Bridgeton pioneer., 1892-01-28
CUMBERLAND COURTS.
TERM BROUGHT TO
A CLOSE.

The Day of Retribuffon for OF
tenders. Judge HOagland
Passes Sentences.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
The afternoon session of court be.
gan with the trial of the last cause of
of the term. Just previous to the be-
ginning of this case all jurors not on
the present panel and the Griner case
were discharged for the term, and they
were made happy with the payment
of So per day received from the hands
of Sheriff Whitecar.
1t has been long time since there
has been an oyster case to attract the
attention of the court, and it seemed
really interesting and a big audience
remained in the court room all the af.
ternoon. James j. Reeves and Hon.
J. L. VanSyckel represented the de-
PENDANTS. It has been years since the
case. and he looked rather out of place
when he took his place at the defend
ants table,
This case the state against Peter
Wilson and Addieon Smith, charged
with Illegal dredging.
Josias N. Cobb, testified that he was
the owner of the oyster bed known as
Hawks Nest" which was situated in
Downe township about two miles be
| low Nantuxent creek. He identified
deed given him by the Riparian Com
mission. He said that he never gave
the defendants permission to oyster
on these grounds.
Capt. Frank Cobb, son Of Josihs
Cobb, said he never gave any per-
mission to the defendants to oyster on
these grounds. He described the stu
alton Of the grounds, and said it was
properly marked with stakes and
buoys. Both of the defendants, this
witness said, were employed on his
boat, the "F. M. Bradford" and as
sisted in planting this ground in the
spring OF 1891.
On the afternoon of the Ash of No
vember. Captain Cobb said he noticed
a sloop dredging near these grounds.
He noticed the movements, seeing the
dredge being thrown overheard, and
drawn up and emptied Harry Lore
was with the defendant at the time.
At night he saw the boat dredging
across Mr.. Coob's ground. This was
kept up until nearly morning.
Then Lore and the witness got in a
small boat and went out to the sloop.
They came up to the sloop and called
to the defendants in the sloop, but
could get no answer. They identified
Smith and Wilson.
The next day they again visited the
boat which was some distance away.
The witness asked the defendants who
had the boat last night, and they said
they did. He accused them of oyster
ing on these grounds and they ad-
mitted it and declared they had a
right to oyster there. Ad. Smith wanted
to know if Cobb was going to arrest
them, and he answered that time alone
could tell. The witness said there
was & natural bed just outside, and in
fact their ground took in part of the
natural bed.
While this witness was being exam
ined, the announcement was made
that the jury in the Griner case had
agreed, and the gentlemen came up
stairs, all looking solemn They took
seats on the east side of the room.
They were kept seated some time be-
fore the Court instructed the Clerk to
take the verdict. The interest was
very great, and the audience could not
conceal their impatience. Constable
Ayars went out to the Jail and returned
with Griner, and he sat down directly
In front of the Court. When the ver-
dict was received Griner looked direct
ly at the foreman, and when the an
nouncement was made that he was
''guilty of indecent assault with intent
to rape" he never shrank back or
changed color.
This verdict is very serious one, as
it fully vindicates the young lady in
her entire story, and convicts Griner
OF attempting to do all that she testi-
fed to.
Constable Ayars took Griner back
to jail He was all broke up, and ex-
claimed to the Constable, my God
amt that woman got any heart at all?''
Lewis r Lore gave testimony
against the defendants, fully substan-
tiating the preceding witness and GO
Ing one better perhaps.
Harry Lore gave testimony entirely
corroborative of his father and Capt.
Cobb, who were the preceding wit
| nesses.
The state rested, and Mr.. VanSyckel
opened for the defeuse, and Mr.. Reeves