New-York tribune., 1922-01-20
Swami Serving
As Banton Aid;
! Salary, $2,4O0
farmer District Attorney
Takes Lowest Paid Job
m Successors Staff to
Finish Up His Old Cases
offered to Work for Moth.
ing: Denies Any Secrecy
or Scheme to Get Pension

n. name OF one of the lowest paid
,.,utv assistant district attorneys ap-
.s,..d bv District Attorney Joab H.
eaton was not announced January I
-.h those Of the rest Of his staff, nor
"A the new s2.40o-a-year member Of
v, Bsntons staff take oath with his
.;.f and the others before Judge Grain
January I. He was sworn in two days
stcr.
H,s name is kdwsrd Swami and until
W Banton took Office he was the Dis
tie. Attorney Of this county. Before
.h,, he was judge OF General Ses-
sons. He is r man of wealth. of large
,,sl esatc holding. and extensive in
rrssss.
He TOOK the pest or Mr.. Banton's
sat because it was necessary for him
.' have official standing before the
rand jury in order to complete certain
|ssycstiSatiors which still we're unfin-
shed when his tern, Of Office expired
he insisted that it be the very lowest
PAD posltion on the STAFF When he
! has finished his work ncXt week no will
,e IN position TO retire with some
tang less than 5000 If he has man.
igcd to save all his salary.
Offered to Work for NOTHING
In offering his aid in closing nm
sses ne alone had become familiar
with. Judge Swami showed him.cif
tac same consldcrate gentleman we all
know him to be- said Mr.. Banton. "Ue
q has been coming in here every day and
H rorkng quietly on the cases he has
u and all II An attitude Of self-efacc-
sent he offered - come in voluntaril,.
nd without pay, but We couldn't do
AT because ho would have to have
Seal standing in the law, and he was
laced on thc pay roll at the lowest
':ure any member of the staff is paid
II named him a deputy assistant
ust as Mr. Swami had prcviously
'amed Mr.. Dntermycr and former Gov
srior Whitman so as to give them Of
cisl status to appear before grand
lries AND N court in the name of the
rsope. Mr.. Swami did rot ask that
his name be left or the list of an
1ointe gave out, but felt delicacy
bout making the announcement and
80 left it of.
Denies He Is After Pension
In spcnsc to a suggestion that Mr..
Sxann might become entitled to a pen
,ol from the city through his humble
POSITION on the prosecutors staff, Mr..
Bsnton suggested that Deputy Assist
an. District Attorney Swami himself
lght to have chance to answer that
gerry.
From his home in Park Ridge, n. j.,
ast night Mr.. Swarm made this state
-sn. over .te telephone:
4 will moi be on the District Attor
ys staff after the end OF next week.
aN is not for the purpose of getting
vnsor 1t was originally thought
ANMe work would have to DO would
'a ist over two weeks. 1t has now
sss near. three, but it will be fin
nied BY the end Of next week. My
appointment was merely temporary
re sor few days to finish work on
certain eases which had hecn in my
fsclusivs change. The work will he
'ntirey corr. .l'eto by he end Of next
week and the technical official position
which was given for the purpose only
| W. pV icSlkl
Years ago when MIR Philbin was the
District Attorney a lawyer was allowed
70 work up case and appear before
the grand jury without having been a
q member or the staff The result was
\ nat ar Indictment which resulted was
II ct aside because the lawyer had no
| 'landlne as repro sentative of the
Al people
y Says IT'S Been No Secret
81 i suppose .he reason Mr.. Banton
i appointed me deputy assistant was
because he wanted to give me some
= sort OF an official standing in case ]
q ahNe 10 appear before d grand jury,
4 !s' as | appointed Mr. Whitman and
d Nf. Ontcrmyer. had offered to come
~ ana hnlsh matters pending without
compensation. bat Mr. Banton felt !
m0u'o nave some official standing, SO
"0s sne very minimum and the one
Htr9g the smallest salary.
mere has been no secrecy about it
lar as know. and, as every one in
culdlng is aware. | have been re-
N'eig at the District Attorneys
sra and working there every day. l
4 "a rot go into the Office to-day be-
.'a@ the weather was very bad and
Msuse had sufficient work on the
sssers | am handling to take up my
va: home. I gave Governor Whit
~N the same position l am now hold
ag plus $1,000 a week. don't get
ne thousand dollars. accepted the
s"est paying position ! could be given
d ! permit me 10 qualify for work on
%e matters had in hand"