The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-04-19
INFAMY DEFEATED
Probable Criminals Escape
Through all Outrageous
Act of the Prose-
cution.
ED HALLS LATEST ESCAPE
Tale Of Two Trunks Full of Silk
Lost" From An Express
Company's Station.

Edward, familarly known as Ed, Hall,
who has had a full share Of trials and
escapes from conviction, had another
trial and escape yesterday, in the Gem
eral Sessions Court. His son, Harry,
shared this trial and escape with him,
and it was his first experience. Father
and son were tried for stealing trunk
containing 81 ,2e0 worth Of silk from the
United States Express Company's freight
platform at the Lehigh Valley Railroad
station, in Communipaw. Two trunks
had been shipped from Max Goldstein's $
silk factory in Wilkesbarre, Pa, to his
store in New York. One contained silk
and the other cloth, and they both dis
appeared while in transit. Harry Hall
was employed as driver by the express
company. The trunks arrived at the
Communipaw station on December of
last year and We're missed the next day.
One OF the company tracers traced the
silk, after it had been reported missing,
to some mythical person named Charles
New, in West Twenty y-second street, New
York. The case was reported to Chief
Murphy and he assigned Detectives Doyle
and Dalton to 1T, and they were assisted
by Detective Byrnes, one of the express
company 5 special agents. They secured
clues which pointed to Ed Hall and his
son, and they were arrested and indict-
ed. Ed Hall was indicted under the
name of Bartholomew. Norman l.. Rowe
appeared for the defendants, and Assist
ant Prosecutor Van Wrinkle represented
the State.
The theory set up by the State was
that the theft of the trunks was accom-
plished by changing the tags on them
while they We're at the express company S
platform in Communipaw. This was al
legged to have been done by Harry Hall,
at the instigation of his father. When the
trunks were taken away for delivery they
10 q a dI-0 on 40
substituted tags. They were first deliv-
cred at Twenty y-second street and from
there to University place. L. G. Neu had
rooms at both places. The detectives
learned that Ed Hall had been seen talk
ing to a woman named Russell, who was
SAID to keep fence" in East Eleventh
street. 1t was alleged that he had offered
to sell her some silk and woollen goods he
expected to receive in a short time. The
detectives had also traced the elder Hall
TO a saloon kept by Edward Burns, where
he had asked John Smith, the bartender
where goods of the kind mentioned could
be sold. Smith suggested Mrs. Russell
One of the witnesses yesterday was Mrs.
Elizabeth Higginson OF No. Al University
place, New York. 1t was alleged that
Hall had hired room from her under
the name of Neu. The witness was asked
if she could identify Hall and she said she
could.
DO you see him in the room - asked
Assistant Prosecutor Van Winkle
The woman looked all around the court
F0UIH ana Tflen SsAlu Sne cid not see MIN.
Hall was sitting directly in front of her.
about twelve feet away. Subsequently
she was recalled and asked again if she
could point out Hail.
Yes" she promptly replied. there he
is" pointing TO the defendant
who told you that was Hall?' asked
Mr.. Rowe who was very angry
"A man over there replied the wit
ness
Point him out!'' exclaimed Mr.. Rowe.
The witness pointed out Colonel Byrne,
the detective. Mr.. Rowe proceeded to
mercilessly score such methods of secur-
ing identification, and made strong point
for the defendants He said that such
methods might go in New York, but they
don't prevail in this county. Byrne
walked away and took a back seat.
The jury acquitted the defendants.