in the City Court, at a nearing TIM
that all the vouchers in regard TO money pau
sinshast had been destroyed The court WAS fa'iiei
skepfical about this. whereupon Mr. Jerome eN
pressed anger Mr.. Quackenbush. IL Is FePoi1eI
he said 10 Judge Seabury, is a gentleman an"
DO not care 10 remain in a court "here me W.
OF a gentleman is sighted" Mr. Jerome was reg
resenting she people in THIS acuoh anu NJ
enbush the Metropolitan. 49,
-7-o-Elsr pierce counsel for the King committee
had whole fun of the vouchers earned in.o
The Public Service Commissions nearing iooi-' a.
the Tribune Building, where the Jerome chal &c
are beins heard Luck and 81 Is put them IN MS
possession
N- Jerome at first objected 10 the admission OF
the vouchers as evidence, but when MI pierce ar
gued that he intended 10 show that TIE Dls'I4c' ~
.orrev not only ought 10 have known or THESE
x1uanies bat sJrangIed an investigation al'eT l4.S
matters had been brought 10 has atleltioi, -
Hand decided TO admit Of them st least
Il may state" said Mr. jerome. that knew
nothing and my assistants knew nothing Oh ms
vouchers until We saw some mention OF 'iieiii AZ .'
nev-spapers We had time sufficient lnloflla-
fion about these things general to prompt US as
prudent and reasonable public officers 10 institute
I'D investigation 10 their existence
The hearing yesterday brought out the lacl 'lia'
George r. Bagg head OF the Metropolitan detective
Soc had - one time been IN the District Attor-
news employ. Miss Lillian Merritt, who was en-
rloved as a stenographer in 1856 and lSo py MI,
Raeg testified that she had repeatedly 1elefflolleu
10 Ragg at the District Attorneys office and that
she always got Assistant District Attorney Ely
and through MIN Bagg. She testified that MI. Ely
Instructed her never ask for Bagg, pnl always
for Mr. Ray when she wanted Basg; 'hat she olu
This and Bagg answered the phone when she
called for Mr.. Ray" She also said that Bags
s5ster-ir-law visited him on three occasions @A'e
having called on MI. Jerome just before
Mr.. Pierce said that the vouchers would probably
amount 10 Seoo lo. Some OF those that were au-
-rt1ed in evidence purpoTteG TO show that me NET
roDolitan had expended thousands Of dollars foF
cigars hats and numerous other articles supposedly
distributed among court clerks, Jurors and Wit
rlesses.
Il was indirectly through the testimony O,
Michael 7 Sheehan a detective employed by Bags
10 90 work for the Metropolitan, that MI Pierce
Eot possession Of the vouchers sheehan was toia
by George Bagg 10 take trunk 10 the house OF
Catherine Britton. where he, Sheehan was hFlns
ct that He kept the trunk there un1i ne ieAt
ne
the trunk. For a year the trunk stayed as II was
lJranenas in the room that Sheehan had lived In
Then Mrs. Britton got a locksmith and had MN
open il and found that il filled with the Nouch-
ers She said Sheehan had told her never to let
env LAWYERS open the trunk as II was filed with
valuable Netropolitan papers Evidently she was
not much impressed with their value, as she uSeo
some 10 line her pantry shelves with, II is SAID
Then Mr.. Pierce appeared and offered TO settle
Sheehar's bill II she would give him the Trunk
The bargain quickly struck
Mr. Pierce at the afternoon session read certain
vouchers rllrporttng 10 show small expenditures
10 court clerks and even one Of q . TO judge
Nj Jerome laughed heartily when this one was
read. The District Attorney seemed TO derive much
amusement out OF tie way Nj Pierce was trying
TIE case which irritated the latter considerably
Mr. Jerome insisted that Mr.. Pierce should
pledge himself 10 show that he. Jerome had per
sonal knowledge Of the existence Of the vouchers
before they were put in evidence OF TO show such
= condition Of affairs that i might reasonably be
assumed the District Attorney should have IN
cuired into and obtained knowledge OF the exist
enee Of the vouchers. 1t may be true" said he,
that the city courts were debauched, that all the
officers OF the Metropolitan ought to lee in jail.
that the officers Of the Supreme Court were in
league with Metropolitan agents. but Mr. Pierce
has only touched upon these things in general
Way ard has not in any way shown that / had
any knowledge Of this vast amount of evidence or
was in position 10 obtain such knowledge"
Several vouchers showed large payments TO r.
c Brown. proprietor Of cigar store in the Astor
House. Other vouchers showed payments OF hun
dreGs Of dollars r. ". Knox, halter
I. Z Julian. time en1plOye Of the Met
ro,,oliran Identified some of tie vouchers hay
ing been made by MIN and under cross-examna-
tion by Nr. Jerome testified that the Metropolitan
often found il necessary 10 pay witnesses to tell
the truth vhereupoa Mr.. Jerome smiled.
Alexander Smith attendant Of Part of the
Supreme Court. was examined length to any
service he might have rendered the Metropolitan
and Indignantly asserted that he had rendered the
j system none
Other vouchers that introduced purported
10 show that the Metropolitan had presented a
cor0ue- occasion with 500 gold watch.