New-York tribune., 1919-11-10
Hylan's Letter Finds Husband
Files Taken, He Dead i'm Wake
haPs1randJury Of Speeding Car
Public Spirit Asleep and
Sees No Wrong in Any Eff.
fort to Discredit Him.
Says Mayor in Statement

Ihe extraordinary grand jury which
has been investigating numerou, de-
partments of the city administration
including Mayor Hylan's office and the
Police Department, was attacked by
the Mayor yesterday.
Mayor Hyfan was especially ap-
grleved because o tn subpnnaing Of
his litter files and said the examination
of his personal papers was "unmanly
un-American and unlawful"
The Mayors attack on the Grand
Jury, which will resume its delibera-
tlons to-day, follows:
"Some mysterioSN agency that seems
to be sort of underground wire be
tween the Grand Jury room and the
newspaper Offices is working overtime
to foster the inpressj on that something
semi-crminal was disclosed by the in
spection of my y rsonal correspon-
dence in the Grand Jury room. As
Mayor, and as citizen, I object to
the Grand Jury room being turned
into an anonymous rumor factory at
the expense of my good name and the
public funds. It is grossly unfair to
me, but am used to that sort of thing.
The wrong done to New York in an
attempt to befoul the Mayors Office
before all the world without candor.
without justice and without civic pride.
ut is dirty bird that befouls its
own nest.
There is also another and more seri-
Gus side to this miserable affair, and
some time in the future, when my own
humble personality may be regarded
as quite lmmaterial, | hope for an
awakening of the dormant public spirit
Of those who now see no wrong possi-
BILE in any effort to maliciously dis
credit John F. Hylan.
Prejudices and Animosities
"The spectacle of certain grand Jury
men of undenied personal prejudices
and animosities paving over the pri-
vate papers of the Mayor of New York,
seeking eagerly to unearth some grisly
morsel of public or private scandal out
of the correspondence seized by q
shameful prostitution of the great
power Of the grand jury, suggests to
my mind a greater contempt for the
1A6Ht6 Ol tue community ana greater
menace to society than any crime Of
any individual could possibly contain
The thing was unmanly, un-American
and unlawful.
even in the face Of the invasion of
my private rights I do not wish to
be understood as claiming protection
for them. Having called public atten-
tion to this dangerous assault on one
of the most sacred rights of citizen
ship, l declare that am quite willing
that any correspondence of mine, pub
lie or private, may be advertised to the
whole world, provided only that those
members Of the grand jury who advo-
cate it shall personally and with equal
sity. Then the public. can judge of
Investigating Vice Trust
Raymond F. Almirall, an architect,
is foreman Of the grand jury. At his
home last night it was said that it
was not known when Mr.. Almirall
would return. Since the grand jury
began its investigation of the rolice
Department and the alleged vice trust
some of its members have expressed
the belief that their telephone wires
have been tapped and that they were
being shadowed. AS result some of
the grand jurors have refused to live
at their homes, but have engaged
rooms at hotels or at their clubs to
minimize the espionage.