The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-15
SANDBAGGBR CONVICTED
Prisoner Conducts His Own
Defence in a Bad
Assault Case.

John Price, of No. ia Grand street,
Hoboken was tried in the General Ses-
sions Court yesterday afternoon and this
| morning for atrocious assault and bat
terry on Maria Lang, an elderly woman
from whom he hired a furnished room.
Price acted as his own lawyer and was
convicted The attack was made on Mrs.
Lang about midnight on February 4.
Price and George Howard were indicted
for it. but as the evidence was not suffi-
cient to show that Howard had anything
to do with the assault except as a spec
tator he was acquitted by direction OF
the Court.
Mrs. Lang testified that Price went into
her room and demanded money She re-
fused to give it to him and he struck her
proved to be sandbag. Mrs. Lang
screamed murder and her cries attracted
the attention of Joseph Goestrit the
owner of the house, who lived up stars.
Not caring to go down stairs alone Mr..
Goestrft called Charles Fricke and they
went down stairs together. They FOUND
Price and Howard in the hall and Price
told them that somebody had attacked
Mrs. Lang. Price said that he wanted to
go to his room to get his coat and nat,
but that Mrs. Lang had pushed him out.
Mr.. Goestrit opened the door OF Mrs;
Lang S room and told Price to go in and
the door Mrs. Lang called out Ihat
the man that tried to kill me-
Detective Fallon was Informed of the
assault and he arrested Price IN a salooh
about two blocks away from the house.
When the trial was resumed this morn
ing Price asked that Mrs. Lang be re-
called. She was called and took the wit
ness stand.
Didn't you testify in the Recorder s
COURT asked Price that Howard held
his hand over your mouth to prevent you
from hollerin? ~
No I didn't replied the old woman.
What did you testify to?"
81 said he made motion with his hand
to stop me from crying out. l testified,
too that you struck me with a sand
bag
Didn't Howard go to your house with
his father and ask you to let up on him
"Howard's father asked if | thought his
boy would do such thing
Dropping the witness. Price asked AS
sistant Prosecutor Van Wrinkle If the
statement made by Howard before Re
corder McDorough had been brought TO
court. MIR. Wrinkle said it had.
.Is the statement of the main wit
ness here?" asked Price
81 don't think it is,'' replied Mr.. Van
4 would like to ask your honor" said
Price, addressing Judge Hudspeth, why
that statement is not here?
Sometimes the papers are not all sent
here replied the Judge.
Price. in his own defence, said that he
and Howard were sitting in his room
talking about murders and kindred sub
jects, and Howard asked me how sand
bag was made.
# told HIM continued Price, that if
he would get me a stocking and some
sand would show him to the best of my
knowledge. Howard went for a pint
of beer and brought some sand uacK
with him, and made the bag the best |
know how
The defendant explained his trouble
with Mrs. Lang by saying that she runs
a policy game He made a hit but she
refused 10 give him the money. He went
to the room to demand the money and
she pushed him out; The sand bag nad ,
Goestrit and Mr.. Fricke had testified that
they found the sandbag hidden in an ash
barrel Gown in the cellar. The jury con-
victed Price in less than ten minutes.