Bridgeton pioneer., 1892-01-21

Hc Wdo cAPcCtcu " pTONC lhuOCcht vi
a charge of assault and battery. The
defendants were the notorious John
Harmon, Jr., Nicodemus Brown, AL
bert Brown, Dallas Williams and Clar.
ence Branch.
Battle SCARED as veteran, Lehman
! Pierce came forward to testify. He
| said that he was in attendance at q
basket social that was being held in
the hall at Gouldtown. After awhile
be became warm and went outside to
get air. AS he went out on the steps
he saw John Harmon and his gang.
One of them said ''there is the S.
- new" About that time Allan
Branch struck at him with a black
jack. Pierce threw up his arm and
| warded off the blow, and knocked him
away. The whole crowd then jumped
into him and scramble ensued. Some.
| body cut him under the eye with a
black jack. Nicodemus Brown, he
said, ran up with club. John Har-
mon then threw stone which struck
him on the head, cracking the skull
Then Brown hit him across the nose
with a club. Pierce was horribly
SCARED about the head and face.
At this point the Matte Banard jury
came in and said the little girl was
not guilty of stealing Mrs. Summers
pocket book,
The Martin Edwards jury was called
up just before Court adjourned. Eleven
of them had agreed upon conviction,
but one gentleman could not say
guilty without some proviso, which
the court did not think proper, and
the eleven contrary men, and the
other gentleman went out and staid
all night.
A surging crowd gathered about the
ontside doors this morning anxious fer
admission, but none but those who
had business were ats first admitted,
afterwards others until the court room
was comfortably seated, and the doors
were then closed against everybody.
The disorderly house case against
Augustus Leverone, of Vineland, was
continued until next term, owing to
illness of his counsel, Mr.. John 8.
Mitchell.
The assault case against the five
colored men was continued. Hon. T.
W. Trenchard had been called upon to
appear in the defense, representing
two of the defendants.
The Edwards assault jury came in
while q states witness was being ex.
amined and returned a verdict oi
guilty The jurymen having been out
since yesterday morning were excused
until this afternoon.
! Francis Cuffs story implicated the
defendants strongly. He was wit
ness to the fight and asserted that
Lehman Pierce was badly used uI
man, it being necessary to carry him
in the hall and give him treatment.
Howard Stewart wass thus far the
most substantial witness for the State
His testimony was positive and to the
point. He saw the blows struck
Archibald Cuff, one of the most re-
putable colored men in Cumberland
county, told of the gang of de
PENDANTS coming out in the GouldtowI
settlement and raising row. He de
scribed very minutely the assault ol
these five men on Lehman Pierse. II
was q wicked tussle, and Mr., Cuff said
at the time he was fearful Pierce would
be killed by these men. All the mer
had clubs and they used them freely
He saw John Harmon throw q large
stone which struck Pierce in the face
Both Mr.. Trenchard and Mr.. Ware
used all their ingenuity to oondradici
Mr.. Cuff, but he baffied them at every
point.
Howard Dunn said he saw Albert
Brown strike Pierce with black jack
and he also saw John Harmon and
others gather about Pierce and throw
him down. One Of the crowd STRUCK
the witness, and he left, getting out ol
harms way.
Anothony Gould, and Preston Gould
gave strong ooloring to the States
case, and the defense took theil
whack.
1t seems from the defense's opening
that the wrong parties were indicted
1t should be that Pierce and the
Gouldtown people should defend
themselves, while the prosecution
should be carried on by Harmon and
his friends.
| THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
The Gouldtown assault case was con
tinued. Clarence Branch, one of the
defendants, gave his version of the af
fair. Quietly and peaceably this young
man with the other defendants went
out to the Gouldtown Basket Social,
charitable motives filling his heart
| He went in the hall. and when he came