New-York tribune., 1912-03-07
GRAND JURY FAVORAB[Y
IMPRESSED BY BRANDT
Constant Fire of Questions by
rvery Member Of Body Fails
to Shake Story.
TO TESTIFY AGAIN TO-DAY
Then Inquiry of a Month Into
Conspiracy Charge Will End
Unless Schiff and Cans
Can Be Heard.

tnry yesterday and sustained the nre o'
,,e twentv-three jurors, District Attor-
whitman and Assistant District
Attorney Moss for more than two hours.
A. the end of the session it was evident
ha+ be had made a favorable impression
on his inquisitors. Before the jurors
dispersed for the day extra precautions
were taken TO preserve the secrecy %
the grand jury room. The jurors 'hem-
s.Ives took another oath OF secrecy
while Brandt was sworn to secrecy
again after his testimony was nnisheu
for the day, and even Mr.. Whitman ana
Mr. Moss were called upon to JOIN IN the
general promise.
The grand jury felt that the climax Of
their investigation was reached in the
calling of Brandt. They had spent a
month in delving into the conspiracy
charges. They were now TO hear from
Rrandt what he had understood TO be
the meaning Of the proceedings at the
time he was arrested. indicted convict
ed and sentenced. Each of the twenty
three men on the grand jury took part in
examining the witness. He was sub
jected to a constant fire of question and
cross-questiOn on every statement he
made. and in addition to the questions
OF the jurors they had the assistance nf
the trained examination Of District At
torney Whitman and his chief assistant.
Frank Moss.
So cclose and careful was the exam
ination that with more than two hours in
the grand jury room he was not able TO
finish his story. He will be before the
grand jury again this afternoon, and IL is
uncertain # he will be through in time
though it is hoped that ex-InspectOr Nc
Laughlin may also testify this afternoon
Now as to Schiff and Cans.
There will then remain of prime inn
portance as witnesses Mortimer L. Schiff
and Howard S. Cans. if they can be
heard. The grand jury is more than ever
anxious u examine them in the light Of
the evidence given by Brandt yesterday.
The jurors want their explanations Of
many points in Brandts testimony, in
which he could not be shaken though a
hundred questions We're hurled at him
and the attack was returned to time and
again.
But there is grave doubt il Schiff and
Cans can bc heard. II is practically de-
cided that the grand jury will ask in
structiOns from Judge Grain. but the
District Attorney has said positively that
he will have no part Of the responsibility
OF Instructions that Schiff and Cans viii
not receive immunity. if they'are al
lowed 10 testify. and IL is understood
lIom Judge Grains friends that he hesi-
tates 10 assume the sole responsibility of
iustructinS the jurors TO call Schiff and
Cans In the event of failure to receive
positive Instructions from the court it
Is considered probable that the grand
jury will vote against calling the banker
and his lawyer and will be compelled to
g. TO its work of making its report with
out the testimony of the men IL is so
anxious to hear
AS groundwork for their examina-
ton yesterday the grand jury felt that
ii was Of chief importance that they
should hear from Brandt his own story
OF the reasons for his presence in the
Sohin house on the night of March 6
1907. RumOr has been rife and Gov
ernor Dix and counsel for Mr.. Schff
have more than broadly hnted at the
story Brandt is said 10 have told since
his Imprisonment. While this story is
no part of the conspiracy charges. the
grand jury felt that II might furnish
the reason for the conspiracy, if one ex-
listed.
Seal Of Secrecy Demanded
II was after hearing this story again
repeated-the tale that Brandt had en-
tered the house by means Of a key fur
nlshed by an inmate OF the house, that
ne had gone there with no thought 81
burglary and had not expected TO see
Mr.. Schiff-it was after Brandt had re-
mained mistaken in his story under the
examination Of every man on the jury
mat the renewed and double seal OF Sc
erecy was demanded.
From there Brandt went on with his
story dealing directly with the con-
spiracy charges. And in this part Of his
testimony the two things that most i'm
pressed the grand jury were his ac-
counts of his conferences with Mr.. Cans
N the Tombs and in the happenings in
lne office of Mr.. Schiff on March H. 1907.
Despite Gans's reiterated declarations
'hat ne visited Brandt only once in the
iombs, and despite the repetition again
ana again Of the question regarding this
feature to the witness, he could not be
turned from his story of the three visits
VI Cans TO him in the Tombs and the re-
SUIT upon his conduct Of those visits.
brandt persisted in declaring that he
understood all that took place from the
uay OF his visit TO the office Of Mr.. Schiff
70 the day of his sentence to be part IF a
piah Dy which he was TO return to .Sws-
VIII the money with which to set
"hhself up in business.
he told Of his talk of nearly an hours
duration with Schif on the night ~
@erch s. the gift of $50 and the appolnt-
Ineht 10 go 10 Schiff's office on March II
mere ne said, ne first saw Schin Cans
'o Rogers, the Pinkerton detective
doctors Macdonald and Mabon. the
"ehists' he said, came In afterward
Drahot said schiff told him he was going
70 help him and send him to Sweden
WIN sum of money to 90 into bust
ness.
SIdnc "COnfsessr.D -
When he signed the so-called confes-