One hundred years ago
THE fifteen New York Aldermen ac- cused of taking bribes for granting concessions of city railways seem likely to escape penal servitude. Two of them are under trial, and two of their con- federates have testified that they re- ceived £4,000 apiece from a single railway, and formed a regular 'ring', with an understanding among them- selves that they were to make money by plundering all who wanted anything from the city. It was supposed that their punishment was inevitable; but the Judge ruled that the evidence of con- federates required strong corrobora- tion, and part of the jury, taking advan- tage of that ruling, refused to consider the remaining evidence sufficient. The Aldermen are to be tried again before a new jury; but it was noticed at the time that the difficulty of empanelling twelve men who had formed no opinion on the case was extreme.
The Spectator, 27 November 1886
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