Bridgeton pioneer., 1898-01-20
IN THE COURT ROOM.
Some Indicted Ones Retract Their
Pleas.
NOW SAY THEY ARE GUILTY,
After Some Minor Business the Prosecutor
Got Case Started Against Thomas
Cooper for Stealing Hay.
Tuesday Morning.

Tuesday Morning.
Criminal Court is on now in good
earnest, and it is likely to continue for
couple of weeks at least.
A little before ten O'Clock there was the
usual scene of activity about the Court
House attending regular term. Big
crowds of people hurried over there at
the tapping of the big clock bell, includ-
ing the fifty four jurymen, a cloud of
witnesses and host of sight seers. The
Court officials were promptly on hand,
and Prosecutor Logue's big green bag
fairly bulged with the indictments
against unfortunate ones.
Inside the Jail, at the time, there were
number of nervous, excited people,
anxiously awaiting the call of their
particular case.
1t was given out early in the day, that
an important case would be moved this
morning, while tomorrow morning the
cases against the oyster tongers will be
called. These cases will attract crowd
of people who will pack every inch of
available room. The tongers mean to
action in securing Assemblyman Cole
and ex-Judge Pancoast to conduct the
defense. 1t is in these sort of cases that
Judge Pancoast appears at his best, and
Prosecutor Logue will have to be un-
usually alert to match this impressive,
earnest counsellor.
Daniel Clark, en- old gray whiskered
man, presumably hundred years old,
was called on first to plead to an indict-
ment found against him for the illegal
sale of liquor and disorderly house. The
old man pleaded guilty.
VIM. Mick was next called. He had
two indictments against him-one for the
sale of liquor and disorderly house and
one for illegal sale of liquor. He pleaded
guilty to the illegal sale of liquor.
John r. Somers pleaded guilty to lar
ceny of gun, retracting his plea of the
other day. The witnesses in his case were
discharged. Also the witnesses in the
ases of VIM. Mick and Daniel Clark.
The first case called by Prosecutor
Logue was that of the State VS. John
Penton on a charge of grand larceny.
Penton had no one to defend him, so
Samuel Iredell, Esq was called in from
a back room to look after his interests.
Mr.. Iredell had but moments CONVEX
sation with his "client" and then word
with the Prosecutor and all was over.
The Prosecutor announced that he under
stood that the defendant would retract
plea of mot guilty" and plead "guilty'
of receiving stolen goods. Jurors are
discharged" added Judge Hoagland,
and the case of John Penton, the man
whom so much has been said about steal
ing and receiving stolen bond wire from
the Traction Company, came to an abrupt
ending.
Then came the case of Thomas Cooper,
colored. who was charged with stealing
two tons of salt hay, on the 9th of
October last, from the marsh of man
named Newkirk. in Greenwich township.
Lawyer Iredell defended Cooper.
Elbert Newkirk, on the stand, stated
that hay was taken from his marsh on the
9th of October, and load was also taken
on the 2Sth of December. He discovered
a small mules track, which led from the
marsh from his hay, which was on all
island. Two or three men told him that
Thomas Cooper wentin on the days men,
toned with his team, and the one who
stole his hay took it away with single
team. He afterwards got out a warrant
for Cooper, whom he says afterward ad-
mitted taking the hay.
Tuesday Afternoon.
This afternoon Court proceedings were
interesting, and many people
there were who seemed desirous of hear
ing all that was going on.
Before Judge Hoagland had been long
in Court, the Cooper jury came up stairs
with verdict of not guilty. The re-
mainder of the afternoon was taken up
with the Wirchossky case.
Before that case was called the Cooper
case which was on in the morning was
continued.
Constable Buck said he saw Cooper go
onto the island, past his house, the day
the hay was stolen and he afterwards ar
rested him on warrant.
Joseph Cook saw Cooper go past his
house with load of hay the morning the
hay was stolen.
Frank Ridgeway went with Newkirk
to the island to see the tracks and the
blacksmith who shod the mule, said they
were the tracks of Tom Cooper's mule.
This ended the States side, and Mr..
Iredell put Thomas Cooper on the stand.
Thomas told pretty straight story, if
true. He said he went down after some
hay which he thought was his brothers.
hay, but it was brought out on cross
that his brother hadn't any
there at the time. Cooper said he took
the hay, but when he found out it was
Newkirk's hay, he returned it aud
put it on the stack. He had hay of
his own on the island about two hundred
yards from the stack he took the hay
from. The reason he did not take his
own was because the tide was coming in,