The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-02
JERSEY CITY EMANCIPAYED.
Bumsted Caught in the Trap at
Last.
Another Glorious Example Of the Vindication Of
the Law-The Attorney General Annihilates
the Ring-A Grand Forensic Effort.

defence He said that If there was any fault at all
II should be laid at the door OF the old Board of
Water Commissioners, who had resolved tol
purchase this property for the purpose OF al
reservoir. When the new Board came into
power they concluded to carry out the resolutions
OF the old Board and to secure the lands required
for reservoir. Garrett Vreeland was little
sharper than the rest OF us and saw there was a
chance of making money. II Bumsted had run
the Board as he is represented TO nave
done, why did Mayor O'Nein sign the
warrant-as he was the watchdog Of the city,"
The money on the Benedict property was to be paid
when the City Attorney said that the title was
right ana if it was so wrong to draw warrant
ior $4,000 why not indct Mayor O'Neil for sign
ing that warranty If he (the Mayor had the
slightest idea that there was q wrong, he was just
rs hdictabc as the defendants. Ii Garrett Vreeland
was agent for the city, then the defendants are
guilty; but there was no proof that he was acting
in such capacity prior to the 9th Of June,
ana he wrote the Skinkle letter prior to
does not make him so. The defence denied that he
was agent prior to the 25th of July Counsel made
by preiudices which are felt throughout the com
munity since these proceedings commenced.
NrroKNEY GESEnAL GiLcnEisT,s hRGu n'r Sar mo
State, and delivered an argument which swept
accsthe barriers Of sophlstry thrown around the
einnmanca 1t was magnificent outburst of
or n;s recalled The celebrated address
lister ere to France5 in t Drayton afterwards Min
Absom was on trial iSe eari o It Afforded
gesture, information and cadence when weagIons as
master mind. At one time he drew tears
given to weeping, and there hardly member
Of the jury who did not drop tears at the thrilling
DE- the on sy
only agency he held from the city was
tn 0fT0rn nndnP tn rfu Int hn
tells Nichols, 81 have unlimited power to purchase
for the CITY," The city has been cheated $50 lot
on all the property bought except in the case Of
the Benedict property and in that the city
has been cheated $3.50 a lot, amounting in all to
your attention in this case to the conduct Of the
wretched man OF the Second National Bank, who
made an agreement to swear to a lie, and he went
evidence the State has. This conspiracy was sol
wicked, SO detestable that could not exaggerate
its character by the use Of the strongest
HQwers by the Legislature (here he clenched
defeH 1ants in Court riveted his eyes mn him as he
poured on his head a denuncaton which
made hilnt sink back into his sea, and
for tic protection OF the property of
people but g ,nplS pos s. Of tyranny
any otter country in the yprld. If these things
had been done in Berlin or Paris, or in any mo-
narchcal country, the throne would not be SECURE
OF his palace he offered to buy 1t and
s seess f S g s9Srss 4f No. to ~ @
design rather than invade the property of his SUBJ
jects And here we are in country which lays
claim to a far higher order OF civilizatlon-in a
country which has been liberal in providing
safeguards for the protection of life and the Sc.
freemen trampled upon. When consider the con-
dition OF the poor thrifty Dutchman along the line Oh
Mnat vans he terrible f Hate
these poor people? II you don't sell to us your
property will be condemned Foreign commission.
your property will be called in, and you
win have to take whatever they will offer
yD ere l Was old MaS M RSor ner1er poor
tottering, feeble woman, bending under load OF E
eighty years, ana no mercy was shown to them;
you don't sell your house syill be torn down.
Here thrill OF sensation ran through the Court.
overcome by emotion.l
Why, gentlemen, tins is tyranny; this is oppres- :
sion OF the citizen invasion Of the sacred rights
of property, and when you interfere with this
mans property you interfere with my lib
s y @ thank have Goa ,Ns n nys si tas
to which we can appeal when oppression threatens :
u.s. and hope that the day will never come when :
that tribunal win be taken away from u.s. These
poor people call upon you to stand between them
and the oppressor. | call upon you-nay; !
security in danger. This is really question of
your liberty and mine; it is a question
where we have to protect our ourselves =. Do ,
Don't make Hogencamps of yourselves, and when
you go home to your families you will go home
happy men. will now, gentlemen, leave the case
in your hands" The speaker occupied the floor
exactly two hours
The following is the outline OF the charge ofJudge
GESrLEMES OF THE JuR7T-The labor Of the Court
is very much relieved by the close attention
you have paid to the case. You must feel
glad that the case is drawing TO close.
There is no escape from the facts that the purchase
nrpn NJ y1ras off
Board Of Public Works; that the city did not get r
that the negotiations were carried on entirely be-
tween Bumsted and vreeland The bargain was :
concluded between these two. On the Sd OF July
the 9Th and 7tn vreeand pays back to .
Bumsted the money which Bumsted loaned him for :
the purchase Of the property. The jury can see
very plainly that the chief man In these negotla-
tons was Bnmstcd. His duty, as member OF the !
Board Of Public Works, was not to speculate
ont Of the city. ANY man who holds an official po-
si,lon must be faithful to his trust and must not
guilty Of Official misconduct In allowing the city
70 be imposed upon If his fathfulness in the dis
nv trustee s 81 the CITY, and was not allowed :
s 20 speculate eSnEn for his own gain. He
SO that the city might not be defrauded n
In thls case II was not bargain between two
Ou.it was compact-a combination between an
outsider anu Q man who held Official position In
Nloldiiou u MS uuty. And the outsider. h
knowing that his confederate in the matter was
an Official OF the city was as guilty the Official
erty agent of the city, afterwards to repudiaie
the agency, and then demand from the city price
far above the value Of the property The
jury should not be perplexed about the proof of
vreeands agency, for II vreeand entered into such
a combination with Bumsted and purchased the
property the law would treat him as being an
agent for the city; and II he should refuse make
title 10 the city on payment OF reasonable compcn
aation as commission or otherwise for his services
he would be obliged to disgorge. In fact, his re-
fusal - make title would be regarded as a fraud
upon city. The main question for the jury Is,
was 'taere such a combination in this case ?
After reminding the jury that In order to
render a conviction for conspiracy two at
least should be found guilty, the Court offered by
way of advice, that Welsh might be acquitted, rs
the evidence against him was rather weak. Judge
Bedles closing sentence was :-"Gentemen, you
will DO your duty striking the bench with his
clenched hand ana knitting his brow, though 1t
strikes hard"
The jrfy went out at ten minutes past four, and
aiter the lapse OF ten minutes brought in YER
diet OF