The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-06-19
MRS. PRIBYH IN COURT
All the Voorhees, Victims
Plead Not Guilty to the
State House Frauds.
KUsER's AGGRESSIVE MOVE
Judge Woodruff Will Not Try all
the Cases Owing to Friendship
for the Accused.
KUsER'S AGGRESSIVE MOVE
80, 10 tne Icrsey c:ty .aesse.

! persons indicted here in connection with
1 the State House frauds were arraigned
to plead in the Mercer County Court
| at ten o'clock this morning, and all Of
them, through counsel, entered pleas Of
not guilty with leave to amend the plea
in future for the purpose of other mo-
tions. except Mrs. Benedict Prieth of
the Newark "Freie Zeitung.'
| Major General Lenz. her counsel, said:
'On behalf of Mrs. Prieth. I desire to
enter a plea of not guilty without any
reservation whatever, and I ask for her
! speedy trial, to which she is entitled"
Prosecutor of the Pleas Stockton fixed
| July % next as the date and in reply
| to Major Lenz, who pressed for still
| earlier date. the Prosecutor said he
would consider the matter.
| JOHN MULLINS GIVES BAIL.
| The first of the eight defendants to
arrive in court was John Mullins. the
wealthy Newark and Jersey City fur
| niture dealer. He was accompanied by
ex- State Treasurer Toffey, ex-Sheriff
Cronin of Hudson county; Captain Law
renee Farrell of this city and his coun-
sci, James B. Vredenburgh and ex-Judge
William T. Hoffman,.
| Mrs Prieth, accompanied by her son
and Business Manager Benedict Prieth,
and Major Lentz, next entered the court
| room. Then came John L. Kuser, ac-
| companied by Judge Chauncey Beasley
and his brother. State Assessor Anthony
| T. Kuser.
| John T. Van Cleef was the next to put
| in an appearance. He was accompanied
| by H B. Sarton, the leading criminal
lawyer of Trenton and several personal
friends. He was soon followed by the
other defendants. Otto Pains and Emil
Krautler of Newark and Charles B. Rob
inson of Princetons Helms and Krautaer
wer represented by Counsellor Walter
| J. Knight of Newark and Robinson by
Fergus Dennis of Princeton.
Judges Woodruff and Yard were on the
bench and John Mullins was the first
called or to plead. There are six indict-
ments against him, two for conspiracy
with Bernard J. Ford, late superintend-
ent of the Capitol, to defraud the State,
and four for "uttering false oaths" in
the months of February and March, 1894.
These bills were in connection with bills
rendered by Mullins for furniture for
the State.
| Judge Hoffman entered pleas of not
guilty reserving the right to amend by
a motion to ouash in the future The
right to move such an amendment was
granted The date of the trial was fixed
as July % and the amount of bal $1,000
altogether. Captain Farrell cheerfully
went on Mullins bond. Captain Farrell
| is IN the same line of business as Null
| Inns and nearly as wealthy.
| JOHN VAN cLEEF PLEADS.
| John T. Van Cleef was then called by
| the Prosecutor. He stood up pale but
| smiling There are two indictments
| against him. both, for obtaining money
| in the State under false pretences. Ac-
! cording to the charges, he obtained $3.50
| on July 6, 1893, and $500 on July 25, 1894.
He was Chief Clerk Of the State Board
| of Assessors, and the money was obtain
| ed for railroad maps which he was sup
posed to furnish but did not supply.
| Counsellor Barton entered pleas of not
| guilty, the trial was set down for July
"a, and the bail was fixed at $500. Ex-
| Chief Engineer Philip Froundenmacher
of the Trenton Fire Department gave
| bail.
! When John L. Kuser was arraigned
| for conspiracy his counsel, Judge Beas-
| ley, asked for rule to show cause why
He said he was preparing affidavits to
| show that the Grand Jury listened to
! testimony not properly before them.
KUsER's AGGRESSIVE MOVE.
| Judge Woodruff said the proper course
was first to enter plea to the in
dietment Judge Beasley thereupon en-
| tered plea of not guilty and renewed
| his application for the rule to show
cause The court granted the applica-
| tion and will hear argument in the course
of a few days. Helms, Kraustler and
Robinson, all of whom were indicted for
| conspiracy like Kuser and Mrs. Prieth,
! in connection with German printing
contract pleaded not guilty. They fur
nished $500 bail each and their trial was
set for July "a.
! Mrs Prieth was the last to be called
upon to plead.
! There is much feeling in this county
| over the action of the grand jury in In
dieting her, and it was manifested to
degree at least by the proceeding of the
court in not requiring her to furnish
bail. but discharging her on her own re-
| cognizance JAS Superintendent Ford
was not called OF plead the presumption
| is that the detectives have not found
him yet.
Colonel Van cleef's trial will be the
first to take place. His counsel sue
q 8