New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-05
City Club Files
New Accusations
Against Swami
Tampering with Witnesses
Is Charged in Com
plant to Whitman
Denial by Prosecutor
Trick to Divert Attention from
Collapse of First Allega-
tons, He Says
Denial by Prosecutor

Additional charges against District
Attorney Swami were fled yesterday
with Governor Whitman by the City
Club. Il is alleged that since the orig
nal charges we're filed Mr.. Swami has
misuscd the powers Of his office to in
timidatc persons whom he knew would
be used as witnesses against him.
Among other things M. Swami is
charged with having cocrccd some OF
tho witnesses into making statements
"for the apparent purpose of tending
TO connect in the public mind former
Judge James A. Delchanty and former
Assistant District Attorney Lucian ).
Breckenridge with subornation Of per
Jury and the wrongful procuring Of the
indictments Of labor union officials IN
1919"
In his letter accompanying the
charges Nelson s Spencer, president
Of the City Club, asks Governor Whit
mar TO take ont Of the hands Of Dis
trict Attorney Swami the management
Of all criminal actions instituted as a
result of the original charges against
him.
When shown the new accusations OF
the CITY Club last night. Mr. Swami
said that they were false and ma
lIcious i'm every detail, and were made
with the intention to defect public at
tention from the collapse of the Orig
nal charges The filing Of these charges
on the eve of the hearing. which IS set
for next Thursday" he added, rs
final attempt 20 delay the proceedings
Starting with the holding OF A. J..
Wilson as q material witness against
Mr.. Breckenridge on January 8. the
charges cite that representatives OF the
District Attorney sought to compel
Wilson TO change his original state
merts as made i'm favor Of Breckin
ridge. ,.1
Continuing. the charges say that the
regular and additional grand Jurles
empanelled by Judge John +. Mcintyre
successor 70 Judge Delenanty, subse-
ouentlv found indictments against MAX
Sulkes and eight other witnesses VINO
had testified against the indicted LABOR
union officials. Sulkes was charged WIN
subornation of perjury and the others
with perjury
All or some of these indicted per
sons" the charges allegc. were IN
formed by the District Attorney or by
his assistants, Samuel MarGewich.
John T. Dooling and Morris Eder, that
unless they altered their testimony
previously given. and told the story
which the said assistants urged them
20 tell, they would be held indefinitely
i'm prison. whereas If they would alter
their story as urged and enter a plea
of guilty they would be at once re-
leased.
THE result was that some Of the IN
djcted men altered their stories, al
tered their pleas and gave evidence
which was false and known by Edward
Swami 10 be false and were thereupon
released from custody without bail and
permitted to go at liberty. whereas,
those persons VINO refused 10 alter
their stories as requested by the DIS
trict Attorney or his assistants were
held IN prison under heavy bal and
were told that their trials would be
indefinitely postponed from time to
time until on March %. 1917, when Id
ward Swami caused their cases to be
transferred TO the criminal branch Of
The Supreme Court and the trial there
Of thereby indefinitely postponed and