The New York herald., 1866-09-03
CATTLE POISONING IN NEW JERSEY.
uua aackEHsAcE coaRfspuRptMcE.


N New Jersey and Largely Interested In
,he virginia and Jersey Coast Oyster
Trade-A Litiai0us Litigant.
HACxENAck, N. j., Sept ], 1899.
on the 31st of August Elisha Ruckman, reputed
wealthy citizen of Closter, Bergen county, N j., !.
arraigned before the Circuit Court Of this county A,s
tice Beade presiding associates Post, Zabriskic and
Terhune-on . charge Of malicious mischief y D,s.
trict Attorney Ban,a Knapp Hopper, and .,se,d on
behalf OF the State ex-Chancellor Wliamf an ana wor
tendyke for the prisoner The crime dev oea ;tsef in
the form Of cattle poisoning Rucf man "a large
landed proprietor in this county, and Awns number OF
tracts Of land and forming ar, Of The Palisades
He is well known in New York A. an ax,ensive oyster
DEALER and trades in this specie y on some Of the most
noted oyster banks Of Arania and the Jersey
coast His property nc Ar the Palisades is with
out fences, or any tangible lines of demarca-
ton as is alpiost all the land its immediate
vicinity and rIe people of locality have been in the
habit for abe ut hf century least Of allowing their
cattle to ~ axe N common these and adjoining tracts
From ab out the lst of June till November. 1855, some
Afteou head Of cattle and several horses grazing
te'ory died under circumstances which left no doubt
Of their having been poisoned wifnlly Heaps Of what
4ppeared be Indian meal and salt found laid In
different portions Of the property and these upon
nnaon have been found to contain large quantities Of
arsenic suspicion pointed TO Ruckman the party who
had caused the death Of the CATTLE indicted
An Indictment however, is nothing new to him, his
principal notoreiy in this section is acquired from his
lglous procvities he being continually involved in
law suits on some prctext or other and for the energetic
manner r,.r in which he Contests cases in which
objected to paying his proportion OF the county
bounty tax This case on its first argument was
matter of course, decided against him. and he mmed
aey carried to the Court of Appeals There the org
Supreme Court Of the United States In such q case
there cannot be the shadow Of chance for him. such
Of persons subject to the tax finally reputation
Of the debt by the people.
TESTIMONY OF JOHN VAN vALKs
live in Tappantown; have lived there about four
years. know the defendant; was owner Of four head
OF CATTLE they were out pasture in the mountains
all the neighbors pastured their cattle there; about
year Ruckman asked me il had any cattle
there said had he said II did not take them out
he dared do M he said he would shoot or poison them
By the eternal Jesus Christ, and all the cattle In
the mountans," this was about six weeks before the
cattle died. my died in September; four died.
worth over SE00 my son-in law told there was
something the matter with my cattle.
BY the CourtMy son told me about II on Thursday
Eriday. saw them on Sunday; had them examined by
xr. Austin.
day in the field; the other found dead
hundred yards from the spring; know nothing OF what
was found IN the oxen except what Austin told me- saw
no bran or meal in the mountains the other oxen died
IN my heds about month after they died went up
70 the spring ION Ruckmans andl and found the other
OK dead; think he had been dead month; he was
considerably decomposed
Cross-examined- the rsation with Ruckman
coming down the Dock lane about the LIST OF August
We were each Of us alone in wagons; told him
lad cattle in the mountains; he said must take them
faas language used in expressing this determination was
enJscsed 70 by prisoners counse) Don't know that
And right TO let my oxen run at large my cattle
Jun over the mountains since was q boy; had not
80. Ruckman within week before this have lived in
Rockland county, N Y, four years; the spring four
Rockiand county found them in Bergen county saw no
meal In the mountains; my OF had been eaten by the
dark red OK had owned him about three or four
yeaxs; had no particular marks his horns. BY the
Cour-Found my OK within two hundred yards from
The spring
teseinsd that he knew Ruckman lived half mile north
~ Rackmans had cattle in the mountains; they
~ po,soned had heard Ruckman say would poison
every creature he caught the mountains told he
would not have cattle there these mountains have
always been looked upon as common for miles In that
0rec0on found six or seven heaps Of rock salt and
1ndian meal the mountains; l put IL under stone
took Mr. Austin there he took some Of it away lost
horse BY poson oil the meal was found on Ruckmans q
Know other pes who os sna
ehere my horse had been running Ruckman' g
property; there were no fences.
Croee examined:-I lived in house OF Ruckmans
had no trouble with him when left II.
A EUxExR WITNESSES
1eeed TO hearing Ruckman threaten TO destroy cattle
seeing heaps Of salt, meal and cracked the
mountains, and 70 the fact Of their well the
testified that Ruckman told him that il he witness
I'D not keep his cattle of Ruckman's property that he
would make witness poor man. /" Some new facts
ELECTED from
Tnx TESTIMONY or MRS IAvruA ANTHONY.
Who, being sworn, deposcd follows-I live top OF
the Palisades; ] was washing at the spring. near the
middle Of last October; IL might have been later IL
getting quite cod Ruckman came along in his wagon
had In the wagon what appeared to be peach basket
aged gentleman was with him; Ruckman asked what
was doing there II had water ut home; said no
my sos asked him why
G Pity he asked % me- T' :Ss. 1ss % .Es principal place
cafN n dviu Tonid 4
the peach orchard; be drove and turned a little
Issssd me; didn't speak TO him; when hc went from
n towards the north the old gentleman got out was
1ackman got out bu. could not what he doing,
Nut beard noise az II pounding; finished washing be-
Dawn 70 water his cows; went up with Thomson and
found some ground Indian meal; Thomson said gather
N ws.rs :. s
y was not disturbed: the Indian meal LAID up
In pile y might have been hundred
yards from where l stood; ] went up as
70 ses; didn't think he me; did not follow up the
track Of the WAGON; gave some Of the meal 10 Mr..
Austin shortly after got II; the other spring north
aad he north the other gentleman went him
We lost ono yoke OF oxen died nj Claus the other
have been in the habit Of pas,uring 10 common FOR
seventeen eighteen years Austin and got part
Croes-cxamined-I judged the age OF the gentleman
with Mr. Ruckman BY his har being gray; didn't pay
great deal Of attention TO him he stranger 10
me; thomson fdrove his cows down 20 water; IL was
thrscquarters OF mile to his house. couldn't tell IL
hs had water nearer home; he had nothing his hand
whom he came up; he said he found OF Ruckmans
poison; we went up; saw It quick as Thom-
son: i Knew where Ruckman had been when
Thomson said he had found poison; said thought I
knew where IL was Thomson STAYED there only long
enough TO water his that is what scraped up
q portion Of the alleged poison produced in cour
each OF us took some scraped II pretty clean with
our hands, we each took till gathered IL up gave
part Of mine TO Austin within about week; there
rising ground each side OF us he north over the
yfsng ground, Ruckman was pretty well on top OF the
M when he got out found the stun near the top OF tho
hull; my sister-inaw was with me washing; Mrs.
Wcble came after Ruckman left he had gone away ;
while she was away Ruckman back no
w@ gone when she came back went home In
the afternoon, after washing II in October.
rent time my sister in.law and daughter were
mere whhc Ruckman there think there
sr. ou'.ernu,s there; didn't him crack nuts and