The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-10
JUDGE MGRATH ARRESTED.
Kept in a Cell in New York for Three
Hours.

= EEaE
Judge John A. McGrath Of the Second
District Civil Court in this city was arrested
last night and locked up III the Mercer street
police station. He was there several hours
before a friend came to his rescue and gave
bail for his appearance before Police Justice
Mcmahon of Jefferson Market this morning
at half-past eight o'clock,
Judge McGrath last night went to New
York for the purpose of taking a Turkish
bath ON Irving place. When he reached
Fourteenth street and Sixth avenue he de-
cided to go into the Columbia restaurant and
have a table d'hote dinner. After ordering
his dinner the Judge told the waiter to bring
him a bottle of Margallx wine, the price of
which was fifty cents, Tn wine was fur
nished and when the waiter drew the cork
Judge McGrath noticed that the wine was of
a domestic brand He tasted it and told the
waiter that the wine was not a Burgundy
wine, and he did not want it. The waiter
then recommended a brand of st. Julien, the
price Of which was seventy-five cents.
Judge McGrath told him to bring the st.
Julien, but if it was not an imported Bur
gundy, he would not accept it. TIL wine was
brought as before, and the Judge tested it
and refused to accept it. He told the waiter
that the wine was domestic. The Judge then
ordered a bottle of Chianti Vecchio, an
Italian wine. After waiting a considerable
time for the waiter to serve it, the Judge
asked him to hurry. The waiter soon re-
turned and brought with him the wine that
Judge McGrath had rejected. He said that
the proprietor had ordered him to. tell the
Judge chat he must accept the wine he had
ordered before. This the Judge refused to
do, and the waiter handed him a dinner
check for $50. OF this amount seventy-ive
cents was charged for wine.
Judge McGrath refused to pay the bill and
told the waiter to go with him to the desk.
The Judge then explained to the female
cashier that he had ordered a certain brand
of wine and had not received it, but that he
had been charged for it in his bill. He laid
seventy-five cents on the desk in payment for
the dinner but he refused to pay for the
wine.
Proprietor Smith at this moment told the
Judge that he must pay for the wine and
McGrath said he wouldn't. The Judge
started to descend the stairs and Smith acted
as if he would prevent him. Judge McGrath
warned him not to interfere with his pro
gress and Smith needed the warming, but
when the first floor was reached he told a
private detective to arrest him. The detec-
tive was cautioned by Judge McGrath not to
do so, and he did not, but he called a police
man and ordered him to take the Judge into
custody. The policeman, before doing so,
advised Judge McGrath to settle for the
wine, but the Judge told him to MIND his
own business. Inc pouceuan Unen aITeSUeu
his honor and forcibly took him to the Mer-
Ger street station.
Here he was permitted to send a messenger
to Police Headquarters, this city, and also to
Joseph NJ. Carrahan of Fourteenth street, a
friend. Mr.. Carrahan FASTENED to the sta
ton as soon as he received the message and
became surety in $500 for Judge McGrath's
appearance in Jefferson Market Police
Court.
This morning Judge McGrath was ar
raigned before Justice Mcmahon who, as
soon as he heard the story, discharged the
prisoner from custody. Judge McGrath
Immediately came to this city. He told me
when l saw him that he would bring a suit
for damages against Proprietor Smith.