New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-02
CAN'T GET ANSW Frs
PAY to Police Not Explained
by accused Lazcyer.

The grievance committee OF the state
Bar Association during the various hear
inzs it gave Henry A Robinson. formerly
general counsel of the Metropolitan Street
Railway Company. before ultimately de-
Gliding to bring dis5arment proceedings
against him. constantly tried and as CON
stantly failed to get satisfactory answers to
the two following questions:
WAS it proper to pay policemen for testi-
fying in court when said policemen We're
under subpoena 10 testify there and did not
lose any salary or time by so doing7''
WAS il proper to pay large sums 10 doc
tors attending plaintiffs in cases in which
the Metropolitan Street Railway Company
was defendant
An examination of the testimony taken
at the hearings showed that he had ap-
proved numbers Of vouchers for sums rang
ing from SO to SIS for doctors who had
been in attendance on persons suing his
client because of injuries alleged to have
been due To carelessness on the part Of is
employees
There were other vouchers which showed
that the Metropolitan gave the entry clerks
of at least two hospitals-St. Vincent's and
New York-an annual subsidy of SO. and
from time 10 time bought passes into
hospitals. These passes gave agents OF
the road access TO the wards of the hos
pital.
Still other vouchers showed that in its
efforts to stand in with the police the
Metropolitan was in the habit of giving
policemen who were witnesses in cases
against IL sums OF money. When Mr.
Townsend chairman of the grievance COM
nittee. asked. rs it proper TO pay a police
man g, 81 So or 500 a day TO come into court
when he is obliged to come on subpoena
and when he does not lose money thereby?
ex-Justice Joseph F. DAILY. Mr. Robinson s
brother-in-Iaw and one Of his counsel, re-
Piled. Il assume these payments were made
TO get the Information the policemen had.
and Mr. Robinson's explanation was that
the Metropolitan wanted TO keep the police
on friendly terms. that the system existed
long before his day and he thought moth
ing OF q
Mr.. Robinson admitted that doctors who,
according to the vouchers. got large pay
ments were not in the employ of the Met
ropolitan. 1t was explained that some
times doctors refused to give out any in
formation at all unless they were paid for
so doing, and in other cases a doctor might
have been employed professionally in a
case against the Metropolitan and after its
settlement his patient failed 10 pay the
doctor, vhereupon it was said that wheH
doctor got another patient who was
suing the Metropolitan the physician de-
cHned 70 give the road any knowledge Of
his patients injury or condition until the
road had settled his preceding uncOliected
Dill The following are a few vouchers
showing payments to doctors:
Kelly case. January Is. 1900 Paid D-.
George P Clements, for services rendered.
Stevens case. july I. 1899. Paid Dr
Brady, for special services, $50
BausChbaum case. March % Paid
1t. a l. Freedman. services rendered SI2J
Black case Paid DR. Clarence a Nc
Williams services rendered former trial s95
In regard TO the subsidies 70 entry clerks
[ or hospitals. IL was explained that thew
were paid for making copies Of the hos
pital entry books because OF the large
number OF unreported accidents Other
vouchers showed payments TO Dr. Charles
wilson, Of GOuverneur Hospital for fnfor-
nation Still another voucher showed that
IN the Crumm case S 70 was paid for ..ex-
penses plaintiffs Witnesses 50 for theatre
tickets and 81 s. for refreshments for said
witnesses.
Mr.. DAILY said that the custom of giving
Christmas presents 70 court attendants was
In vogue long before MI Robinson was adj
nitted to the bar. and that the voucher
showing an expenditure By Ambrose Nc
Cabe, an agent of the Metropolitan of s1O
for entertaining three city judges should
| be stricken from the record He said that
| only four vouchers showed anything 70 10
/ with Jurymen. and one o. these was for
81 p To this member OF the committee
| rejoined: 4 suppose YOU mean YOU can't
buy juryman for 81 3. but you can treat
him for that sum-
Mr.. DAILY argued that the Investigation Of
| the secret service" work OF any big Of
/ flee would make us shake our heads -
but said The assumption must be thar the
work was done with no spirit OF wrong
doing What d you suppose would b
| disclosed II the secret service Of Theodore
Roosevelt was investigated he asked
/ Wouldn't the press be delighted?''
The testimony also showed thar tbe dis
barment proceedings followed an examfna-
/ ton OF the vouchers in Albany by the
/ chairman Of the grievance committee
| These vouchers were sent TO the Governor
| by Franklin Pierce. counsel for the COM
| mittee which brought charges against Dis
/ trict Attorney Jerome Later they were
sent 10 the committee by the Governor.