The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-02-07
Details of Three Days of Alleged
Corruption aud Debauchery
Recited in Court.

The trial of Joseph M. Noonan, once
Assistant Prosecutor of this county ana
Alexander Simpson, lawyer and Assem-
bly,, an, for conspirac, began in earnest
today in the Court of Oyer and Terminer.
Every man who entered the court room
early to secure a seat this morning asked
pretty much the same question. rs Judge
Hudspeth here?'' It was known that the
presiding Judge of the Common Pleas did
not sit in the court on Friday last, and
the news few to the Hill on Saturday that
he was confined to bed, and one of these
terrible people said consulting physician
had been called, who had pronounced his
Honors condition serious. Hence the
excitement about the Court House this
morning. was only relieved when the Judge
himself walked into his private chambers
a few minutes before ten O'Clock. Ihls
excitement was shared in by the de-
PENDANTS and their counsel, who knew that
the absence of Judge Hudspeth meant an
other postponement and a prolongation OF
the suffering of two men charged with
a high crime and who wished to meet
that charge fairly and squarely.
The charge against Messrs. Noonan and
Simpson has echoed in the ears OF the
public for several months now and to
repeat it in detail here would be to tell
over again an old, old story. The indict-
ment calls it "a conspiracy to defeat the
ends of Justice" and this Indictment was
found on the evidence submitted to the
Grand Jury by the Evening Journal
of this city. That paper engineered
scheme. carried out by two newspaper
men, and entrapped Messrs. Noonan and
Simpson, so the accusers declare, into ac-
cepting a bribe of $500 to release Polish
banker, one Nickodine Bosczkowski, from
Jail, where he had been committed for
swindling his clients.
The revelation of this alleged act by
prominent lawyers created the biggest
surprise this county or perhaps the State,
ever experienced, and when on Monday
last the tral was set down for hearing
the court was adjourned. AS every one
knows the sickness of the Attorney Cen
eral, Samuel H. Grey, caused a postpone
ment to April, but Mr.. Grey sent word
that he would be ready for trial today
and he kept his word, for few minutes
before the Court Houses big bell tolled
the hour of ten that high official, who
had been requested by the Court to un-
dertake the task of presenting the case
for the people, walked into court accom-
panied by ex-Judge A. @. Garretson, as
soeiated in the States case. Closely fol-
lowing them came the defendants them
selves and their counsel ex-Judge w. T..
Hoffman, ex-Judge T. F. Noonan and
William H. Speer, Jr, and last OF all As
sistant Prosecutor w. NJ. Klink.
Punctually at ten minutes after ten
Justice Lippincott and Judge Hudspeth
came from their room at the back of the
bench and the Presiding Justice at once
ordered the Clerk to call the roll of the
panel of struck jurors to try the defend
ants While this was being done the gall
, lery and body of the court continued to
fill up, and also the space usually occu-
pied by the lawyers. In the call of the
roll there were five absentees. Four of
them-H. " Meeks of North Bergen,
Richard Galbraith of West Hoboken,
Robert Simon Of Union Hill and A. T.
Berghaus of Hoboken-were, it appeared
by their doctors certificates, suffering
from rheumatism. Henry Inner. another
absentee, didn't think of even sending a
certificate and will have to do some tall
explaining in the course of the day or go
to Jail for contempt. Later he turned up
and he was forgiven.
At this point Senator w. D. Daily asked
permission to interrupt to make a mo-
ton in the matter of Murderer Clifford,
the argument of which consumed half an
hour. While this was going on Judge
Hoffman crossed over to the Attorney
General and swapped yarns with him as
the other counsel for the State, Mr.. Car
retson turned over a mass of papers. The
defendants counsel were not idle either;
they made notes dtalked. while the
defendants themselves listened listlessly
to the vigorous eloquence of the Senator
from Hudson.
.4The State moves the case" said As
sistant Prosecutor Klink when Mr.. Daily S
motion ended, and the trial was formally
set in motion by the Court excusing the
four absentees from the panel and order
ing the clerk to put the names into the
box. This was about to be done when
ex-Judge Noonan said:4
Before yourproceed your Honor wish
j to ask leave on the part Of the defen-
sssts to Withdraw their plea of not guilty