The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-16
LITTLE TAMMANY'S CHIEFS.
SOME CONVICTED AND OTHERS GIVING
UP THEIR Defence.
Four ofthe Indicted OmeIsIs Of Warren County
Plead Non Vuit Contendere-Cox and sliIser
Guilty, and Freebooter Trimmer Acquitted.

-Four ofthe Indicted OmcIaIs Of Warren County
Plead Non VuIt Contendere-Cox aud SlIIser
Guilty, and Freebooter Trimmer Acquitted.
BELvIDERE, N. j., Jan. 15.--Of the Tam
ike frauds that have boon committed In
Warren County. and for which seven officials
have already been convicted. II was expected
that what is known rs the Teel conspiracy case
would be the most stubbornly contested. Teel
was the former County Treasurer. He is a
wealthy merchant OF Phillipsburg. has been
Mayor OF tho city. q pillar in tho church.
and an earnest supporter of the Sunday
schools. He is old enough to have n
son In the pulpit. The gst OF tho
conspiracy case that has been called by his
name is that he agreed to pay. and did pay. some
of the Board Of Freeholders 81 800. for which
they agreed to allow him to keep two per cent.
Of the amount Of taxes received by him. instead
OF = OF one per cent. which was tho customary
rate. These Freeholders were the Chairman
OF the Finance Committee. John Dean attorney
OF the Board. John Gvens. and Frecholdcrs
King and Osborn. Mr.. Dean was used rs States
evidence and the indictments were pressed
against the others Mr.. Dean was on the stand
when the Court adjourned last evening. and il
was believed that he would be subjected to n most
rigid ross-examinaton. Instead. Counsellor
Morrow, one OF tho counsel for the defence
startled the Court ana audience by saying that
his clients would retract their plea Of not guilty
II tho Court would permit. and plead non nut
comendere, or we don't caro- TO make de-
fence The only difference between this plea
and guilty" is that the latter can be used
against defendants in civil suit which ia based
| on the same cause. while the former cannot.
Judge Beasley said that he was willing 10 accept
the plea. and that he would receive any anlda-
Wits that tended to show CIRCUMSTANCES that
ought 10 mitigate punishment 1t is said that
the defendants will mako nfIldavit that they
supposed the question OF Tcel's pay was purely
n legal ono. and that any action that might be
| taken would only render them liable to a civil
action.
garded BY the State as an admission that there
| is no valid defence Of any OF the remaining
charges Of conspiracy, OF which there are many
| II also placed tho Prosecutor in something Of a
fix. for he had believed that the trial would last
| one or more days and he WAS not quite ready to
| ono OF the seyenty-six indictments. minute or
| two Of thought. and tho calling Of one or two
names Of Witnesses he announced that he was
| seems TO have mastered all Of tho multiiarious
| details In which tho seventy-six indictments
| that have been found against Warren County
| officials are involved, so that II was only ques-
ton Of the presence Of witnesses in court as to
which case he should take up.
He called the conspiracy case OF DR.. Cox
| Freeholder Trimmer. and Contractor sliker
The defendants were ready. the witnesses were
| on hand. tho evidence was in. and the case was
| submitted to the jury without argument and
| they retired. all within two hours. In fact the
Jury considered the case in tho jury room far
| longer than they did in the court room. Tho
| case was similar 10 that reported in THE Sun
last week Siker was bridge contractor. and
| he took tho contract for building the Newburgh
bridge for 1871 IA the share for Warren County
10 pay. and with the understanding that he was
| 10 get no money until the bridge was built. But
| Slikcr got from the county t3i9 before compile
ton. on two orders. one signed by DR.. Cox and
Director straier for $50 and one signed by
DIR. Cox and Freebooter Trimmer for s199. Yet
with this advance Slikcr drew the full amount
without DEDUCTION when the bridge was DONE
ing the final order. Last week Cox. Sfrader. and
Shker were convicted the $3.50 order being tho
proof OF their guilt To-day the trial was based
on the signing and receiving OF tho tl99 order
Tho jury were out three hours They con-
| yiged Cox and Sliker and acquitted Trimmer
| The evidence OF intentional guilt on Trimmor's
| charged in his favor. II was the only indct-
ment against him. and he went out Of the court
| room with what little OF his face that q shaggy
| gray beard and big spectabes did not conceal
all wrinkle with smiles while the pallid Sliker
whose anxious wife waited for him at the gate
| last Thursday. and did not meet him. for he had
| that nigh gone 10 lail went sorrowiully with
the Sheriff back to his cell.
| Prosecutor Harris next called what IL known
as the New York conspiracy case. IL involves
! Treasurer, Gummins. Edwin Bulgin. John
| Bulgin. Madison Is convicted on four charges
| OF forgery and that the Prosecutor regards IA
| enough. He was not tried. Dean was ac-
| ceIted as States evidence 80 only Cummins
and Bulgin Were put on trial The charge. MS
stated by tho Prosecutor. was that Mr. Dean
| got a county note that had been signed 10y the
treasurer and Director OF the Frcehoiders in
| blank. He filled IL in for S. 200 and an ar
| ranscment was made through Bulgin 10y which
| Treasurer Cummlns was 20 advance the money.
| and he did make an advance Of $500 which
| Mr.. Dean took 10 New York. and there a divls-
| ion was made. That was in March 1878 Mr..
| Dean began his evidence late in tho afternoon.
| anG was on the stand when the court adjourned.
/
| VI