Year: 1879

MEMBERS OF THE LATE GRAND JURY TURNING


on THE LIGHT-DAsIAGING ADMISSIONS By


DISTRICT ATTORNEY BANGS.


CHICAGO Feb. /, 1879.


In the Blodgett inquiry DR.. Hamline member OF
the Grand Jury. made the following extraordinary
statement:--"I went the Grand Jury with some
reluctance and in an unpleasant frame OF mind. be
cause to the best of my knowledge and belief, the
Grand Jury packed. got that information d-
rectly from person whose to be examined
before that Grand Jury; that he informed that ha
might present to the proper authorities five
six names of his personal friends to he
placed upon that jury, of whom. he informed me.
Well. the matter struck me very unpeas-
antly. consulted of the Oldest and ablest legal
gentlemen OF the city-a personal friend of thirty
years neutrality-suspicious.. under the circumstances,
it proper for to serve on the Grand Jury.
He asked me if the knowledge of that fact would
affect my action. l told him it would not. and he
advised by all means then. to serve. After
the Grand Jury charged and assembled a num-
her of days devoted investigating petty Grim
inal cases l mean by that indictments against men
without friends and without influence. For instance
remember one case where man had made two bad
nckels; another where a white mans negro
mistress being turned adrift wrote him scandalous
postal card, and the poor indicted for it.
and such things.


A WITHDRAWING JURY.


The major part of the time was taken up with that
class Of things which brought before the Grand
Jury by Judge Bangs. the District Attorney. 1t be-
gan to be whispered about among the Grand Jury
that notorious criminal acts that had occurred in
our midst were TO be investigated; that it was
the determination of the Court and its officers pre-
vent such investigation Then the jury de-
termined to take up the important
themselves without waiting for the District
Attorney. They voted to inquire into the alleged
frauds i'll the construction of the United States Gus
House. the defalcation in the Post Office and the
Register Hibbard They sent for the witness
ana required the District Attorney to produce the
papers The result was the finding of in
dictmen.s in every case. 1t is understood
that the person alluded to having been
authorized to select of his personal friends for
the Grand Jury was prominent ex-oiiciai, con-
ccrned in the construction OF the Custom itonse
building. This testimony does not involve Judge
Blodgett. ut the time the jury was empaneed he
was absent from the state. The jury was drawn by
the United States Commissioner as usual.
HIBBARD's RETURNS.
A. L. Rose. expert accountant. testified that he
had examined Register Hibbards accounts and found
that the Register had undersrated his receipts for
each Of three years; the total amount of the
discrepancies for this period was over $4,000;
his figures were taken down from Hibbard's
fee book Witness had testified to this effect before


i'll the year succeeding each deposit it would not ap
pear in these figures.


Keith and TURNKEY members of the late Federal
Grand Jury testified to about the facts the
otner Jurors, as related yesterday.


BLoDGETT's INSTRUCTIONS DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
United States Attorney Bangs summoned and
testified that the Grand Jury themselves had taken
up the Hbbard case without his advice.
Mr.. Knott-Did the jury discuss the construction
put upon the law in the Hibbard matter? A. think
it did.


.. In your presence? A. think
.. Did you advise the jury upon that point A.
Well the jury had little doubt that subject, and
we had Judge TrumbuH before the body for the
purpose of getting his views the subject.
y. You have not answered my question. Did you.
as prosecuting attorney for the government. give
any order to the Grand Jury upon that important
subject A. did not


O. Well, why didn't you? A. Because considered
| the law the subject ambiguous.


O. For the editication of this committee please
plain wherein lies the ambiguity of that law.
The witness then pointed out the matters he con-
sidered ambiguous, but Mr.. Knott expressed himself
dissatisfied with the explanation. Witness continued
and stated that after drawing the indictments by


instruction of the jury against Hibbard for the pur
pose of presenting them to that body. ne
had a talk with Judge Blodgett, who al
luded to the perjury Indictment; could
not remember exactly what occurred at that
interview, but remembered that after it he changed
his mind to presenting the perjury Indictment to
the jury. Judge Bodgett said i'll substance that he
didn't think the perjury charge was right; that he
had construed the Law the registers Hibbard in
tcrpreted it, and that Judge Drummond concurrcd in
this view. Witness afterward told the jury what
Bodgett SAID, and told them If Judge Blodgett had
thus Instructed the Register then he not guilty
of perjury. The Judge had instructed him that il
was his official duty to withhold that Indictment