Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1889-05-16
BRIDGETON, N. j, THURSDAY MAY I6 1882

danger of receiving the penalty for the
sufferings of this plaintiff.
He complimented the ability and
fairness of the lawyer for the defend
ant, and then rec&pitulated the case,
summed up the evidence, and when
he despairingly exclaimed where is
the truth OF this matter" he had only
echo for answer.
He concluded his speech at 25 min
utes to FIVE o'clock and court ad.
journed.
THURSDAY MORNING.
When court opened this morning
Judge Pancoast impressvely informed
the court that he was crediblv in
formed that Mr.. Keighly, the defend
ant in court, brought one of the Jur-
ors of this Jury, now empaneled,
FROM Vineland in his carriage this
morning, and he asked Mr.. k~ighlv if
it was the truth; Mr. Keighly said it was
Mr. Pancoast asked the stenographer
to take down his statement conveying
the information to the court.
Col. Potter objected to the statement
being made and asked that it be
stricken out. Judge Reed held that
the information was properly given
If, on contingency, it was to be used
as basis for new trial. In his charge
to the jury in the case of Cotton VS..
Keighly for $4,000 damages, the Judge
held that Mr.. Keighly was not relieved
from liability by reason Of his contract
with the contractors, Pitts & Downey.
The contract only entailed upon the
contractors the digging of the bitches
and the laying of the pipes. Mr..
Keighly was not relieved from the care
of guarding the safety of the excaya-
tions. 'The damage arose from the
fact of the bitches being improperly
guarded" was the assumed PROPOSE
tion of the charge. He was digging
the bitches lawfully--all of his acts
were proper, as to the digging and to
the laying of the pipes, but did he use
reasonable care in guarding those OBJ
structions. That should have been
done in the usual manner of placing
lights at the place of danger to signal
it to passers by.
The testimony, the Judge said, was
conflicting as to the placing of those
signals as we'll as to the opening of the
excavations across the sidewalk.
The jury would have to ecide those
differences. If the jury finds there
was no negligence in guarding the
place, the Judge said that ended the
case, for that was to the extent to
which Mr.. Keighly was liable. The
contributary negligence of Mr.. Cotton,
the plaintiff was considered, and if the
jury found that Keighly was negligent
and Cotton was not, the question of
the amount of damages was to be esti-
mated.
He was entitled, in case this was
found to be the case, and Mr.. Cotton
was found to have been thus injured
he was entitled to compensation in a
reasonable degree for his physical suffer
ings as we'll as his financial losses.
The Juty went out about half past
ten.
THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
The Grand Jury made their present
ment this afternoon, having completed
their grand inquest. Only sixteen true
bills were found.
A bill was found against Master
Workman John Coffey, it is said
but it is intimated by the knowing
ones that the case will not be brought
to trial this term.
The following persons were brought
in and entered their pleas to the in
dictments fonnd against them. Some
of these were old indictments:
James Beebe, guilty.
Elihu Clark, disorderly house, not
guilty.
Winfield johnson, malicious mischief
and stealing-two indictments, guilty
in each case.
Walter Hay, Burglary, not guilty.
Geo. Brady, burglary, guilty.
David Thomas and William Fauver,
twoindictments each. Thomas pleaded
not guilty in each case, and Fauver
pleaded guilty in each case.
Joshua Wilson, burglary, guilty.
FRIDAY MORNING.
The court met this morning, Judge
Hoagland presiding, to hear the re-
monstrances against granting licenses
to George Foster, of Cedarville. Be-
fore court was opened John Shaw Jr.,
and Albert Dickinson two boys, were
called up to plead to indictments for
malicious mischief and grand larceny.
Both boys pleaded guilty. Lawyer Van
Syckel informed the court that the
grand Jury had found no bills against
David Laws, or Walter Gould, as he is
variously known, and James Dilks and