The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-03-14
CONNELLY'S TRIAL.
Impeachment Proceedings
Against Bayonne's Justice
of the Peace.
FIREnEN PROMOTED BY MERIT
House Passes Judiciary Bill Over
the Veto Bills Signed by
the Governor.
FIREMEN PROMOTED BY MERIT
sncefn, 10 ,ho Jcracn Cftn Ne,rs.

q
it were:-Blackshaw. Coursen. Gruber.
Nutzhorn, Robertson. Smith, G. w,
Snyder, Voorhees,, zabriskie Repuhli-
cans, and Usher. Cagney, Fleming. Al
paugh, Parsiow and Smart. Democrats.
The House also passed bills providing
that the firemen in Jersey City shall be
promoted for merit, and the amendment
to the police pension bill for Jersey
City
Before resolving itself into a court of
Impeachment the Senate passed the bills
appropriating 5000 each to the Labor
Bureau, to the State tuberculosis Com
missioners, and an additional $1,000 to
the latter board in case of public emer-
gency, and authorizing any city to sell
and assign certificates of sale under the
Martin act
a COURT OF IMPEACHMENT. +.
The Senate resolved itself into court
OF impeachment this morning for the trial
of the charges brought against Patrick
w. Connolly by the House of Assem-
bly,. Col Charles w. Fuller and ex
Judge Wn. T. Hoffman appeared for the
accused, while the prosecution was con-
Quoted by Mr.. William H. Corbin. The
Board of Managers of the impeachment
for the Assembly were:-Messrs. Cod
ding, Storrs, Skinner, Hicks and Usher.
The ergeant-at-Arms called the court to
order, and Clerk Henry c.. Kelsey an
nounced that he had appointed the Sec
retary of the Senate Assistant Clerk.
The Board of Managers, led by Sergeant
alarms Watson. solemnly entered the
chamber, and took their seats at the
table.
COUNSEL'S OBJECTIONS.
Judge Hoffman read the answer to
the charge, which was general and
particular Genial Judge Hoffman then
moved to strike out article five, which
charges that Connolly is ''a man of low
repute and Of a cuarrelsome disposition,
and had committed assaults at various
times
judge Hoffman claimed that under
the constitution man could not be i'm
peached EXCEPT for acts committed dur
ing his term of Office and FOR matters in
connection with the administration of
his office The assaults referred TO. he
"a "a 4iss,= were committed when Connolly was
not in office.
SENATE CAN'T INTERFERE.
In opposing the motion Mr.. Corbin
said that under the Constitution the SEN
ate could not interfere with the charges,
as the sole right to formulate the articles
of irnpeachment was vested in the As
sembly. The same point was raised at
the trial of impeachments of Justice of
thef Peace Harsley and not sustained by
the Court. All the Court can do, of it
THINKS the article insufficient, is to re-
fuse to take testimony upon it.
Senator Daily contended that the Court
of Impeachment was the same as other
courts, and could pass upon the suffi-
cheney of the articles as the other courts
could upon Indictment.
The Court denied the motion to strike
out, by vote of six to twelve.
CHARGES WE'RE INVESTIGATED.
Mr.. Codding opened the case for the
prosecution He referred to the fact that
this was the third time in the history of
the State that there had been convened
the most solemn and most impressive
Court in the State The impeachment
was not brought, he said, until the matter
had been thoroughly and carefully in
yestigated He then dwelt for some time
upon the charges, saying they could
prove them, and irnpressiyely demanded
the conviction of the accused
Mr.. Chas W. Parker, partner of Mr..
Dewitt Van Buskirk. testified that he
tried the case of Jane Flynn vs. Mary
Sullivan. He was Mr.. Sullivan's lawyer.
At the conclusion of the trial, the judge
said he could reserve his decision for
two weeks.
Mrs. Sullivan corroborated Mr.. Parker,
and said that when two weeks were up
Connolly told her he had decided in her
favor.
John T. Lee. clerk in Messrs Parker &
Van Buskira's Office, said Connolly told
him he had decided the case for the de-
fendant. He went to Connelly's office
several times to- get copy of the de-
cision. He saw Miss Margaret Connolly
her fathers clerk, who said his docket
was not written up.
Connolly, in his precence, told his
daughter to write up the docket, telling
her the verdict was for the defendant.
Connolly afterwards told the witness
that Mr.. Allan Benny, counsel for Mrs.
Flynn, had asked him to make the YER
dict a rlon-suit so that he could bring
another suit.
ALTERATION VISIBLE.
On discrimination the witness ad-
mitted that the words mon suit" were
In the transcript. Connelly's docket was
then placed in evidence. In the record
Of the case it was plainly seen that q
pen had been drawn through the words
s4iudgnlent In favor for defendant and
against the plaintiff" and over them
were written the words "non-suit."
Mr. Dewitt Van Bus,kirk testified that
he saw the docket, and when he pen
cilled out the change Connolly asked
him If he meant to tell him he lied, and
nut him out of his Office. He was tell
ing of the assault upon him outside of
Connelly's Office. when Judge Hoffman
objected at this point to any testimony
haing heard as to assaults that occurred
outside the office. because then Connolly
was acting simply as an Individual, and
not as a justice. His judicial function
ended when he had shown his docket
and anv offences committed outside were
subjects for Indictment in Hudson Coun-
trv and not for Impeachment
A JUSTICES DUTIES.
Mr.. coro.n said that the logic of this
1soe Of argument meant thlt Justice OF
the peace at any time after deciding a
case could follow lawyers outside ana
Ia mbaste hira without fear of impeacf-
ment. a Justice Of the Peace Is a sworn
sonservator of the peace. and as far as
nreservation Of the peace Is conoernea
ts1e occupation OF the office is never adi- (
vested Of his Official functions He is