Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-12-22
DECEMBER TERM OF
THE COUNTY COURT.
Many Important Cases Heard
and Disposed Of.
ATLANTIC CITY INTERESTED IN THE CROFT Case
CIVIL AND CRIMINAL OFFENDERS RUN
THROUGH THE JUDICIAL MILL-A BUSY
TERM FOR JUDGES, LAWYERS, JURYMEN
AND WITNESSES,

TERM FOR JUDGES, LAWYERS, JURYMEl
AND WITNESSES.
The County Court was in session fOul
days last week and we continue the re
port of the proceedings commencing
Wednesday morning, when the JURY
brought in a verdict in case of the VIM
Somers Co. VS.. Collins, Myers & Co. il
favor of the plaintiff company.
The Grand Jury returned fifteen in
dictmeuts as follows:
Giuseppe Villecco, for attempting tl
kill William Spencer. pleaded not guilty
John Sheetz, for assault and battery
also for atrocious assault and battery
on Andrew Jeffriee, pleaded not guilty.
Gotleib Willing, for keeping a dis
orderly house in Atlantic City, on Nortf
Carolina avenue, North, pleaded moi
guilty.
Joseph Griffin and Jos. Shorts, fol
grand larceny, stealing woman'l
wearing apparel, a watch and chain
ETC., charged jointly; Griffin pleaded
guilty, and Shorts not guilty.
Harry Sheetz, for assault and battery
and atrocious assault and battery, Oh
Andrew Jeffries, pleaded not guilty.
William Mooney, grand larceny, steal
ing q Masonic ring and other jewelry
from Robert Manning, pleaded not
guilty.
Charles Burton, assault and battery
on Josephine jackson, pleaded moi
guilty.
Washington Offiey, assault and bat
terry and atrocious assault and battery
on ''Mal" Adams, pleaded not guilty.
Thomas cambridge, assault and bat.
terry, pleaded not guilty,
]. Edward Stevens, alias Coleman
breaking and entering, pleaded not
guilty.
Perry jenkins, assault and battery
and atrOcious assault and battery,
pleaded not guilty.
George Teemer, VIM. Congo and VIM.
Smith, assault and atrocious assault
and battery on Charles Cramer and
Henry Mulock, pleaded not guilty.
Thomas Meyers, theft of a horse and
buggy from Mumfort's livery stable at
Hammonton, pleaded not guilty. Meyers
is remembered as the man who wore the
cloak of religion to work his ends. He
is alleged to have passed number Of
bogus checks, securing ministers as en-
dOrsers.
On motion of Prosecutor Perry, all
prisoners not indicted were ordered dis
charged.
Vincent Centenni, who had been de
tained as an accessory by the Coroner &
Jury in the La Rosa murder, was dis
charged from custody as no bill had
been returned against him.
In the case of Daniel s. Lindsay vs..
Charles H. Wilson, on contract, the lat
ter made no defence and Judge Ludlow
directed the Jury to bring in verdict in
favor of the plaintiff for the amount
claimed, with interest, total Oi
$243.47.
The next case was that of William E.
Champion, of Atlantic City, against the
Eastern Mutual Life Insurance Co.
The plaintiff sued to recover Sal. 1n
March. 1897. Mr.. Champion paid
$271.3O to the defendant company's 8
agent by check as first premiums on two
insurance policies of $4,000 each on the
lives of himself and his partner, Mr.,
Thompson. After the payment of the
premium the insurance company refused
to insure Mr.. Champion, but failed to
return the amount of premium paid. So
Mr.. Champion brought suit to recover
his premium and interest amounting to
$147 65. Judgment in this amount
was returned.
In the case of Lewis E. Yates, an
oyster dealer at Bivalve, N. ]. against
Maria S. Repetto, on contract, the jury
returned q verdict for the plaintiff for the
full amount claimed $3.50 55.
The next case was that of John
Scullin, of Hammonton, against Frank
Hoppe, of Philadelphia. The former
hired the latter's farm, and finding it un-
profitable, notified Hoppe that he would
vacate at a certain date. Hoppe then
proposed that he should remain without
paying rent until another tenant could
be secured, and then he would pay him
for certain labor performed and pur-
chases Of plants made. Failing to do so
and demanding continued rent Scullin
sued him sand won the case, Verdict
for full amount $165,82
On Thursday nearly the entire day
was consumed in bearing the case OF
Dempsey Butler, VS. Martha p. Lassiter
both colored-of Atlantic City. Mr..
Butler is q venerable looking African
with fringe of white wool around a
partly-bald head decorated with pair
of gold-mounted spectacles. He was
formerly Methodist preacher, but is
now reputed to be quite wealthy and
the owner Of considerable real estate in
Atlantic City. Mrs. Lassiter has occu-
pied small hotel owned by him, and
says he wanted her to take out liquor
liceDse-but did not want to be known in
the transaction himself. In suit
against Dempsey, last year, the jury
awarded Mrs. Lassiter large sum for
services of various kinds, rendered
him. but the case was appealed, and the
present one will doubtless be- The
suit tried, Thursday, is one growing out
of the entaglement, and the jury, just be-
fore train time, rendered a verdict for
Mrs. Lassiter. The testimony was very
amusing, but tedious, and all the wit
nesses conclusively proved each other
liars-to their own satisfaction at least.
Friday morning Giuseppe Villecco, the
italian, indicted for the murder of Frank
LaRossa, was brought into Court and
plead mot guilty" to the charge. He is
rather q handsome young fellow and
just the kind for the women to send
boquets OF flowers to in case he is con-
victed and sentenced to be hung,
The entire day was taken up with the
celebrated case of the atlantic City
Firemen's Relief association vs. it's
former Treasurer Lewis Croft, and his
bondsmen. The testimony was very
lengthy, relating mostly to book ac-
counts, and the defendants counsel
tried hard to fasten the blame for the
$1515.88 shortage" upon the former
Collector of the Association, Edwin F.
Kline, who was subjected to q searching
and severe cross-examination by Lawyer
Clarence Cole. Ex-Judge D-J. Pancoast
i associated with Mr.. Cole in Grofa
defence and the eminent Newark lswyeE