New-York tribune., 1914-12-08
rx.COntrOller Denies That
10 He's "Picked" Trial
Judge.
ATTACKS CHARGES
. MADE BY CROPSEY
O.,rssts That He Be Given a
M usaring Before the Investi-
eating Committee.

.,-a N Grout, former City Con-
=, whose indictment on charges OF
'',i,5 ~ growing out Of report which
alleged 10 have made Of the
: 80, Of the Union Bank, after David
s-nivsp. now in Sing Sing, wrecked
-, i.stitutiOn. and the subject Of
~. 7. trial brought District Attorney
80, G. Cropsey before the Brooklyn
D., Association for an investigation,
;,,u.d a statement yesterday asking to
:. heard before the lawyers Organiza-
ton.
n. speech before the Fulton Street
p..,5 Of Trade. Cropsey contended
,h., the Kings County judiciary was
@,n5.pieked and lap friends of Grout."
"a would move for the trial Of the
s,,msr Controller, he said, when he
,oslS find an unprejudiced judge.
In letter directed TO the Bar AS
,oeistion and made public through Mr..
c,outs Office Mr.. Grout denied that he
was friend Of any particular judge
~ that he picked one 10 hear his
ssss His standing as q lawyer, he
s,N entitled him 70 q hearing before
~ special investigating committee of
-S;,S former Chief Justice Edgar NJ.
c.Tsu. Of the Court of Appeals, is
chairman. His standing as an attor-
,sr he asserted. was involved in the
rs.5f Of the committees findings. In
ijs letter Mr.. Grout said:
n am myself q member Of the bar
and Of your association. and if caused
~ permitted my case 20 be brought on
before Judges who we're picked or who
vera bosom friends. then am at
fault: and / accordingly wish these
sbsrges 10 be fully investigated so far
As they relate 10 me.
81 have further reason for this re-
yusst. inasmuch as the reiteration of
these false charges is prejudicial to me
before the public and before possible
Judges and jurors in this matter which
concerns my honor and fortune in
volyed in the criminal charges against
me-
SThe charges" Grout's letter said,
are absolutely false. Ny case has
Been before seven judges. None Of
these is or was a bosom friend; indeed.
with only one Of the seven have / at
sny time had more than ordinary ac-
quantance, and in one case none az
sH"
The fact that he received no favors
rom the Brooklyn judiciary was evil
dent. he said. on a review Of his con-
lest with the banking superintendent a
few years ago, when four out of the six
lcssl justices who heard the arguments
seeided against him.
Il was compelled 20 60 70 the Court
u Appeals" he said. which court
unanimously decided that ! was right
q ny contention"
After denying the specific instances
Shieh District Attorney Cropsey re-
ts-red TO as prejUdicial on the part of
fuiges who have heard various phases
q the Grout case, the former Con-
toller said:
Z an not attempting to defend the
lucges, who can adequately defend
themselves, II they need 10 do so. l
desire 70 defend myself, TO show 70 you
that neither ! nor my counsel did any
picking OF judges, or asked or received
anything in the way of favors, or any
thing at al but what we we're entitled
b7 law 10 have.
These charges. 70 the contrary, are
rnquslihedly false. and are made, be-
heve, for the purpose Of prejudicing
the public mind and Of creating false
and hostile atmosphere, and thus q
Eake Up for the deficiencies which the
District Attorney knows exist in his
iacts and in the law.
y await your notification Of the time
and place when we may present our
evidence. and shall be glad to do SC at
public hearing"
Former Justice Cullen. who presided
~ the Sulzer Impeachment trial, would
&c; say last night whether Grout would
Be permitted 20 put in q word in his
eTn defence. The next meeting Of the
eemmittee would decide the matter, he
saio, but that meeting had not been ar
ranged, because certain papers in the
erout case which we're wanted for ref
trehce bad not been obtained from the
Oounty CLERKS cfhce.
District Attorney Cropsey smiled
shen asked FOR q statement in reply TO
1rout's allegations.