The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-21
THUMM ON TRIAL.
No One in Harrison Seems
to Know That There Was
a Pool Room There.
TRACK SLANG, BUT NO HORSES
Witness Goldie Tells the Jury ALI
About the Bet He Made.
TRACK SLANG, BUT NO HORSES

The township Of Harrison was well
represented this morning in the General
Sessions when John Thumm. Arthur Fitz-
patrick, James j. Martin, Patrick Tighe
and John Lawrence were placed on trial
for maintaining a pool room and gambling
den in the township alluded to.
Some months ago Justice Lippincott,
because of innumerable complaints made
TO him, issued bench warrants which were
entrusted to Under Sheriff John J. Erwin
and a posse of constables. They swooped
down on the place and captured ten peo-
pie. There were about seventy-five men
in the room, but all but the ten escaped.
Five of these were discharged by the
Court, hut the remainder. Thumm and his
companions. We're indicted and faced a
jury this morning. They were defended
by Mr.. Allan Bs MeDernnott and Senator
Michael T. Barrett of Newark.
John Thumm was first arraigned for
pleading. He said Not guilty. in a loud
voice and Prosecutor Winfield at once
moved his trial. A jhsy was quickly i'm
panelled and the trial began with a state
ment Of the case by the Prosecutor. He
said that the den was over the saloon
kept by Thufnm, and the gambling ma
t~erials, on the table before the Prose-
cutor, We're found in the place where the
raid was made. Mr.; WinseId first es-
tabiished the fact that the saloon was run
by Thumm by producing Louis Hauser, of
the Hudson Brewery Company, the ex-
ecutor of the property, which belonged to
Mrs. Thurnm's first husband, and Bernard
Walsh. the Town Collector of Harrison.
who said that the license was issued to
Thumm for the house on the corner of.
First street and Railroad venue. Neither
of these witnesses ever went up stairs
nor saw anything improper.
I. B. Burkhcff. superintendent of the
Western Union Telegraph Company. said
he did not put in any instrument in
Thumm's saloon and knew nothing of the
place.
the opposite corner to Thumm's, never
saw anything of a pool room in Thumm's.
Officer Michael Carroll, a Harrison
copper went to investigate rumors about
Thumm's place. It was ON his beat. He
knew nothing and saw nothing.
Chief of Police job Callahan was the
next witness. He heard rumors about a
gambling den in Thumm's place and Wis
tied the building; but he couldn't see
anything. The Chief didn't talk to
Thumm because. he said. he resolved to
stop anything wrong he saw.
Justice Martin LaWleSS was also~gnor-
ant of any pool room in Harrison. The
thing couldn't exist. he thought. unless ne
Knew something about It. Since he didn't
kn Mr. s Wgnfeld s ePgoi i his s0q baad BE- BE This
Piece of Harrison logic, and dismissed
the distinguished jurist. who appeared to
be very much relieved at having got off
Constable Joe Locke described the raid
made by Under Sheriff Erwin. He, Mr..
Locke, had visited Thumm's saloon be-
in the saloon, he saw nothing. On the
Gay of the raid there were about 70 men
IN the room, but many of them escaped.
Inc machinery. ticker, ETC., were seized
by Mr.. Erwin.
Messrs. McDermott and Barrett didn't
cross-examine.
Jersey City, testified that in june last
dor the purpose of securing evidence
against Thumm's place he visited the
ssioon. He went upstairs with a crowd
o. men and entered a room where there
We're about seventy-fve men. There was .
ticker. telegraph instrument and operator.
nu1letins on the wall with paper contain
= object" cried Mr.. McDermott, wit
ness must not say that"
nIake one paper and describe It," re-
pltu the PROSECUTOR.
Goidle replied that the paper was ruled
Sn9 mao names on it. He could, not re-
can What these names were. He saw a
crowd of men go up to a table where
Patrick Tighe. one of the defendants
sat They handed him money ana man
loltered about the rooms until the an
houncement was made.
eutor. IL rtos
"A young man who shouted, They're
SAID that a young man then altered the
numbers on the bulletins hanging ahout
Tne room In a few minutes after. wit
beng al the quarter.
MI McDermott objected to this and it
was stricken out.
Who called out. AT the ouartaro, -
asked Mr.. Winfield.
me man at the ticker"
Inc same announcement was made
stretch and the finish. Then some Of the
crowd walked up to the clerk. Tighe
and received money from him, These
coholtlons were repeated, he said. Wit
ness admitted that he PLAYED a horse
GATED Copyright. He gave Tighe 81. who
i iore fr Oh q of sliB Bi1 from q pad and laid that
thing, and when the fnish was announce
ed, he, Goldie, found that his horse did
nor WIN; Some were more fortunate and
collected their bets. Witness Identified
James J. Martin as the Western Union
operator, who announced the results. The
other defendant, Fitzpatrick. was in an
was at the door leading to the pool
rooms and aceosted witness by asking
VINO INTRODUCED him. Finally Lawrence
admitted hiffi.N apG t56
While Goldie was testifying this. Law
renee glanced at him and looked exceed
ingly sorry that he had let the witness
upstairs. Goldie identified each defendant
and h was turned oyer for cross-ex-
animation to Mr.. McDermott's tender
mercies. A recess was taken at noon.
Goidie said that he was a juror on the
present panel, and he was asked by the
Sheriff to 90 special detective work. For
merry he kept d grocery store on West
ard in the City Hospital.
You knew that INDICTMENTS had been
found against these defendants. and
you asked TO be put on the present PAN |
ei?"" asked Mr.. McDermott.
Yes. SIR"
Weren't you on a fury in a recent case
(Freeholder BindernagIe,s) when 1 asked
II any one was on the jury who was en- |
gagged in the Sheriff's Officer" asked Mr.
McDerrnott, and a fight at once began to
suppress this question. Finally the
Court permitted It,, and the witness adj
mitted he was. Although engaged in the