The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-11-11
A CONTEMP9IBLE CUR
John W. Bissell, Called Down
by Jurors, Malieiously
Libels Newspaper
Men.

John w. Bissel, the lawyer who is
panel of petit jurors as ''lot of drunken
bums.'' received a very warm welcome
when he arrived at the Court House this
morning. "As told in "The Jersey City
News" and on other papers, on Satur-
day, the jurors were highly indignant
and threatened all sorts of dire things.
This morning nearly the whole panel
assembled on the Court House steps; but
when Bissell arrived he slipped into
Sheriff Toffey's office without being seen.
There he told the Sheriff that he had
not said the jurors were drunken buns.
81 only said that the jury that tried my
case was drawn from the street"
When Mr. Bissell emerged from the
Sheriff's Office he was at once surrounded
by the angry Jurors.
.'We're drunken buns, are we?" they
shouted.
Il didn't say So" cried Bissell.
Eyes you did; you're a drunken bum
yourself and you know it," retorted one
of the jurors.
Cries of Punch him." .Do him up"
and the like were heard. and the little
lawyer might have received severe pun
ishment if several constables had not in
terfered and held the excited jurors
back.
When the jurors had assembled dn the
court room to answer roll calls, Bissell
appeared at the Clerks desk. "Pll bet
he's got bottle in his pocket now,'' said
one OF the Jurors.
g Put him out" cried another.
The jurors continued to denounce and
hiss at Bissell until he finally left the
- APPEAL TO THE COURT.
AS soon as Judge Hudspeth took his
place on the bench, Juror David Brooks
called Judge Hudspeth,s attention Iad to tn the
Bissell make a retraction. .a.
The, lawyer" then arose apd, az, &c addresst tss :
ing the Court denied point f ptaak ian words ond
credited to him in the newspapers. II
is a wilful deliberate lie,' he, said, 'iand
that I complimented the regular panel
of Jurors. What did say was that the
jury that tried my case was Tramp
jury That is, they were not regularly
drawn. The regular panel had gone
home and the jurors were picked from
the street. +,
tramp an ne jury, nys' Bissel gssed directly at
the Jury box in which were seated ex-
Judge Hoffman. Senator DAILY, ex-Judge @
Van Horne, Corporation Counsel Minturn
and several other legal luminaries.
Becoming excited Bissell waxed vitu-
D6ratIve ana SAID InaI. CIe IepOIlSIo w ~
wrote the story were liars and dirty. Ii
beflers. He severely castigatedAthte whole
newspaper profession averreds that they
all spent most of their, time in barrooms
and said that because he had not invited
the reporters to go in and. have a
drink they had written malicious lies
about him He then said that he did
not know any of the reporters.
POOR LITTLE FOOL.
Continuing. Bissell waved his arms
wildly said: ''rhese articles not only re-
fleet on me, but they reflect on the
Sheriff I think that the matter ought
to be referred to the Grand Jury. Either
1 ought to be indicted or those lying
reporters"
Judge Hudspeth evidently did not think
that the reporters were at fault, for
when Bissell had concluded this wild
flow of oratory, the Court said: Il think
the Jurors are satisfied with your apollo
gy, Mr. Bissell,'' and dismissed the mat
Notwithstanding Bissells denial, the
stories of those who were in. court when
the lawyer made his alleged speech, dc
not tally with his denial Several con-
stables, some jurors and others connect,
ed with the court all say that Bissell
made the remarks exactly as quoted IN
1.-THE Jersey City News"