The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-02-08

| Beck and he would tell me what to do
We 20 on what dia o,B Beca ever ten ~ yon Ter
sey City to get Pole turned out and
;DI6. sDidn't Mr. Rappleye tell you about the
He didn't tell me, but heard him dis
cussing it with Beck" replied .Pidgeon.
rs that all you knew, them"
.Oh, | had a general knowledge OF the
corruption in the Prosecutors office;'
"Oh, you did, did you?" said Judge
When you ars heard TINS @
| Il knew that Noonan would take money
and we were going over.
did it occur to you that your attempt
| ing to bribe public official or to sug-
gest 1t or carry it out was a crime?"
sternly asked Judge Hoffman,.
pad, y did not; didn't know what Mr.
What in the world where you there
ITO keep my eyes and ears open.''
$50 that Beck was the first to suggest
anything corrupt?'
"Why didn't you when Beck told you
what he was going to do get out of such
"Why should II" replied Pidgeon
"Why?'' Numbered the lawyer $50 as
| to avoid being involved in conspiracy -
as comfortable as if he was on hot
| stove.
| 'Did you know what a guy WASP"
What do you mean by guy?" said
You know what it means?" -
"Well. yes.''
1 why on earth don't you answer the
Pidgeon defined the word guy as a
| fool something easy a criminal He
| reported the conversation he said in Mr..
! Noonans office to Mr.. Rappleye.
t'And all the time you were trying to
| buy the ProSecutor?'
| ..He was willing to SELL
$50 you saw in the hands of Mr.. Beck
| the $500 to be used to debauch a high Off
every day?"
couldn't tell whether it was So or
$780, said Pidgeon.
But you swore yesterday that you saw
Beck pull out asroll of bills and give some
70 Simpson, q and you couldn't tell whether
Il made a mistake" replied Pidgeon.
But you SWore to that?
! well. you didn't give me time to think. >
DO You need time to think when you
| tell the truth?" asked Judge Hoffman. and
Pidgeon muttered something inaudible to
| the audience.
| Counsel referring to the witness testi-
mony before the Committee on Ethics of
| the Hudson County Bar Association,
showed tnat Pidgeon swore to the lawyers
| that ali the conversation in Mr.. Noonan's
/ office about turning out guy occurred
i before he had been introduced to MIR.
Noonan, but Pidgeon,s memory was. again
|
had. sworn. The statement was signed
by him.
the money was paid, where did you go
| TOP?
ITO Browns
"And you drank there?"
'Who were there?"
ssThere were others; one a man named
callahan, .saule and others .n don't know"
| Mr. Simpson ordered owe h0tt1a and
! Beck and l ordered one
/ Don't you know that Beck ordered the
/ it and when he was called back said:
/ oh, charge 1t to Noonan'?"
| Il don't remember that
| who paid for the cigars?"
"Chief Callaghan.'
Were you sober?"
+ z.Isn't it fact that Beck kept on filling
| up Noonans glass whether he wanted it
or ..Mo not3'
Dropping for a moment this line, Judge
| Hoffman asked where Mr.. Simpson got
and witness replied: From his desk :.
4 Now. you reported to the Journal
every day, | understand you?"
sDid you write the article on December
| IL, in which you describe how easy it was
/ to do things in Harrison and Chief Cal
| lahan asked you to come over to do busi-
ness?'
No, but heard the conversation. Beck
did Mr.. Noonan, as the article says,
in your presence say something about
doing business in Harrison and did the
BUSINESS and dn turn npy sllso gophers m a asked ed
Judge Hoffman, quoting the Journal
We'll. substantially, so; there may be
some slight mistakes
| What is turning a gopher?
.'Well blowing safe" said Pidgeon.
"And what did you mean by are you
next Chief, p"
s'That means do you share in the pro-
ceds."
.sAnd did you allow this vernacular Of
crooks to appear in the paper?" shouted
Judge Hoffman holding up the journal, .
.and didn't contradict it,
+ Yes
$50. do I understand you that you, in
public place, made an offer to the
Chief of Police of Harrison, to have a
safe cracked?'
II didn't make the offer, Beck did?'
| stammered Pidgeon.
'sAnd you heard Beck ask the Chief
of Police for permission to come over tc
Harrison and crack safe and share in
the proceeds, and you stood still ant
didn't say word?
Pidgeon mumbled something about not
writing the article or having no control
over them. He ScOwled at the lawyer
and fortunately for him Justice Lippin-
colt came to his relief and disallowed the
question.
.sDid you furnish the information from
which the article was written?" continued
Judge Hoffman.
II furnished daily reports and I had M
| control over publishing. AS to the Incl
dents of the story, they are the same
turned in. I dictated some and wrote
others. There are some parts and event:
in that story which I know nothing
about" replied Pidgeon.
"Then I understand you to say tina
that story is correct?"
Only in those parts which I wrote.
said Pidgeon.
You have changed your testimony nov
from the statements in the newspaper"
II am not responsible for that paper
statements" replied Pidgeon.
Didn't you make different Statements
before the Grand Jury?"
"Object,% cried the States officers
"that is Incompetent
"IIow?'- asked Judge Noonan. "Wha
] happened in the Grand Jury room can b.
/ made public here and l have plenty o
u cases shewinga that the law allows it,.
The Court ruled the question out ant
. an exception was taken.
..That'S all for the present., said Judg
Hoffman, and the Pidgeon- -plucking pro
cess was temporarily stopped. Judg
, Garretson then started in to smooth SOM
of the witness ruffled feathers and il
, reply to question Pidgeon said that hi
wife was an actress and he boarded a
!, Livingstone street, Brooklyn.
A recess was then taken until 1:30 p. M
! AFTERNOONS PROCEEDINGS