New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-10-12
Swami Wrone.
Says Foreman
Of Grand Jury
Almirall Denies Any Member
Had Business Relations
With Delaney Nicoll or
With Morgan Interests

Raymond F. Almirall. we'll Known ar
chitect and foreman Of the extraordi-
nary grand jury which day before yes
terday carried it's differences with Dis
trict Attorney Swami into open court
and asked to be relieved Of further
direction of its inquiry into Mayor
Hylan's Interborough strike conspiracy
charges, last night gave out an inter-
view which he said was Tor the pur-
pose of "clearing up any msapprehen-
sion" and mot to provoke or invite
recriminatory statements"
District Attorney Swami was "abso-
lutely IN error" Mr. Almrall declared,
grand jury, which Mr.. Swami said was
not in sympathy with the transit in
quiry, had business relations with De-
lancey Nicoll, and another had connec-
tions with the Morgan interests.
The District Attorney, Mr.. Almirall
stated, chad made no investigation to
substantiate his allegations before ut
tering them"
Commenting on Mr.. Swann's charges
that three members of the jury were
hol1ers Of Interborough bonds and
spiracy investigation, Mr.. Almirall de-
clined to divulge the names of these
jurors.
Those Prejudiced Do Not Vote
"The amounts (of bonds) are i'm
the procedure Of the grand jury, Jurors
who conscientiously feel that there may
be reason for prejudice, do not vote.
The knowledge of the business interests
of the grand jurors and the occupa-
tion of each cannot be new to the
District Attorney"
Asked whether the grand jury was in
session when District Attorney Swami
got his information in regard to some
Of its members being Interborough
bond holders, Mr.. Amirall said:
"If it were so, it was decidedly i'm
proper to reveal any procedure of a
grand jury in session"
When Mr.. Almirall's attention was
called to statements that Herbert G.
Einstein, a Wall Street broker and
member of the grand jury, had offered
the motion calling for general in
vcstigation of the traction situation,
the foreman said:
"That may be so. There were several
doing so at my request. Whether or
not l recognized him l do not know
Einstein represents as unselfsh and as
high a class Of citizenship as any
member Of the grand jury"
Move Made at Jury's Request
The pronouncement calling for a
general transit investigation and the
displacement Of Judge Swami and his
staff by George Gordon Battle, was
formulated by me in an endeavor to
express the unanimous sense Of the
members Of the grand jury" said Mr..
Almirall.
II should not wish to act as the fore
man of the grand jury" he continued,
"if l did not think | could successfully
interpret the consensus Of opinions and
subordinate TO the majority any indi-
vidual idea.
"Thc grand Jury does not desire to
cause any reflection on the District At
torney or his staff" he went on, "but
does desire to proceed in the way it
gees fit to determine, without prcju-
dice or favor, and believes, for the
reasons presented in open court, that
its duty may best be accomplished in
the manner the motion indicates"
Calls Jury Representative
Discussing the general calibrc of the
grand jury on which, District Attorney
Swami said, there was not "A single
representative Of labor, MIR. Almirall
said:
"Thcrc is no capitalst or labor leader
among the members Of the grand jury
The membership represents more than
a dozen occupations all of which have
relationship to capital and labor and