New-York tribune., 1912-08-30
James E. March Goes Before
Grand Jury and Backs Down
Completely Before
Leaving Stand.
BODY TO REMAIN INTACT
Will Ee Held to Probe Similar
Stories That May Be Started
in Lieutenant's Defence
Lefty and "Gyp'
May Have Sailed.

James T.. March. who had made
statements that he could explain
how Becker as police lieutenant at
$3.50 a year was able to build up
bank accounts amounting to more than
SSO.OW in nine months, went before
the grand jury yesterday, and after an
statements backed down completely
and left the stand without having ex-
planned anything at all with regard to
Beckey's little fortune.
March is the Republican district
leader Of the Sd Assembly District who.
after being elected at the primaries as
a Taft delegate to the Republican con-
vention. switched TO Roosevelt after
the first ballot.
The present grand jury. which has
heard all the testimony upon which
the Rusenthal murder indictments
were found, as well as a mass Of graft
evidence connected with Becker, viii
be hcld intact until AFTER the murder
trials, chiefly for the purpose of dig
ging into any defensive stories similar
TO the one advanced by March, which
may crop up.
District Attorney Whitman will con
duct an examination Of the special
grand jurors drawn from the special
panel 10 conduct the graft inquiry and
John Doe" proceedings. In the same
way that petit jurors are always eN-
amined. With srand jurors this oX-
animation is infrequent. but not with
out precedent. The District Attorney
cannot challenge grand jurors, but he
can recommend 10 the court that be
cause Of their answers TO such ques-
tons they shall be excused from ser
vice.
Beckcr's lawyers let It be known
yesterday that they expect TO see the
| impnssibiity of getting an unbiased
| fury 50 demonstrated when their client
Is called TO the bar that Justice Cor will
allow a change Of venue TO another
county IN the state, without the ne
cessity of even a formal motion. For
precedent Beclkcr's counsel referred
10 the case Of the doodle aldermen IN
1856
Two months to get jury, and thre"
months to try the case" was the esl-
mate OF the time the Becker c'Se
would take. given by one Of BeCker's
lawyers Yesterday.
District Attorney Whitman 'e''iFeH
information Yesterday that Lefty
Ionic and "Gyp" the Blood sailed Tor
E,,rope Oh Tuesday. Although not con
WINGED that this tip was any better tnah
any of the others received about the
tyo men wanted Mr.. Whitman sent
cable message TO Scotland Yard asking
,bot the boat he searched on arrival
Mr. Whitman made no secret oil IN
fact thai he believes friends oil Becker
and some members Of the Police De
partrlent know now and have Know
al, along of the Whereabouts oi h'i'E
and "Gyp." He believes the wv" b''sS
ing men may he produced suuucH'!
,.ho, Rocker. is on trial, 10 he br"nSh'
in as witnesses for the defence WHO
will swear that some one ol the gam
hlors who are witnesses for the people
fred the bullets that killed RoS"h'haI'
Mayor Gaynor and Police C'mini'-
s,oner Waldo will be called as WI
nesses IN the John Doe proceeding
before Justice Goff, in all prob 'Dlllt!'
II is likely also that most OF the pres
emf police inspectors will be called, al
though they will have To waive AL ih
munity before being permitted to teS-
tify
Former Police Commissioners Bling
ham. Crorsey and McAdco will be sum
moned as witnesses before the Curran
aldermanic investigating committee.