The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-19
JERSEY JUSTICES REAL TRIUMPH.

pert Perjurers-End OF the Rfesbeck
Case-Scathing Charge OF the Court
Verdict OF Guilty.
BY common consent ofthe Bench and Bar OF Essex
county, New Jersey, 1t would DO almost Impossible
TO cite case in which there has been developed 80
much bold rascality and shameless disregard OF
law or decency as that which has occupied the
Court OF Quarter Sessions In Newark for the past
week, and which was brought to q close yesterday
afternoon. The persons Implicated are Gilbert
I. Riesbeck, Charles II. Bertrand, Edwin M, Cooke
and Charles 7. Davis. These persons IL came out in
clear evidence, had In conjunction with others been
for years past carrying on an infamous business
the swindltng Of the heirs OF deceased persons OF
property BY means Of bogus wills forQeries and
unstinted perjury. the particular case which has
at last brought portion Of the gang to grief and
driven the remainder into hiding holes In New
York State and Canada, IL as follows:-In 1859
John Gardner died in Brooklyn. leaving cash and
property worth 10000 to DO divided among his
three brothers, sister, MRS. Flynn, and some
MINORS One OF the brothers, George w. Gardner,
was appointed trustee. He became quite intimate
with Bertrand, who lived near by. The upshot
was that
PLOT WAS FORMED
whereby the property was taken from the heirs
and passed into possession Of Gilbert T. Rtesbeck,
George Gardner all the time being o party to the
transaction. subsequently, 1t appears, Gardner
had falling out with his pals" and the result
was another plot was Matched BY them to get him
out the way. They concocted plan to send him
to the New Jersey State Prison. and first set about
1t by having hun arrested In Morris county on
charge Of perjury. Somehow this would not hold
and the gang then tried their hand In
employed Charles J. Davis, needy, ne'er-do-we
son 81 clergyman, to 60 before Justice Lambert
bride MIN Oy Offering him 500 to swear to paper
which was forgery, Cooke, however, did the JOB
before Lambert and Aiterwards Davis swore 10
however, OF ndcrtng Gardner, the Grand Jury.
after two weeks deberation ana careful searching
after the facts, found true bills OF Indictment
Thus
THE BrTERs WERE BITTEN soRELY.
Rtesbeck and Davis were arrested, but the others
managed to evade all efforts to capture them, and
are now, IT Is believed en- route for Canada, II they
was confined while Riesbeck was at large on
bail, concluded 20 turn States evidence and plead
guilty: He did 80, and on Thursday OF last week
sell is quite respectable looking man and re-
puted to be wealthy. During the trial it came out
Kings cr ea ssa to Ss
fraud the Gardner heirs; but, somehow,
having, Y is alleged. the proverbial 'Irlend
next indicted In HUDSON county n. j., and here
also managed TO ESCAPE; the Indictment being
Justice i also came out In evidence tnat they
We're implicated In the Emeine money case before
the Supreme Court in New York-a case In winch
bonds alleged to have been assigned Emeltue by
Rev. Mr.: Frost, . chaplain IN the United states
house, which was owned BY Bertrand. who, as al.
leged lived with the woman as his wife. Riesbeck
swore that he was one OF the witnesses VINO saw
ssssa BY me lses sssss9; sn ss NJ
fellow Davis, though not worth cent had been
obtain for her the bonds. 1t sttn urtner came out
that one Selma Bartlett, another OF Bertrand's
Of ssss lent 81 a. 10
tlenan named Bartlett, Of Staten Island. She had
been his nurse, and after his death claimed to
MARRIED SECRETLY 10 HIN,
Riesbeck, Bertrand CO. being her counsel and
ns ar sasys eounse for ne P ps
was present during Riesbeck's trial, and
r. Of course, ovsrloyed q the result.
yers BY his having wen packed bag Of papers,
&c, with MIN In Court which, 1t turned out, mas
Despite the his
sci, Counsellor Guild, the evidence. as the sequel
shows was too strong to save him.
sion to say that In all his court experience (he
Essex country ne never knew or had heard Of q
case IN which there was so much shameless rascal
ity and barefaced perjury committed. The evi-
dence in the case, he said, proved conclusively
that the accused were q part OF . gang OF the
worst and most INSCRIPTIONS rascals known in
the county. He strongly animated that the jury
would be doing great public service to
O'Clock the Jury retired. and after
being out only a few moments for forms sake, as
several OF them subsequently stated, they returned
with verdict OF guilty in manner and form &C
cording to the Indictment The Court at once
ordered tnat RieSbeck De remanded TO the custody
of the Sheriff. He and Davis were then removed
to the county Jail where they remain for sentence,
which will be pronounced tomorrow. From the
unusually positive expression OF opinion delivered
by the Court in the charge 1t Is believed that what
ever Is done with Davis, who turned States eu-
dence, Rlesbeck will receive the fall penalty OF the
heavy fine. The case has probably cost the county
about 81, 600 many witnesses having had TO be
summoned from distant parts besides the outlay
required Tor copying records and other evidence.