The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-11-13
PALMA CLUB ROBBERY.
The Case Against Hopkins
Has a Strange Be-
ginning. =
HE HAS THE CLUBS SYMPATHY
Chief Murphy and Janitor Warn
Give Their Testimony.

the superintendent of the Palma Club,
who is charged with stealing about S4OO
from the clubs safe, was arraigned for
examination.
Among those who took deep interest
in the proceedings were William Muir
held, president of the club, Charles Car
rick, the treasurer; Colonel John Nc
Anerney, DIR. L. J. Gordon, Fred G. VOL
bert, William Turner, William Carrick,
James Throckmorton, William F. Mid
lige, George Varick and Benjamin f.
DOwner.
Mr. Hopkins was accompanied by his
wife and several other ladies. He sat be-
side his counsel, Mr.. M L. NewboId, and
looked as though he keenly felt the posi-
ton in which he was placed.
THE CHIEFS EVIDENCE.
Chief Murphy was the first witness, and
testified that from information he received
he understood that the safe of the Palma
Club was robbed of $400 some time dur
ing the night of October %.
gFrom information he received, he sent
for Mr.. Hopkins and after warning him
that what he might say would be used
against him, questioned him.
Mr.. Hopkins, he said, then stated that
he left the club house about twenty min
utes to twelve that night and missing
car he walked home, arriving there at
twenty minutes past twelve O'Clock.
On cross examination Mr.. Newbold
asked the chief if Mr.. Hopkins said any
thing at variance with the janitor's state
ment
II asked him if he let Warn, the jani--
tor, in that night" said the Chief, land
he replied no, he came in the morning. >.
Mr.. Newbold then questioned the Chief
as to the accuracy OF the written state
| ment he had taken down as that OF Hop
L. i A., dc to wi u
view of showing that he had said nothing
inconsistent with the janitor's statement
/ The Chief said that the written state
ment was not the exact words OF hop
kins, but the substance OF what ne salu.
Finally the Chief referred to the state
| ment and discovered written there:-l
did not have the door bolted."
NO FORMAL COMPLAINT
| At this point it was discovered that
| there was no formal complaint against
| Hopkins, and Mr.. Newbold declared that
he was astonished to see that Hopkins
was held there with nothing to show why
| he was held or that crime was commit
! ted. He therefore moved to dismiss the
| proceedings.
| Justice SUilsing said that Mr.. Newbold
! should have made that objection at the
| opening of the proceedings, and he re-
piled that he certainly would have done
| SO if he had know that there was no COM
plant. Mr. Muirheid said that he had no
| instructions to make any complaint, as
| the sympathies of the club were all with
| the accused, and subscriptions had been
taken up in order that his interests
might be properly taken care Of.
| A proposition was made that the chief
make the complaint, but Mr.. Newbold OBJ
| iected, saying that some one more
responsible should be the complainant.
"If Mr.. Hopkins has been outraged by
this arrest we propose pS1 e. oao,d haye nm inf
| some one has arrested him and placed
this stigma upon him, the law requires
that that man put his name on paper.
| "Who is to be responsible for the dis
| grace which has been placed upon this
| Young man? We demand that some re-
| sponsible party make the complaint. We
propose to fight this thing to the end, and
we don't want to proceed against the
| chief for false imprisonment, because we
| believe he has only done his duty on in
| formation and belief as jealous public
officer. Hundreds of the club members
believe in their hearts that this man is in
nocent, and they cannot understand the
| matter"
A VERY MUCH MIXED CASE.
Colonel McAnerney, who took deep.
! interest in the proceedings, declared en-
| phatically that Mr. Hopkins had been
| whether the date of the robbery was Sep
! tember % or October 23, and whether any
money had been stolen or not. during
which Mr. Muirheid said:-"I didn't
know that l was on trial here. All /
know is that Mr. Hopkins said that he put
certain moneys in the safe belonging to
the club and that those moneys have not
been turned over to us yet. l have no in
strucMons to make this complaint
While this discussion was going on the
chief held consultation with Detective
/ Clos and at its conclusion announced
. +ba+ h q xyn,1ld M ka fha porpnlaint
After THAI had been done the chief
offered in evidente the key which Warn
says he found under the safe the morning
the robbery was discovered.
THE JANIToR's STORY.
Philip Warn, the janitor, was then
placed upon the stand. He repeated his
statement. which was published in THE
JERSEY CITY NEWS last evening. He told
how he came home, found that his key
would not open the door, and was let in
by Hopkins. Then he started to go to
bed. While undressing he heard noise
on the Bright street side Of the building
and upon looking out saw Hopkins cross
ing the street.
Mr. Muirheid examined him closely
and pressed him to tell why it was that
he told Mr.. Mulrheid lie the next morn
ing and said that he heard no noise dur
ing the night. Warn became visibly
effected He hesitated, toyed with his
hat. and finally, with much embarrass-
ment, said that his idea was that Mr..
Hopkins had taken the money home and
would bring it back in the morning.
When asked why he had said nothing
about it since he replied that he knew the
members thought a great deal of Hopkins
and would not like to have the matter
made public. Warn talks with a strong
German accent which together with the
low voice in which he spoke made many
of his answers unintelligible.
He contradicted himself upon several
unimportant points, and his conflicting
answers at times seemed to be due to his
misconstruction of the question.
After Mr.. Muirheid had finished ques-
tioning him, Mr.. Newbold continued the
examination. He closely followed up
II each statement made by the janitor, and
although Warn became agitated at times,
he did not materially differ in his an
4 swerS.
He said that the reason he did not tell
Hopkins of what he saw on the night of
the robbery was because Hopkins knew
ali he did that night, and Warn did not
think there was any necessity for him to
sneak to Hopkins about it.
IKE reason he gave for finally telling
Mr.. Muirheid of Hopkins actions was
that the knowledge troubled him so that
for the last few nights he has been unable
to sleep. MIR. Newbold closely questioned
him in order to ascertain whether it was
not a fear that he would be accused of
the robbery which actuated him, but
Warn would not acknowledge that such