The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-10-09
ALMOST F%IS1ICUFFS.
Editor Lanes Libel NSuit il
Court-Chairman Day
Enraged.
Specfal to the Jerscu Citu Nears.

ELIZABETH, Oct. 9, 1895-The Union
County Court was crowded yesterday
when the libel suit of DR.. William Fl
Lawrence, Township Committeeman and
Town Treasurer of Summit, against ex-
Assemblyman Thomas F. Lane. editor OF
the Summit Record was called for
trial. DR.. Lawrence wants $50, Oc0 dam
age for IN alleged libelous article pub
lished in the Summit Record" Novem-
Der l, 1894, which charged him as a
township officer with employing people
who owed him money to work for the
township so that he could collect his
bills, and also, he alleges, held him up
to public ridicule and thereby injured
his professional reputation
h V. Lindabury is conducting
the case for the plaintiff. while Editor
Lane is, being defended by Samuel Kali
isch, of Newark, Ex-City Attorney Frank
Bergen, of Elizabeth, and Assistant
United States District Attorney Thomas
F. O'Brien, of Morristown.
The first witness called to the stand
was DR.. Lawrence. Lawyer KaIisch
sharply cross-examined him as to GER
tain parties whom he put to work on
hes streets. and it came out that one
man. a Mr.. Kelly. was a tenant of DR..
Lawrence, and owed him 500 for rent
when put to work
POOH BAH EVIDENCE.
Alfred Lane. a brother OF the defend
CLERK and reporter on the newspaper. and
that IT'S circulation November II last
was 800 copies, and that the papers were
sent to many parts OF the United States.
me prosecution rested with the testi-
mony OF Lane. n the submitting of a
copy OF the Summit Record" in evil
dence.
The first witness called by the defense
was Charles E. Buckley, President of the
Whiting Silver Manufacturing Company
OF New YORK. He testified that while
the granting of the franchise to the
electric light company was under con
sideration by the Township Committee,
an indignation meeting Of Summit citi-
zens was held to denounce such action,
was charged with having corrupt mo-
tives in his advocacy of the measure.
you say you heard tnts?" questioned
Lawyer Lindabury.
yes" replied the witness.
ing corrupt?'F asked the lawyer.
I did" boldly replied the witness.
Summit, and DR.. Lawrence had an ami
mated conversation. during which DR..
Risk made some allusion 20 the Town
ship Committee being influenced by i'm
SHOOK HIS FIST.
Charles S. Day. chairman of the com
mittee. sprang to his feet, and. rushing
in his face and shouted, "You charge
me with ~corrupt.on?"
DR.. Risk made some inaudible reply
and Mr.. Day again shouted three times
do you charge me with corruption?"
Everyone expected that fisticuff
would follow. but before any blow
could be struck the lawyers and cour
constables i~nterposed themselves be
tween the two men. Drs. Lawrence aDt
Risk then had hot words. but both man
aged to partly control their tempers.
The defense of Mr.. Lane opened thi'
afternoon. The alleged libel S based OF
a criticism of Dr. Lawrence in voting fo'
an electric light franchise, and tre dc
Tense claim that the statement in tn
stRecord' was but a reflector # tbs
sentiment expressed at q public meet.ns
of the village in which speakers de
clared that the committee were a~ctuatet
by improper motives. and ~intinated tina
DR.. Lawrence was controlled by hi,
bondsman. Jonathan M. Bonnell. whe
was at the head of the corporation ap
plying for the franchise.