The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-25
JURY TOTRY CIRCUIT
FOR PERJURY READY
Completed After All Day Scs-
sion-Cropscy Opens for
State To-day.
ERROR WILL BE DEFENCE

The jury in the trial OF former city
Comptroller Edward NJ. Grout on a
charge Of perjury was completed at 4:45
o'clock yesterday afternoon after an
all day session before County Judge
Lewis in Brooklyn. or twenty-seven
men examined fifteen were challenged,
Ave by the people and ten by the de-
fence. Those selected were:
Theodore Cramer. manufacturer, 90
Fenimore street Ira w. Hardwick, ad-
vertlslng. 662 East Thirty-accond street /:
Christian l.. A. Gcrken. meats, 453 STRAIT
ford road Adolph Hlmmelrcich. mems
furnishings, 400 East Fifteenth street
Lawrence ]. Cannon. halter. 443 Pros
poet place; John p. Euler, insurance.
2334 Tilden avenue; Bernard Ormont.
chemical engineer. 55s Ninth street
Warren p. I3dris, salesman, 1879 Fast
Tenth street John T. Mechan, furniture,
II Van Buren, street. Edward II. Cook.
coal. 1861 Dean street James NJ Muir
ply, musician. 136 81. Marks place, and
Lester V. IIarkin, clerk, 3o2 Pacific
street.
IT will he for these twelve mon 10 decide
whether Mr.. Grout. as president of the
now defunct Union Bank, w,llfullv swore
TO n false statement regarding the hnan-
cial condition Of that institution. or
whether, acting unwisely perhaps hut In
good faith. he merely accepted state
ments passed on to him from the time
when David A. Sullivan, the convicted
bank wrecker. was president OF the
bank.
Stephen II. Baldwin, attorney for Mr..
Grout. laid much stress on this In exam
lining prospective Jurors. He pointed
out that all but two OF the items men
toned in the Indictment We're brought
over from the Sullivan regime and wanted
To know II the Jurors you'd give this
due consideration. II shown that Mr..
Grout had no knowledge Of them. An
other point on which Mr.. Baldwin dwelt
VAS the possible duration OF ;he case.
He said II might last six weeks and
asked each Juror II he thought he could
ofrer an open mind 10 the defence after
the District Attorney had presented
hts evidence.
The charge against Mr.. Grout grows
out OF the second collapse Of the Union
Bank, formerly Ne old Mechanics and
Traders. David A.. sullivan. recently
lAA 'A'' A'NN staHN "AiN- Woo lh'F.'fAhN
OF tho latter institution. which failed
during h panic OF 1907. II was re-
organized under the name Of the Union
Rank, n name formerly borne by one
OF its branches. and Mr.. Grout was made
the reorganization president. partly he
cause OF his financial experience as city
Comptroller and partly because q was
thought that his name and standing IN
the community would help to offset the
shadow that hung over the institution
after ~Sullivan's rule.
After the bank had closed It's doors
for the second time 70 was found that
Mr.. Grout had overstatei its assets IN
sworn statements made to the state
Banking Department. This led TO two
indictments. one charging n m!sdemeanor
and the other felony. u IS the felony
barge that is being tried. The indiCt-
ment was returned nearly seventeen
months ago. after the first Indictment.
according 10 District Attorney Crorsey.
had been emasoulated 10y supreme Court
Justice Marean.
The Grout case has hccn before tho
public in one form or another for three
wears. II was only recently that District
Attorney Crorsey. who will open for the
state at 10 o'clock to-day. WAS the sub
Jcct Of investigation by a special COM
mlttee Of the Brooklyn Bar Association
because Of his reference in an after din
nor speech 10 certain members Of the
KINGS county judiciary az "hand picked
and as LAP friends" OF Mr.. Grout. Judge
Lewis. now presiding ~ the trial. was
appointed after the speech was made.