The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-04-22
VERY DULL TRIAL.
Old Street and Water Board
On Trial for SWindling
the City.
JUROR JARVIS BAD BOX.
Judge Lippineott Sends for Him
When He Fails to Ap-
pear in Court.
Prosecutor Winfield Opens With a
Shot at His Enemies-Yery
Odd Proceedings.


House this morning wore a more than
ordinary air of Importance and arranged
and re-aranged the long tables in front
OF the bench for the conven.eIice of the
lawyers who VIII for the whole of this
week, perhaps, be engaged in the trial
of Edward A. Dugan. John f. Madden.
Charles j. Somers. William R. Cook and
Stephen p Yoe, ex-n4embers of the
Street and Water Board, who were IN
dicted last year for "conspiring to de-
fraud the Mayor and Aldermen of Jer-
sey City, They, the constables, hay-
ing worried and fretted themselves for
the space of an hour, finally had all
preparations made when the big bell
tolled the time for the opening of court.
Justice Lippincott, with his accustomed
punctuality, took his seat. and at the
same time Messrs. Charles L. Corbin
and Charles d. Thompson, counsel for
the ex-Comm.sisoners, entered, carrying
voluminous briefs, bundles of legal papers
and huge law books. Prosecutor Win
field walked IN the next minute, closely
followed by City Clerk E. w. WoolIey
and City Marshal Jack" Graham, with
two ponderous packages of documents
and q pile of record minute books used
by the Old board. All these were stack
ed on the table set apart for the Prose-
cutor.
Meanwhile the rear benches of the
court room quickly filled until five min
utes after court opened there was not a
seat vacant. Lawyers clustered IN the
space within the bar to the right of the
ssCail the list Of struck jurors began
Justice Lippincott, "in the case of the
State against Edward A. Dugan and
Others"
Clerk o'Mara read these names:-Jean
s.1,i ,in1n n To
fPattberg. ]. R. Wiggins, E. Asmus, H.
2. L: Butler. W. r. Waterbury. w. v.
nelius, G. FAN, 2. F.. Marise, T. Nah
ler, E. Mcbride, H. P. Campbell, f. Hoos,
J. F. sloodgood, T. Chancellor, B. S.
MR.. JARVIS sBNT FOR.
As the Clerk called this list, Mr.. Jar
Wis didn't respond, and Justice Lipp.ncott
stop right here. The Court knows
Mr. Jarvis was served and he is bound to
appear. An officer may. go to the Third
him here will consider whether it
shall be a fine or an attachment for con-
tempt. Lately jurors have not been do
ing the Court the honor to at least put
in an appearance"
A Constable left the court to hunt up
Mr.. Robert NJ. Jarvis.
E MOTION TO QUASH.
Mr. Charles l.. Corbin moved to quash
the. Indictment because. in the first PLACE,
it doesn't charge that the prices paid for
materials mentioned were excessive and
that moneys paid were not, justly due.
also the Indictment does not show any
agreement with intent to defraud except
as to the whole board.
"It does not" said Mr.. Corbin, 'show
the overt acts in execution Of the alleged
agreement"
''These objections" replied Justice Lip
pincott "are the same as those raised
before and I will rule as did before"
Mr. Winfield having moved the trial
Of the case. the challenging of the struck
jurors proceeded.
The defendants entered and took their
seats beside Messrs. Corbin and Thomp-
SON They looked well, perfectly at ease.
and ao fnagK fTdnds Y tba reaT sa
While the Constable was out after Mr..
Jarvis the court proceedings stopped.
Justice Jippincott read the ,5,9 n99rnlng g. pa Il
levee while the rest of the hoi polloi chat
WITNESSES FOB THE HE S STATE AT,sfa,o
called the witnesses for the people who
had been previously subpoenaed. They
Finck Secretary TO the Finance Board;
city Comptroller Hough. Chief Engineer
R,lggles, ex-senator W r Edwards,
Pat. !. Condor. Pat oConnor, p T.
rington, william oimsby. Phil Mgldo93n; on.
ChaS. M
MoEiin VIM: G. German. F. ". Woolnley' oone ley
the majority of whom cried, Here ere, . -
si5s nievan of the crec recactrant Jarvis justice
Lippincott looked at the clock, Suckea
the ivory head of the gayel and looked !9lSsl
thoroughly annoyed. while four g, sr5ra,,, 5urors
FORE foreman; aisla Theodore Chancellor B. $.
Halocll and Edward. Hoos, alone in
their glory in the 5ury Il poS, ,,rne nuggeG ggep
the idea that the jury box was infinltely
preferable to that into which Mr.. Jarvis
n1o '''-lGsla CALL OF THE JURY.
The remainder of the struck jurors
were also worried. Two of them wanted
to be excused, but with the Court II; .h1 II
lust as well have asked for the discharge
of the defendants.
Finally Justice Lippineott's patience
"The Court will deal with this case of
Mr.. Jarvis later. The call Of the jury
lies :sE [. Butler," cried John zerer. and
Mr.. Butler whispered to Justice LIP
pincott, who sharply returned, 4 can
lthe music. The call proceeded with the
name of John j. Voorhees,. who handed
in a letter from his physician that he
Juror Mr. Voorhees, was asked to stand
aside and soon the panel was complete.
Here are the jurors - ameS u. MORGAN
foreman; T. Chancellor, B. s. Halloek,
y. Hoos, II. Pattberg, j R Wiggins,
A. A. Bliss. T. Mahler and 2; .Assmus,
4 All being sworn, Justice Lipplncott
ordered that an attachment for contempt
of court be issued for the arrest OF Rob
MIR. WINFIELD HITS BACK.
Mr. Winfield, opening a satchel and
singing out of many a paper tied with
red tape, began his presentation of the
case for the people.
This case has been delayed he said.
which was that my health broke down
least able to bring it to trial chiefly be-
cause L will be able to reply TO those
enemies who have not been slow to say
during my absence that | would not
dare to try this ease" Then shaking
his head and raising his voice he, added -
They have preferred to stab me in the
back instead of fighting me in the open.'
He then plunged into the facts which
he would, he. said, prove to the satisfac-
'ion R&FERs II sII To STOLEN PAPER.
AT the close of his brief address Mr
Winfield told the story of the theft of
papers from his Office in October last.
alluded to in Justice Lippincott's charge
to the present Grand Jury.
.sBut think" he said, that we will
be able without much, trouble to- produce
copies of the bills stolen.n Mr.. Winfield
also said that he would prove the overt
acts by fully irving sach separately md
to proyeshe loss % tas pagsgsssaa g & asE sa