The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-04
II went before them and

"A u
who sat near Stucke. His attitude
towards me was friendly but he was un-
friendly towards the case. He interrupt
ed me in my recital by saying he didn't
want any hearsay evidence; it must be
the legal evidence. He asked after one of
my witnesses, and told him that he was
saloonkeeper, and the Grand Juror
asked me if Constable Shaeffer, the wit
ness hadn't kept a concert hall. told
him he had, and he asked me what sort
of show he kept and told him that it
wasn't bad. Then this Grand Juror said
to me: Mr.. Ackert, would you believe a
gambler and keeper of disorderly houses
under oath?' and / replied I didn't think
would"
did that Grand Jury indict?" asked
Mr.. McCarter.
mo, SIR
"You had a man named Sheehan to as
sist Shaeffer, hadn't you?"
Yes
"Well, after they got Shaeffer on the
rack, what did they do to Sheehan?"
well, the Grand Jury asked if knew
Sheehan's character, and whether he was
a drunkard or gambler, and would be-
lieve him under oath, and questions en-
tirely about the character of my witness
es and not as to their testimony"
did it or did it not appear from the
questions put to you by this Grand Juror,
who sat next to Mr.. Stucke, that he
and Sheehan even before they had been
in the grand jury room?''
mot the slightest doubt but that he
did,
The Rev. Mr.. Ackert next devoted
some time to telling what he had done
towards putting down baseball playing
at West New York on Sunday He said
that protests had been made to him
about the nuisance. He hadn't gone far
with this heinous crime when Assem-
blyman Gledhill stopped the witness and
conversed in a whisper with Mr.. McCar-
ter. Then the latter said that the COM
mittee didn't want to waste time in tes-
timony on baseball playing. The minis
ter then changed his ground and said
that the complaints were not so much
about baseball playing, but the sale of
beer in those grounds at Secaucus and
West New York on Sunday. Witness
said that he wrote to Sheriff Heller and
he read the letter. It called attention to
the violation of the law and said that
Bindernagle ran one of the places which
were freauented by children and were a
nuisance. The Sheriff, Mr.. Ackert said
did not reply to that letter. On August
5. the witness said, he sent another let
ter to the Sheriff. 1t was registered and
the receipt was signed by John J..
Heavey. Witness on that same day wrote
~, 1nn cTeiT>
and from His Honor received reply to
the effect that the Court would instruct
the Grand Jury to notice the nuisance
did the sale stop?"
.'Well, they put up a sign, Get your
beer at Schuetzen Park, we sell only
weiss beer But know they sold lager" ;"
did the Grand Jury indict?"
No, sir.
Assemblyman Squire interrupted at this
point, asking the witness what first at
tracted his attention to Little Monte Carlo
and the minister replied, Public re-
port
did you see gambling there, PERSONAL
ly?" asked Assemblyman Squire.
mo, sir but one of the Grand Jurors
told me that you could find such para
phernalia in any bar in Hudson county" ;"
did you ever visit any of the saloons?'
mischieyously asked the Assemblyman,
and everybody laughed, particularly when
Mr. Ackert blushed and looked trifie
disconnected, and appeared much re-
lieved when Mr. McCarter said That's
ALL"
Theodore Buttenbaum, a constable of
Union Hill, was the next witness, and AS
sociate Counsel William NJ Klink made
his debut before the dredging committee
as inquisitor Buttenbaum said that he
was asked by Constable Shaeffer in Au-
gust 1897, to watch the pool rooms at Lit
tie Monte Carlo. Witness went alone in
to the pool room 1t was in operation.
Describe that operation?" said Mr.
Klink
There were 200 men there. There were
on the wall two blackboards with figures
on them. I saw money passed behind the
partition, and, after an announcement
had been made, l saw money passed out
and tickets given. Shaeffer asked me If
didn't think we should make a raid, but
I replied that didn't think we were in a
position to do SO then.
4Could you arrest the men behind the
cage?" asked Mr.. Klink
.sNo, we could not. There were about
seven men back there, and we were only
three. I told them that it would be bet
ter to- wait and get more men. If we
were to try to arrest lnem they would
have skipped out of the back window"
did you see any county official there?"
'.Yes.''
philip Bindernagle?''
Yes
..He looked around and shook hands
with everybody" asked Mr.. Klink
'I couldn't say that" replied the wit
ness, cautiously.
"How long had this Monte Carlo been
established in the county?"
For ten years"
"Do you know whether it was matter
of public talk in bar room and on the
street?"
1t was
..Did you ever hear of the police max
ing a raid on that place during all that
time?"
Never"
"You gave evidence before the Grand
Jury, didn't your
Il did,
"who interrogated you?" asked Mr..
Klink
Mr.. higgins
did Shaeffer make a bet in the
room?',
81 don't know"
did he not bet on Irish Chief? ~
Il don't know that"