New-York tribune., 1920-01-21
Secret Minutes of Grand
Jurv Show Policies of
Mayor We're Dictated by
Publishers Employee
Editor Suggested
Idea of Fare Plot
Row After Row Between
Swami and Panel Barred:
No Concrete Evidence of
'Overshadowing Crime

The secret minutes Of the ex-
traordinary grand jury dealing with
the dismissed inquiry into Mayor
Hylan's charges that the INTERIOR
ough conspired with its employees
10 force increased fares through the
subway strike of last summer be-
came available for publication yes
terday by order of Supreme Court
Justice Weeks.
The minutes revealed that GER
tain policies Of the Hylan admins
tration were dictated from the Of
fees Of William Randolph Hearst s
New York American" Victor Wat
son, city editor of that paper, ac-
tording to the minutes, found in
part at least two of the Mayor S
public statements on the transit sit
uation.
Row After Row Traced
The records of the Raymond f.
Almirall panel traced the collapse of
the Mayors allegations and indi-
Gated the production by District
Attorney Swami Of no proof sup
porting a strike conspiracy charge
or of the Mayors supplementary
charge that another conspiracy ex-
iTed to intimidate public officials
into granting the traction system
an Scent fare.
Covering l 100 typewriter pages,
or about 33 900 words. the minutes
showed squabble after squabble be-
tween Mr.. Swami and the panel
They also indicated a widening of
the breach between the inquisitors
and the District Attorneys office,
which eliminated in the panels re-
quest that Mr.. Swami waive i'm
munity and appear as witness,
which he refused to do.
No concrete evidence of any cover
shadowlng crime" is found in the pages
a.evdence released yesterday, although
IN certain quarters the evidence was
taken as intimating what the jury
might have had in mind when it told
the Governor it was trailing a crime
which completely overshadowed" the
Mayors charges, and later informed
Justice Weeks that its inquiry had
led into the Offices of the Mayor and
the District Attorney.
Swanns Request Denied
The records show that in the secret
session Of the Supreme Court before
justice Weeks on October 81 last,
Nem which newspaper men were ex-
eaaed, District Attorney Swami said:
I want TO spread it upon the record
mat there is nothing else the jury
.ants except to lndct the Mayor and
s'cfor Watson and possibly william
randolph Hearst Will your
''aor ask the grand Jury if that is not
Tnc court declined
During former session Of the grand
ss..'y, according to the records, Mr.
Sssnn asked
,ss - there charge Of conspiracy
'ss!nst the Mayor"
~ oid not say that" replied Fore
ssn Almiral.
,;ane minutea also touch on Commis-
'..aer 'i..aer Hirgnhcld's trip TO the Catskils
- >. summer, police wire tapping and
-. inquiry TO establish whether Dis
..sA ., attorney Swami. Mayor Hylan OF
s.. 81 o,'icsais sold Interborough securi-
.s snort before the conspiracy
Tses were brought.
s,, ~ records Indicated that during
.sss1mony before the jury Victor
:, .n ADMITTED that he had suggestcd
i.,es .pf M hyian that a conspiracy to
~, tne subway strike might exist
:. ..@ough ne added his belief was based
''resmztantial evidence
Hylan Before jury
,,yr mayor Hylan appeared before the
s,.. .a Jlry on September II lat As-
4. ~. Wv district Attorney Talley showed
i. ,sa'o ,sna'of a copy Of letter published
sfs,,.a ns~spapers Of AuYust II, ad-
a.s1 !" me members Ut the Brother.
~ ~ NE !. X. r. and beginning With
'p'a'lrh "friends and Fellow
~ m, was the letter iszucd
u. s ssc'nd day Of the strike urvinv
Etx. "''AeiS I" return N tncjr
-l'ns 81 the jurors asked .he N.v,,.
xsd AZ" NE ~ ask if this wounds
W.. W. u editorial, this letter ~ Id'.''n .,n',
~ ~ this letter." @''
H. mayor replied: "Ye., sir"
] Mao, y"rrr persisted, asking the