The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-09
PF|NGSTEN
CHALLENGED.
The ul-Mouthed School Di-
rector Confronted With (
His Indecent
Threats.
INVESTIGATION ORDERED.
Testing the Right Of a Man With a
Revenge to Crafty to Serve on
the Grand Jury.
A STRIKING SCENE IN COURT.

a DlhlhlNG SCENE In CUUKI.
A genuine sensation was created in
court this morning, one that will make
the opening day of this term of court
memorable in it's annals A grand juror
was challenged in open court before be-
ing sworn in.
That Grand Juror was Charles A.
Pfngsten, member of the Board of
Freeholders and of the Board of Educa-
ton. The challenge was formally made
by Lawyer Thompson, of the firm of
Dickinson & Thompson, was made and on
behalf OF the editor and man
ager of The JERSEY CITY NEWS,
against whom the challenged juror had
made repeated and violent threats that he
would cause them and all the employees of
that paper to the indicted.
When Mr.. Thompson arose in Court
after the twenty-four men who had been
summoned as Grand Jurors had filed
in, and made his formal challenge there
was d breathless silence. Lawyers stopped
their whispered conversations and pushed
as near the bench as possible, the officers
of the court crowded nearer to
the semi-circle formed by the
jurors and listened with the
closest attention to what the lawyer said
further on, and the challenged man,
Charles A. Pfngsten, stood pale and
trembling among his fellow jurors, SO
weak that it appeared to be an effortifor
him to listen to what took place.
He was the observed of all observers,
and he felt his position keenly and Bit
terly, and none realized more than he
the stigma that would forever be cast on
his name should he be disqualified from
serving as Grand Juror.
Judge Knapp looked very grave when
Cousellor Thompson said he challenged
Mr. Pfingsten. Eestold the lawyer to
make public his OBJ jections.
Mr.. TIIoMPsoN'S STATEMENT.
Mr.. Thompson then said that before the
Grand Jury was sworn he desired to pre-
sent a challenge against Charles A.
Pfingsten, at present member of the
Grand Jury. He had in his pos
session formal challenge based on
afIidayits from the editor and manager
Of THE JERSEY CITY NEWS, which stated
that the ground of the challenge as set
forth was that Charles A. Pfngsten, on
the fourth day of September last stated
that he was member of the Grand
Jury, and that he would have
everybody connected with THE
JERSEY CITY NEWS indicted. He made
that statement" continued Mr.. Thomp-
son. sin the presence of a number of wit
nesseS, and we desire to present these
facts to the Court. The managers of THE
NEWS believe that it is not right for
man to be sworn as n member of the
Grand Jury who has publicly made
threats that he would use his
proprietors of THE NEWS are not
afraid of any public Indictment, but
they do not think tits proper that under
the circumstances such man should be
permitted to serve on the Grand jury"
INVESTIGATION ORDERED
Judge Knapp and his associates. Judges
Lippincott and Holman. listened with the
closest attention to the statements of
counsel, and when he had finished Judge
Knapp conferred for O moment with
Judge Llppincott. Then in slow, grave
tone the Court said
''There are twenty-four members pres
ent of the Grand Jury, but under the law
but twenty-three can be sworn. IG has
been the practice of the Court always to
excuse the twenty-fourth man. The
twenty-three jurors can be re-
tanned by excusing the juror
nlent's reflection convinces the court that
this would not be justice to him
until after an investigation. There
fore, the court excuses the
twenty-fourth man, Martin Law
less, and directs that Commissioners
Nugcnt shall take testimony in regard to
the challenge later on and submit it to
the court. The clerk may swear the
other members of the Grand Jury in"
When this was done and Judge Knapp
had charged the jury, he called Counsel
lor Thompson and District Attorney Win
field to him. The court directed Mr..
Winfield to appear for the State next
Saturday, when Commissioner Nugent
will take testimony in relation to the
challenge. Counsellor Thompson said
that the court intimated that if the as
scrtions made by the challenged
Pfingsten should be found to be
based on malice, he would be per.
emptorily dismissed, and If the assertions
were made, but no malice proved, the
x court would consider the matter
Mr. Pfngsten was left standing alon G
when the Grand Jurors descended to
their room to begin their labors and soon
after he Went to the Freeholder's office
where he said Q had no malice against
anv newspaper or its representatives
Mr.. Pfngsten feels deeply his trials and
trlbulatIOnS.