The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-12-28
THIRTY YEARS IN COURI
Rounded Out Today By
Official Stenographer
John A. Nugent.
CHANGES HAVE TAKEN PLACE
Enormous Increase of Busi-
ness in Hudson Some
Famous Trials Recalled.

ofI7eiaI stenographer of the courts. rpund-
ed out thirty years of active service last
week. In an interview with a News" re-
porter this morning, Mr.. Nugent said
thine has worked marked changes IN
the personnel and practice of the courts IN
that time. The Supreme Court Justice
then presided in Hudson, Bergen ana
Passaic counties, the Seventh judicial
district. In 1875 Hudson county was Sc.
off as the Eighth Judicial district. Three
successors to Justice Bedle have occupied
the bench in that time, Justices Knapp,
Werts and Lippincott- In the Common
Pleas Judges Randolph Hoffman, Car
retson. McGill, Lippincott, Hudspeta ana
now Judge Blair. The leaders at the Bar
at that time have passed away, among
them were Gilchrist. the elder Beniiey'
Scudder, Ransom, Lyons, Winheid,
Fleming, Brown, Ogden and Besson
..The young men of that period are the
leaders today, and still younger ana
more numerous generation is cro%ding
them aside. Business has increased. AT
the April term, 1878, there We're eighty
two causes on the calendar. AT TINS
present term there are two hundred and
twenty-eight. The increase of lawyers
has kept pace with the increase of busi-
business with ease, now three courts ard
an assistant prosecutor are kept ousy,
besides the relief afforded by the district
courts. One stenographer did the work
of the courts with occasional assistance.
now three and sometimes more are re-
quired. besides a. corps of typewriters.
ttDid 1 oversee an innocent man con-
victed?s you ask. Il believe have,
when indicted persons were not per-
mitted to testify. A barbarous pre-
sumption against one indicted was that
he would not. and could not, tell the
truth The law permitting defendant on
Indictment TO testify was received with
shudder by the old practitioners. To re-
peal it would now be impossible.
The drudgery of the. court stenograph-
er's life. who works hard all day taking
notes IN the court room, and, frequently,
half OF the night and many Sundays and
holidays transcribing his hieroglyphics
into plain English, is sometimes relieved
by unusual incidents which happen or
surround the trial of causes. Among the
Interesting trials that / now recall which
have occupied public attention We're the
political trials in the early seventies,
where quite number of public officials
were Indicted. and one the president of
the Board OF Public Works. was convicted
and sent to States Prison. The trial of
".
detective. for conspiracy with burglars
to rob the First National Bank The de-
PENDANTS We're acquitted. The Indictment
and conviction OF the president OF the
Board of Freeholders for technical vio-
lation of statute without criminal I'M
tent. The trial and acquittal Of a Mayor
of Jersey City for technical violation
OF statute in signing warrants in ex-
cess OF the appropriation without intent
TO do a fraudulent act.
Il believe the first woman sentenced to
be hanged in New Jersey was Libby Car
rabrant. reported that trial in Pater-
SON | Was stenographer of the Seventh
Judicial District which at that time was
Hudson, Bergen and Passaic Counties.
The death sentence was commuted to i'm
is now in States Prison. John w.
Griggs and Garret A. Hobart We're then
in the office of Socrates Tuttle, a lead
ing member of the Paterson Bar. who
was assigned to defend Libby Garrabrant.
Mr.. Hobart at that time had recently
was a student in the office of Mr. Tuttie,
and subsequently became his partner.
Both young men were constant attend
ants at that trial. It never occurred to
me then that one of them would become
Vice-President of the United States and
the other Governor Of The be state Of New
United States. I have, however, thought
that while John w. Griggs was Cover
nor he was influenced in his action on the
branT by knowledge he acquired of that
case while in the office of his preceptor
miliar with every fact and circumstance
Zone of the most pathetic and touch
ing scenes that can now recall was the
case of a man who had been convicted
of manslaughter for the killing of his
friend, while under the influence of
liquor. On the day set for sentence his
wife who had been a constant attendant
at the trial, appeared. and when her hus-
band was ordered to stand UP for sem
tence, she, with baby on her left arm
and two little ones clinging to her skirts,
fell upon her knees before the bench, and,
sobbing as If her heart would break,
pleaded, with her right arm uplifted, for
mercy. So earnest and so fast came her
utterances, SO unusual the spectacle that
all present seemed to be overcome Tor
Court seemed spellbound, and the poor
woman was gently carried away ex-
hausted from the floor. He was SEN
fenced to five years in State Prison.
The trial of a clergyman of Jersey
City for the alleged attempt to poison his
wife, with intent to kill, created unusual
interest, and the court room WAS crowd
ed during the entire trial. The defendant
was acquitted
"The Smith-Bennett case, so called.
stabbed to death in bed, his wife and
her paramour were on trial three times
for the crime: A Juror became insane
were convicted and sentenced to be
hanged, but the verdict was set aside,
feS a 5Se hrd was t punsSea ansg f9s fS
murder Yes. yes. / think / have seen
many guilty ones escape.
.T have seen many interesting and ex-
citing trials In the civil and criminal
courts One was flaw in the title,
where the words of inheritance were left
out of deed, a man named Peters COM
veying a large tract of land in Jersey
City. near the Court House, upon which
later on many homes had been built and
families brought up. The omission was
discovered many years afterwards by q
searcher of titles, who made known the
defect to shrewd, unconscionable
speeuIator. The heirs Of Peters were
for mere trife all their
title and interest to lands in New Jersey
were purchased. They believed they aad
none A suit in ejectment was brought
AGAINST one who paid his money for q
home on 4 part of this tract which II
successful would have destroyed the title
to a good many homes which had beer
built upon the disputed tract. 1t seemed
to the legal fraternity that there could
be no successful defense. The Speculation
had been well advised before he entered
upon his scheme. The court room was
crowded with anxious men. women anc
children. wondering II it were possible
that the law could not save them from
being robbed of their homes and turned
OUT Of doors. Law and precedent de-
cision after decision was In favor Of the
plaintiff The Judge upon the bench threw
every obstacle In his way. but his at
forneys were well armed with complete
answers to every objection.
.sTI1e case seemed to be hopeless for
the defendants AT the close of one days
proceedings, after several hours OF argu-