Bridgeton pioneer., 1896-09-10
SPECIAL COURT.
Judge Hoagland Listens to the Testimony
in Several Important Cases.

will be several persons charged with
crime after fair and impartial trial.
Ere the shades of night fall the court will
array before him several persons con-
victed Of crime and will probably pro-
nounce upon them the sentence that will
vindicate outraged law.
Bertha Meyers, of Cedarville, or near
there, was the first hapless victim to face
the court. She sat near her counsel,
Hon. j. L.. VanSyckel, who was opposite
Prosecutor Logue.
Bertha had previously plead not guilty
when charged with keeping disorderly
house. The case against her was soon
unfolded by the state.
A very determined looking woman ap-
peared as the first witness for the prose-
cutlon. She was from Cedarville, and
her name was Sallie Schaffer. 1t appears
that Mrs. Schaffer made the complaint
against Bertha. Her reasons for so doing
was because she had seen Bertha drink
strong drinks, and had entertained many
men there, who drank considerable.
Mrs. Schaffer also said that an unchaste
Mr.. VanSyckle brought out the in
teresting fact that Mrs. .Schaffer and Ber-
tina We're relations, being cousins and
sisters-in-law. Bertha's husband is in
State Prison, and Mrs. Schaffer declared
that she had assisted in keeping Bertha
and her children, but she was so bad that
the complaint was made.
Mr.. VanSyckle wanted to know if Mrs.
Schaffer was not jealous because Bertha
entertained man whom Mrs. Schaffer
liked. This the witness Indignantly de-
MED.
Another sister-in-law and cousin
was Mary Woodlin. She was also de-
termined woman and told Judge Hoag-
land plainly how her feelings had been
outraged. Mrs. Woodlin was very near
neighbor of Bertha, and she declared that
five times she had known Bertha to be
drunk. and very frequently bad men
came to the house and raised all manner
of bedlam. Rest for the Woodlin family
was out of the question for the rackets in
Bertha's home, hence the young woman
was pinched by the process of law.
John Woodlin and Moses Meyers added
some testimony upon the line of that al
ready in, and the State rested.
Bertha Meyers told her own story. She
said she was 10 years old, and her hus-
band is now sojourning in State Prison.
She had numerous fuses with Mrs.
Schatfer and Mrs. Woodlin, and her ar
rest is the outcome of the scraps. She de-
MED that she was ever drunk in her life,
and she only entertained now and then a
few gentleman friends.
Annie Loder and Lizzie Loder didn't
know much about the case, but they de-
clared that Bertha was more sinned
against than SHINING. They are sisters
OF Bertha and stood up for her.
A little girle named Peterson vas call
ed. She did not look day over thirteen,
but she was married. She said that the
complaninants were at the bottom of
conspiracy.
George Peterson, a boy of probably
eighteen said he was the girls husband.
He was a big foolish looking boy, un-
cougth and poorly dressed. He wore no
collar but had necktie about his neck.
On cross-examination Peterson said
his wife was sixteen years old.
The case ended and Bertha was COM
PEELED to answer another charge of steal
ing chickens. All there was in it was
that Bertha had horse feed and with that
entlced Mrs. Woodlin's chickens in the
shed, caught couple and killed them.
Bertha said she didn't and both the
cases against her was submitted without
argument.
Bates Two Years.
Court was in session pretty much all of
Friday afternoon. Before any trials
began, Mr.. VanSyckel made a plea for
George Bates, Jr., who had pleaded guilty
OF burning down the bottling establish
ment out on Irving avenue. The lawyer
called attention to the fact that young
Bates had never before been arrested,
and that his parents were highly re-
spectacle people. They were now heart
broken, while the young man stood
ruined, his whole life being ruined. That
was a punishment, and Mr.. VanSyckel
thought the case was one where justice
could be tempered with mercy.
Charles Sentner was then placed upon
trial for the larceny of bicycle of N. H.
Hankins, of Millville. Mr.. Hankins said
that Sentner was in his employ some
time since. One morning he came to the
shop and said he wanted to be away for a
few minutes, and said he would take a
bicycle. The bicycle has never been re-
covered, and Sentner did not show up
until some time afterward when he was
arrested in Camden.
Bert Rutter said he saw Sentner take
the wheel from Hankins' store.
Officer Bullock arrested Sentner about
three months after the bicycle was taken.
He made the arrest in Camden. At that
time Sentner said he had the wheel in
Camden, and fell, injuring himself and
breaking the wheel.
Sentner told his own story for de-