The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-10
STOLE A BoATLoAD OF IRON.
sharp Trick Played on Bayonneites-
Now for Penalty.

Brewster Williams was tried in the
General Sessions Court this morning for
grand larceny. On September Is, Will
Jams and a man named CODY went around
Bayonne buying up scrap iron. They
agreed to pay for it when it was delir-
cred on board a canal boat they had ly-
ing at the dock. When they got the
boat loaded they cut her loose and towed
her away to Brooklyn, emitting the
triiiing circumstance of paying anyone.
The iron has not been paid for yet. Colby
has pleaded non vult. One of the vic
tiras was the Consumers Coal and Ice
Company. Thomas Brady, the a
of the company, testified that Colby and
Williams called on him on September
"a and arranged to buy the iron. Will
Jams represented himself as one of the
proprietors of the Brooklyn Iron and
Steel Works and presented his card.
Coby's card represented him as doing
business at No. SO York street, this city.
Williams gave Patrick Patton. a Bayonne
man. as reference of his responsibility
and business standing. Patton told Mr..
Brady that he didn't know Williams,
and had no idea of what his responsible
OF iron al $40 a ton. Williams wife, ac-
accompanied by a lawyer, called on Brady
after Williams was in Jail and offered to
SCtIc.
Patrick Patton, a brawny Bayonne
blacksmith, was the next witness.
DO you know Williams? asked the
Assistant Prosecutor.
II ought to know him. He made me
know him"
Ex-Judge Hoffman objected and the
answer was stricken out.
cornelius Desmond and James Meehan,
two of the victims, testified to the skill
iul manner in which they had been done
up.
~, - -,
street, testified that he got williams
check for the iron he sold, and he added,
I've got it yet"
John W. Colby, the junior member of
Tx Lexington venue this city. He
was formerly in the livery stable bust
ness U Williams persuaded him to 60
into the business of buying old iron. He
was to get nothing at first, but after ne
learned the business he was to be paid
a 1comnission of fifty cents a ton. Will
lams got cards printed for him because
ne said that it would look more business
like. His story OF the purchase of the
iron corroborated the statements of the
victims. When the boat was loaded
It was pulled out by a tug. on the way
down the Kill Won Kull Williams glee-
fully remarked to CODY, We'll. we beat
was to be paid $50 for his share of the
sWag. The boat and iron were taken to
Blake's yard, at Thirteenth street, New
York. Williams told the witness that he
had sold the iron to Blake. The witness
had a talk with Williams in the County
Jail Williams wanted CODY to stick 10
the story he .(Wslhams) proposed to tell.
Williams said he would fight the com
plainants with their own money, and if
That wasn't enough he would spend 81. 600
OF ms " money. He also said he would
probably apply for a change of venue,
as he was afraid the Court and jury
would be prejudiced against him
.Ex-Judge Hoffman asked the Court to
direct the jury to acquit the defendant.
as the State had failed to make out a
case of grand larceny. The transaction
was simply a bargain and sale. Mr.
HOFFMAN claimed that it was a perfectly
honest business transaction, except that
Williams didn't pay for the iron. The
motion was denied The case had not
been finished at recess.