The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-22
EEARNY A DRUNKARD
sheriffs Jury Decides
Against the Grandson
of Fighting Phil.
DESERTED BY HIS LAWYER
The YoDng Defendant Makes a
Serious Charge Against
Robert Green.

SlStlHS Oh special Master WdSHlHSlon l'.
Williams, ex-Sheriff John ]. Toffey and
DR.. Benjamin Edge, and a jury of twenty
four men begun in Chancery Chambers
this morning an inquiry as to whether
John Watts Kearny, Jr., is an habitual
drunkard. Young Kearny is grandson
of General phil Kearny and son of
General John Watts Kearny for many
years Inspector General of New Jersey.
1t was for this family that the Township
of Kearny was named. The young man, S
father instituted the proceedings about
two weeks ago in the Court OF Chancery
through Charles L. Corbin A capias was
issued and Constable Hogan went to
Kearny to arrest the defendant. He
found young kearny in a low brothel in
Kearny and when he told him the nature
of his warrant the young man replied
THE only way you can take me on that
capias is by killing me first" Then he
begged the Constable for Gods sake give
me drink, won't you? l haven't had one
in two weeks
Hogan replied that he would, but that
they had no good beer there, but if he
would treat him. Kearny eagerly con-
en- to the Hudson County Jail without
trouble, where he had been since. He was
then in horrible condition. His face
was bloated, and his eyes almost swollen
shut. He was dirty and filthy in appear
ance, and he trembled like an aspen. 1t
was hard to believe that the young man
whom the constabies brought into the
court room this morning was the same.
He was dressed neatly in black and his
face bore no traces of the terrible dissipa-
ton he has undergone for many years.
He is 27 years old and bears a strong re-
semblance to his father
His aunt, the Marquise de Kernel, was
present in the court room, and objected to
the nature of the proceedings. She
thought her nephew should have been rep
resented by counsel SO that the witnesses
could be properly cross-examined. She
attempted to address the Commissioners,
but was restrained by the court officers.
General Watts Kearny was the first wit
ness. He told of the boys appetite for
drink, and the efforts which had been
made to cure him of the habit. His son,
he said, was a graduate of Seton Hall
College and the Georgetown University,
and attended other educational institu-
tlons. Ihere was reason to believe that
ne drank when q student at Seton Hail.
and only fourteen years of age In 1894
his father took him to Europe, and they
i've! lived in France. On the steamship go
Arriving in France he continued his
drinking habits, and became so bad
that an eminent specialist was
consulted, The physician recommended
that the boy be placed in sanitarium,
which was done. Young Kearny, how
ever, appealed to the American Consul
in Paris. and he was released. Then he
made ma mi MS wa way back back to this coun-
support. In the spring of 1895 his father
sent the son to Boston to stay with an
old school friend. He was there five
weeks, and then the friend advised that
he be sent to sanitarium. Accordingly
he was sent to Lexington Mass, to try
the Keeley cure. He did not remain
there long and soon was at his old hab-
its. Then he told his father that he
thought he would do better if he could
get out to Montana, where he had a
friend on ranch. General Kearny said
that he bought him a ticket, an outfit of
clothing, gave him money and sent him
to Ferguson county, Montana 1t was
the same story. He did not change his
habits. Soon he was back East again as
bao as ever, and as final result the
General said he, was obliged to begin the
present proceedings.
Mr.. Williams asked the young man If
he wanted to- ask his father any ques-
tions when the General had finished his
testimony.
81 don't like to question my fathers
word said the young man, rising, but
IN justice to myself l must contradict
some of his statements
:. He then started to talk, but Mr.. Will
liams told him that he would have an
opportunity. to make a statement later.
He asked his father no questions
Jacob Hermann, New York hackman,
told of picking young Kearny up on
Broadway one afternoon and driving him
from saloon to saloon until he was so in
toxicated that he was arrested. The cab
man refused to make a charge against
him and he was discharged. Then he
told Hermann who he was and gave him
a check on the Newark Banking Company
to pay for the cab The check was re-
turned with mo account" endorsed upon
1t.
Collingswood, Camden county, testified
that young Kearny came to that insti-
tuition on July !. 1896. He was very ner-
vous and suffering, from all the symp-
toms of chronic alcoholism and a long
spell of hard drinking. In the opinion of
the witness he was an habitual drunkard
and not fit to be at large.
What is a habitual drunkard, dOctor?'
asked the defendant.
"One who drinks all the time replied
the physician.
But I didn't drink any al the time
was in your institution, did ~
mo, you couldn't get the chance" re-
Dr.. Prince A. Morrow, Of New York,
testified that in the spring of 1894 he
treated young Morrow, in Princeton. The
young man was then suffering from
chronic alcoholism Kearny then went
to Europe with his father, and when he
came back DIR. Morrow again treated
him. He was suffering from same com
plant.
OF the defendant was the next witness.
He said he was at Seton Hall College with
the defendant. Kearny was then four
teen years old and at that time he drank
Intoxicating liquors, but not to excess.
After leaving college he did not see any
thing of him for several years. Then
as If he had been drinking hard. It was
at witness home an attempt was made
to reform him, in Boston. For five or
six weeks he did not drink and then he
took it up again. Witness said he drank
Cologne water or anything that had alco-
hol in it. He got no liquor in the house
and witness tried in every way to keep
him in, even going SO far once as to lock
up his clothes but it was of no Ase. One
night he went out with some friends and
came back intoxicated. Then witness
recommended to his father that he be
sent 10 an asylum.
After Lawyer Doherty an uncle of the
defendant, living in Kentucky, and sew
eral other witnesses had been called, Com
missioner Williams asked Mr. Kearny If
he had anything to say in his own be-
half.
II am here perfectly alone, he replied,
and would like to retrieve myself in
some sort Of way
don't like TO attack my father, but when
realize that am alone here, with no
one to help me, most do 1t. NV father
has brought witnesses from all over the