The sun., 1919-09-08

business Of breaking the local Ice trust
as he did everything else and soon had
his opponents begging for an armistice.
But the prosecution dragged on despite
Mr.. osborne's vigor and in 1909 he was
again embroiled with Mr.. Jerome over
the validity Of the rand Jury minutes.
Each accused the other of improper con-
duct and the feud was on again.
Gov. Glynn appointed Mr.. Osborne a
special commissioner under the More
land law to investigate the State High
way Department and the Barge Canal
construction work. In 1914 he was APP
pointed special Deputy Attorney General
to prosecute grafters turned up by Mr..
Osborne's activities as a graft hunting
commissioner. During these investiga-
lions there were frequent controversies
between District Attorney whitman,
Gov. Glynn and Mr. Osborne. Several
times 1t looked as though Mr.. Osborne
would be forced to quit, but, true to his
nature, he defied all opposition and In
sisted upon sticking to his job.
Previous to this, in 1911, Mr.. Osborne
was selected as counsel for the Lexow
committee investigation that was to
delve into political conditions in Albany
and New York city.
That success did not always crown his
Efforts In his prosecutions of political ir-
regularities was not due to any lack OF
earnest effort on Mr.. Osborne's part. He
undertook investigations that looked to
be impossible OF success, but he was not
daunted by outlooks.
Investigates Sing Sing.
In 1918 he made an investigation Of
conditions in Sing Sing prison and after
turning in his report put in a bill for
$4,000. The State refused to pay It and
he sued. The Appellate Division decided
that the Westchester county authorities
had never ordered the Sing Sing investi-
cation.
1t would be pleasanter to omit the
Rae Tanner episode, but no story Of
James w, Osborne would be complete
without 1t. In March, 1915, Rae Tanner
q tiny forewoman in a millinery factory,
sued James w. Osborne for $50, 900,
charging that the lawyer had met.
wooed and won her in a night and that
he had failed to keep hts promise to
marry her. She declared that he had
introduced himself as Oliver Osborne
and thereupon was precipitated the most
remarkable lawsuits that the country
had heard of for years.
After one of the most astonishing
series OF suits, countersuits, charges.
countercharges, convictions. confessions,
retractions and reversals of convictions
one Charles w. Wax appeared upon the
scene, declaring himself to be the mys-
FERROUS Oliver Osborne. Wax was sent
to Jail on some old charges. Rae Tan
ger admitted that she might have been
mistaken in her many identifcations of
James W. Osborne and 1t was the court 8
verdict that James w. Osborne was not
Oliver Osborne. but that 1t was not at
all certain that Charles w. Wax was.
The late Inez Milholland, suffraglst
lawyer and writer, was a law associate
of Mr.. Osborne. Through her he be-
came active in the celebrated case OF
Charles ?. Stielow, who was under
life sentence for murder. Mr.. Osborne
and Miss Milholland made a remark
able fight and accomplished Stielow's
release and vindication.
Mr.. Osborne's last public service was
in 1917, when District Attorney Swami
appointed him Special District Attorney
to assist In the Rocltaway land frauds.
the investigation of the murder of Ruth
Cruger by Alfredo Cocchi and of the
alleged motorcycle police graft that was
an outcropping OF the Cruger investiga-
ton.
Mr.. Osborne's hair trigger temper was
loosed during the trial of Detective
Frank MCGEE. MCGEE. who was ac-
quilted of charges of failing to vgilant-
ly trail the murderer of Miss Cruger.
was defended by lawyer who offended
Mr.. Osborne to the point where Mr.. Os.
borne decided that 1t was time to act
directly. He struck his opponent on
the jaw, thereby precipitating a near
riot. Later both he and the lawyer he
struck aoologized to each other to the
court and to everybody in the court, and
all was well again.