The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-06-18

gument before that Justice, Mr.. Blatch-
ford interrupted them, saying:-
II am a stocSholder in the United
Railroads of New Jersey Corporation,
and l cannot hear you.'
The United Railroads of New Jersey
was a party with the Pennsylvania Com
pany throughout the process of the dis,
pute. Aa
Of course, all argument before Justice
Blatchford was dropped and the matter
was referred to Justice Gray, who heard
the application for sthe writ of error in
Boston, during the latter part of August,
1872 Justice Gray. without taking the
the Pennsylvania Railroad and refused
the writ of error.
obstacles placed therein by the P. r. R.,
the National Docks Counsel started the
Condemnation Commissioners to begin
work. They met September 8, 1892, and
adjourned to October, when they com
menced taking testimony and continued
with frequent sessions until June 2, 1888
value of land taken at 9,9S2 and damages
occasioned by the taking at $la2,5S7, max
ing a total amount of .$lS2, $50. Neither
people We're pleased with the award. The
former thought it too big and the latter
and both were on one side this time,
strange to say. Both wanted an ap-
NATIONAL DOCKS STRATEGY.
During the September term of the
Hudson County Circuit Court these ap-
peals were tried before a jury, Mean
fully out-manoeuvered their enemies by
altering their plans of the proposed road
s fhs n moua G9 lfs 10 Willis
duced q verdict of $4,000 for the value
$1S2.569, awarded by the Commissioners.
Since this was entirely satisfactory to the
National Docks Company, Messrs DISK.
inson and Thompson. made a tender of
the sum named in the verdict to their
opponents, who refused it and the money
was paid into court.
yers tried another move, and a very in
genious one it was. They claimed that
the National Docks people had no right
to cross Railroad avenue: notwithstand-
ing the fact that the authorities of Jer-
sey City had vacated a portion of that
thoroughfare. for that purpose. The
when the street was vacated tney, the P.
r. r., became owners of half of the
street adioinng their property t,,1a ana Inc me
land in the street until it had condemned
it and paid for it.
The contention resulted in series of
htigated cases, finally terminating in
the National Docks people condemnlnS
that portion of Railroad avenue and the
Commissioners awarding, a, certain sum;
An appeal was taken, and the jury. found
a verdict for S10,0G0, which was paid into
court, as in the main case of $4,000.
The Pennsylvania Company then At
jury on the appeal case: and took it to
the Court cf Errors. That body. set
aside the award on the ground that it
was insufficient, ard Justice Lippincott
last week ordered a struck Jury to re-
try the condemnation appeals in july
next.
All during the protracted fight the rival
corporations did not confine Their battle
fields TO the area of the law courts. They
occasionally made sortees and sksrrnishes
into the Court of Equity. Frequent ap-
lications for injunctions were made to
Chancellor McGill. who recently, in a
very lengthy, exhaustive and able opln-
ion, decided how the National Docks
Company, having paid the awards into
court, should proceed to construct its
railway under the Pennsylvania Rail
road yard at the Point of Rocks. This
Railroad, which promptly, took an ,;ap-
peal from the decree of the Chancellor.
Yesterday justice Gummere, who once
during the Htieation read a brief for
Mr. James B. Vreedenburg'h, of counsel
for the p. r. r., at the time. sick, read
the opinion that the Chancellor had no
right TO decide in favor of the National
Docks side of the issue.
And so this remarkable railroad case
has reached a point at which the long
drawn out litigation of six years, with
its moves and countermoves, may be re-
peated Counsel on both sides are ex-
ceedingly able lawyers, accustomed to
the shrewdest tricks and devices known
and unknown in the practice of law,
and are watching each others moves
like skilled chess players, and tire end
may vet be far off when the National
Docks road VIII run under the P. R.
ward