The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-04-14
A FOOL FOR HIS CLIENT
Policy Dealer and Wife
Beaten Loeffler De
tends Himself.
THIRTY DAYS THE RESULT
Dramatic Airs and Browbeating
Disgust Judge and
Jury.

Charles Loeffler, who was tine defendant.
in q suit tried in the General Sessions
Court. yesterday afternoon. acted as his
own lawyer, with the result of verify
ing the old adage that a mar who is
his own lawyer has a fool for a client.
Loeffler is the man who attained so
much notoriety in Hoboken in connection
with the policy business. He was on
trial for assault and battery on his wife.
Loeffler Hooks like the pictures of Herr
Most. His wife IS a thin. delicate look
Ing woman, very shabbily dressed and
a picture of misery. She testified that
on January Is her husband struck her
in the eye and knocked her off her
chair.
a very good imitation of the manner
ents. Leaning pack in his chair
cradle looking woman in the wit
ness box. he asked in a loud voice.
Madame. what day of the week was
the 18th of January?s
II don't remember" answered Mrs.
Loeffler in a low voice.
WAS it Saturday."
Il don't remember"
Was it tuesday,"
II don't remember.
WAS r."
81 object exclaimed Prosecutor Win
field: The witness has testified that she
does not remember what day of the
week it was
objection sustained" remarked Judge
Hudspeth. CURLY.
After he struck me-" continued the
witness, Il took my five little girls away
from the house and tried to make a
home for them"
Mrs. Loeffler." asked the defendant,
in our possession
The question was ruled out because it
was irrelevant.
Il only want to show" said Loeffler,
addressing the Court, that this woman
took all the money we had in the house
and hired rooms elsewhere. Your Honor,
That has nothing to do with this
case interrupted Judge Hudspeth.
That is ALL" said Loeffler, nodding to
his wife. Mrs. Loeffler left the stand
but was Immediately recalled by her hus-
band. who said he wanted to ask her
some more questions
Is it not a fact" asked Loeffler, that
when I came out of the Penftentiary.
after serving three months, you had
taken the children away and gone to live
in another placer"
II was the mother of seven children,
and my husband has done nothing but
abuse me for a long time,'' answered
Mrs. Loeffler.
you are the mother of eleven chill
dren." exclaimed Loeffler; correct your
self, madame.. You don't know what you
are TALKING about"
Loeffler took the stand and in a dra-
matte manner testified that he had serv-
ed three months in the Penitentlary for
dealing in policy. He said the Hoboken
police had bounded him and reduced him
Penitentiary he didn't nave one cent. II
did not strike my wife on the 18th Of
anuary, he said. IF you go back
over the calendar you will find that l am
tendent of the electric light plant of the
North Hudson County Railway Company
promised to give me employment in about
a week. When saw him again he said
to me, h says, Charley, you really
ought to try and get something to do
She has been a very sick woman, too,
Judge, and is suffering from mental alb
CREATION. I think she's dressed for effect
that"
Loeffler was going on telling a long and
rambling story about his trials and trib-
ulations when Judge Hudspeth, who had
grown tired of it, asked:-"Did you strike
your wife?"
mo. Judge. didn't" exclaimed the
witness, dramatically, and lifting up both
ars: by the great Jehovah, I didn't.'
The jury found him guilty and Judge
Hudspeth sentenced him to thirty days
in the County Jail. Loeffler made an
appeal. He said he didn't want to go to
the County Jail, as he wasn't treated
well there. and he thought if he was
discharged he could get work.
"Wha did you strike your wife for?'
asked Judge Hudspeth.
Il didn't strike her, Judge. I wouldn't |
strike that lady. Why, 1 love that lady
as David loved Jonathan,
Judge Hudspeth said he would take the
anneal into conSiderat tim