The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-02-17
and detectives to swear falsely to win a

and detectives to swear falsely to win
case
There's a peculiar thing about the
case gentlemen. that all through TINS
case wherever there was thiro
man in the events of a case, that Nnlro
man is always on the side of the defen-
dants, with the exception of Rappieye.
and we buried and overwhelmed his state
ments with that of seven men,"
Judge Noonan closed with quoting the
dialogue. of the murderers of the Duke
of Gloucester and wound up by saying:
Yes, ye accursed murderers of reputa-
ton. Beck and Pidgeon. do your deed
stab the honor of these men and then lie
away to gain your reward from your
employer, Rappleye.'
Judge William T. Hoffman. senior coun-
sci for the defense. began his closing
speech at four clock. He began by re-
calling that in more than thirty years
he had been trying cases involving
property, loss of liberty and loss OF me-
and yet he could not remember one SO I'M
portant as this, for it meant the llves OF
two men. of the defendants, who. II the
Jury willed it would go from this Court
House into ignominy and shame.
"When I think of it, said counsel
'sthat two men unknown in this COM
rnunity. could come from foreign state
and within a few hours ruin the charac-
ters of these two men. 1t is awful You
Will agree with me that we cannot come
ITO the case without the utmost serious
ness. and l say as the man in the scrip
ture: oh, wretched man. who shall de-
liver us from the body of this death?
..It is impossible to refrain from speak
ing of public clamor," said Judge Hoff-
man.
81 am a firm believer in the ultimate
rights of public opinion, a we'll regulateo
public opinion understanding all the 1acus.
Now let me say that Mr.. Rappleye,
man whom nobody before knew, came TO
the edftorship of the Evening journal,
and doubtless ambitious and anxious to
startle the public by shunting an old ana
formerly respectable paper on new lines.
He. over the heads of all the older re-
porters. picked up Beck and Pidgeon, at
ten dollars and seven dollars day.
What for? To investigate crime? No, to
commit it by attempting to bribe an
official. If these phenomenal scoundrels
could get into communication with Mr..
Noonan they could fill in the rest; the
easiest thing in the world for them was to
lie. and they completed the crime when
after a careful manipulation of circum-
stances they paid the money and changed
the person to Noonan. That's an easy
thing; it's done by criminals every day in
alibi cases..
..Well. these rascals, Beck and Pidgeon,
=, MI
and when they made their editor believe
they had been a success they fastened
their fangs into the exchequer of their
employees. these tools of Rappleye, who
didn't dare to lead, but followed in this
dirty work. So the vile story was pub
lished and then the indictments followed
and this trial.
Taking up first Pidgeon's testimony
Judge Hoffman showed the improbabiiity
of the account of what took place in the
Prosecutors office when Pidgeon said
they asked Mr.. Noonan: Can you turn
out guy?'
.sNow. just think of it, said Judge
Hoffman. what a monumental liar this
fellow Pidgeon is. Just think of a
stranger coming to Mr.. Noonan and at
once putting, such question. Think of
what Pidgeon said next: I can; it will
cost you 81 ,O0o.' Do you believe that lie?
Do you believe Joseph Noenan said:
Here. l ann ready to turn out a guy for
S, ,nO0?' Then this lying scoundrel Pid-
geon says that Mr.. Noonan took down
the statutes to look for the punishment
for grand larceny. Why, there's lie, lie,
lie written all over the face of this testi-
mony of this perjured villain, tool of the
Evening Journal Look you, gentlemen,
there's not a lawyer in this room, and
see lots of them, Senator Terhune there,
Mr.. Parker and many others, who
doesn't have on the tip of his tongue the
punishment under the law. and mind you,
there is no one in this State who knows
more of the criminal statutes than Mr..
Noonan Then just imagine him taking
down the statutes Lies, lies, all lies.
Then look at what Beck said. Beck,
the worst of the crowd, if there be any
/ degree of filth and nastiness, when he
| talked of star crooks Fancy re-
| spectacle reporter of a respectable paper
using such language. He manufactured
| the whole conversation as detailed in the
| Prosecutors Office and Pidgeon lied to
! help him and the entire things bears such
| earmarks of fraud and lying that no
| drels."
| It being five o'clock the COURT adjourned
| until today.