The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-02-12
THE $500 WAS SIMPSONS FEE
Noonan Was Not Doing Business and
the New York visit W as EN-.
tireIy Pleasure Trip.


No trial mas attracted such widespread
attention in this county as that of ex-
Assistant Prosecutor Joseph NJ Noonan
and Assemblyn an Alexander Simpson, who
are charged with conspiracy 70 defeat the
ends of Justice In the daily reports of
the proceedings in court garbled versions
of the testimony have appeared in the
Evening Journal" That paper has pub
lished. to all intents and purposes, an
expurgated edition of the evidence, care
fully leaving out all the damaging points
made against their case and embellishins
exaggerating, and even inserting questions
and answers favorable to their side. Since
the New York papers, the "Sun" excepted,
nave adopted this style of printing the
news of the case, the public, or SO much
of It that does not read 1.-The News" S
much in doubt as to what really has TAX
en- place and doubts and disputes as to
the exact nature of the evidence and its
effect on the issues are heard on all sides.
The following synopsis is designed to aid
those who are watching the case with IN
terest to a correct understanding of Its
present aspect and of the bearing and eff
feet of the various points established IN
the course of the trial to its present
stage.
On Monday, the opening day of the trial,
Judge Garretson, for the State, gave the
jury an outline of the case for the people,
the facts of which are familiar to every
one In brief, they are that Joseph M.
Noonan, then Assistant Prosecutor. ~and
Alexander Simpson a lawyer, agreed with
two men, Louis j. Beck and Edward e.
Pidgeon, to release one Nico-
dine Bosczkowski over whose head
hung one indictment and sew
eral charge of embezzlement, form
Jail Cor a sum of $780, The money, the
State claims, was paid to Noonan, who
first demanded $1,000, and then $500. and
after some chaffering accepted the
amount named A receipt for this money
was given by Simpson, who, the State
says acted as Noonan's go-between in
the deal made with Beck and Pidgeon,
who represented the Evening Journal"
After the money was paid, then came
the expose, and it was succeeded by the
indictment of Noonan and Simpson and
their trial. This, in nutshell, is the
case and now for the proof.
Edward E. Pidgeon was the first wit
ness. He told how he became acquainted
with Noonan. It was when, after re-
ceiving instructions from Managing
Editor Rappleye of the Journal to ac7
company Beck, the two went to visit Mr..
Noonan and told that official that they
wege friends of a man in Jail. Pidgeon
says they asked Noonan if they could
turn out guy" meaning BoscZkowski,
and Noonan said he could for 81 900. Beck
and Pidgeon then asked how it could be
done, and Pidgeon swears that Noonan
replied it would be necessary to get Alex
ander Simpson into the case, who would
move to change the plea, and he, Noonan,
would not oppose the motion. Then
Noonan would tell Judge Hudspeth that
the State could not go into for
eign country for Witnesses; he would
move that the indictment should
be nolle prosecuted, and Bosczkowski
would consequently go free. Pid-
geon said that Noonan was told that
the friends of the Pole could not put up
$1,000 and a meeting was arranged for
another day for the purpose of meeting
Simpson and fixing on the price. That
meeting came off at Engel's, when, Pid-
geon said, Simpson was introduced as
Noonan's representative. Pidgeon and
Beck told Simpson that the Poles friends
could not afford to give any more than
$500. Noonan objected and demanded $500,
but Simpsons interference it was
agreed, SO Pidgeon said, to accept $500
and a meeting was arfAnged next day at
Simpsons office for the payment of the
money. That meeting took place, Pidgeon
said, and the $500 were paid to Noonan,
and Simpson gave a receipt for it to the
witness. Pidgeon said further that Simp-
son grumbled because Noonan took all the
$500, and he asked where's my end of it,
I need the money tonight" and to pacify
him Noonan took out some money and
handed it to Simpson Then the party
went over to Browns, near the Court
House and had champagne. That closed
Pigeons testimony substantially.
On cross-examination by Judge Hoff-
man, Pidgeons s testimony was weakened
on many points and particularly in re-
spect to conversations said on direct ex-
animation to have taken place between
him and Noonan in Engel's chophouse
He denied first that he ever knew any
thing about No. 120 Livingston street,
Brooklyn, where he had lived many years.
His testimony, on his direct examination,
in reference to what occurred in the
Prosecutors room, on the first visit, diff
fered as to time from statements made
bv him to the Bar Association Commit
fee. although the latter statements were
: signed by him Another discrepancy in
ridpeon,s statement was in reference to
the' amount of money held by Beck whea
he paid over the $500 to Noonan To
Judge Garretson Pidgeon swore that he