New-York tribune., 1911-03-16
GRAND Jury To
HEAR ROBIN NOW
Inuuiry Has Developed Beyond
Activities of the Carnegie
Trust Group.
PUBLIC OFFICIALS IN CASE
It Is Concerning These Elk.
Banker Is Expected to Test.
ify-Mr. Carnegie May
Be Called.

probably the only witness to-day before
the grand jury which is investigating the
tangle that grew out OF the failure OF the
Carnegie Trust Company. and though he
will tell the entire story which he has
previously told 10 District Attorney
Whitman, II is believed that he will not
be giving the grand jurors a story that
will be new to them.
Confederation OF his original story 10
Mr.. Whitman was found, II is reported.
and has been related to the grand jury.
so that Robins story to that body VIII
come to it more In the way OF corrOoo-
ration Of previous testimony than as new
evidence.
AS the investigation has developed It
has been found that IL could not be cur
tailed as was first intended. to activities
Of the Carnegie Trust Company group
alone, and from what IL now known or
Robins wide knowledge Of banking Sc
crets it is not surprising to hear that he
can and probably will give testimony
which will come close to duplicating A
Through the examination of bank off,
cials since the failure Of the Carnegie
Trust Company the District Attorneys
office has come into possession of story
that the deposits Of city money in the
Nineteenth Ward Bank. which were at
first protected by a surety company's
bond for SljO,OOO. were eventually left
in that bank after the expiration of the
bond without protection. Even during
the lie of the bond. the deposits OF city
money at many times exceeded the
amount Of the bond by SJ0VO II is re-
ported and after the bond was ncffec
tive. which became the case carly last
summer. city deposits were held there
Of S2OO00O In December. 1910 at n
time when there was no protecting bond
in force. the city had on deposit in the
Nineteenth Ward Bank in the neighbor-
hood of S2nOOOo
II was said last night by a man in the
City Chamberlain's office that tho bond
for $4,000 was cancelled on June -.
1910. by Mr.. Hyde because he thought
that it was discriminatory. az several ~
! the banks were not bonded. and he
wished 10 have them all on par
TO Tell About Public Officials.
Robins testimony to-day. il is be-
lieved. will deal almost exclusively with
what might be called the official side ~
the investigation rather than with the
private side. and IT is expected that both
city and state officials will come in for
criticism on the state o' facts OF which
he will tell.
In spite of the value OF his testimony
being thus made rather secondary snd
corroboratve 10 the stories which 'he
grand jury has previously heard. the
District Attorney is taking full cogni-
zance Of the fact that il was Robin alone
who furnished the original leads. Robin
and his counsel. Samuel j. Goldsmith.
are hoping that his service 10 the prose-
cutor in this respect will be recognized
also by the court in passing sentence
upon him.
Robin himself hopes for a suspended
sentence, and he believes that the Dis
trict Attorney will recommend such 4
dlsnosal of his case when it comes before
Justice Seabury. on April u. for
sentence.
Explaining the plea which Robin made
previously, his lawyer said that at that
time it was practically up to Robin to
plead guilty or so TO Matteawan for
life. Further his lawyer argues that
Robin is entitled TO consideration for
the saving 10 the county occasioned by
his prompt plea and, more than all else,
for his voluntary aid To the District At
torney in his present investigation of
the Carnegie T st Company and its at
tendant tangle Of lesser banks Industrial
concerns and city deposits
1t is known that Mr. Whitman i'm tho
conference IN Tuesday in Justice Sea-
bury's chambers not only admitted but
freely advanced the point that Robins
aid and testimony were supremely essen
tia 10 a proper prosecution Of the en-
tire case. and urged that as one reason
for deferrn. the passing Of sentence
upon Robin for at least a month.
Expects a Suspended Sentence.
Robin believes that in view Of all this
he will be treated leniently, and that he
will possibly get of with suspended
sentence, and an any case H. determined
To go through with it now. and tell his
story as freely and frankly before the
grand jury. and il necessary before
trial jury. as he did to Mr.. Whitman
This attitude on his part. coupled with
the unexpected ease with which con-
firmation was obtained OF every point
that Robin made in his frs story to the
District Attorney. is largely responsible
for the optimistic attitude of the District
Attorneys Office on the whole subject of
the Carnegie Trust Company nyestiga-
tion.
Tompkins Mcllvane. OF the law firm of
Closson. Parsons 4 McIlyane. and John
V. Coggey formerly Commissioner of
Charities. and both directors of the
Nineteenth Ward Bank. we're witnesses
eforc the grand jury yesterday. The
remaining evidence presented was sup
Piled by clerks from the Carnegie Trust
! Company, the Nineteenth Ward NBank
! and the Madison Trust Company.
/ II was reported yesterday that Andrew
/ Carnegie might be witness before the
! grand jury. presumably to tell the de-
tails of his S2,000.000 loan to the Car
negie Trust Company OF January. 1910.
or to inform the investigators of the