Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1899-01-12

tempt, then the cases against Hamilton
could not be tried. and he receive the
punishment he so richly deserves.
"What kind of taial Go you call this?"
and he appeared most indignant.
This brought out from the cour' this:
"Pll tell you what kind of a trial this is,
if you don't keep quiet. / want you to
distinctly understand that you must not
reflect upon the manner of trial.o
Hamilton refused to be sworn and did
not testify. Heidi however, make some
thing of an address to the jury. He 81 id,
Il know | am going to Trenton. i 10
going for life time. pll get an uugodly
dose. But 1 stood trial to show up ahe
trickery in the criminal officers. There
were some robberies committed in
Bridgeton that they wanted to lay at my
door, but they couldn't find the evidence.
But Pll get sentenced for it." Hamilton
then began to tell of his connections with
the Stadler and knight robberies, when
juror Billy Fox broke in and said to
Hamilton, you are telling too much.
We don't want to know anything about
thst''
The Prosecutor then moved the second
indictment against Hamilton, the charge
being breaking, entering and stealing
from the house of Valentine Cantner.
The States case showed that the robbery
of the house resulted in the carrying off
some money and stamps. The latter
were produced in Court and identified.
They were found in the possession of
Hamilton when he was arrested,
When the jury was called in the case,
Hamilton walked over to County Clerk
Trenchard's desk, and attempted to ask
him question. The Clerk said to him
with some warmth, !" "You go away from
here. I don't want anything to do with
you.'
When Mr.. Logue was through with his
first witness, he turned him over to Ham
ilton for cross-examination.
Hamilton declared he would not pro-
ceed. He said that the States officers had
stolen from him manuscript which was
of consequence to him. He said, ~ want
my papers before l proceed. You can't
work no such gag on me-"
Mr.. Logue said that all he knew about
the matter was that the Vineland officers
had given him a bulky package of manu-
script and he had turned it over to Mr..
Lore, and that officer was out of town 10.
day.
But Hamilton changed his mind about
the matter and went into the cioss sx-
animation of witnesses with great vigor.
He only got in one tangle with the court
during this trial, when Judge Hosgland
made ruling, which caused the burglar
to remark "you are the only one in the
State of New Jersey that rules that way.o
After the charge of the court, Hamilton
took exception to the entire charge.
The jury returned verdict of guilty in
a moment or two, and Hamilton smiled
and shook his hand to the jurors.
The .hird case was quickly disposed of
and without incident. 1t was an indict-
ment charging Hamilton with robbing
the house of James L. Walton, in Vine
land. The testimony showed that Hamil-
ton had confessed to the robbery, and
had admitted that he pawned the jewelry
amounting to $40 in value, in Boston
and New York.
When the colored fellow addressed the
jury he admitted that he had stolen some
of the things from Waltons house but not
all as alleged in the Indictment.
OF course the verdict of guilty was
returned.
The fourth indictment was the robbery
ofthe residence of Mrs. Elizabeth Stadler.
OF this aItV from,
remembered that gold watch and 500
in money were taken. The conviction
of Hamilton was shown by his having
Miss Lizzie Stadlers watch in his pos
session when he was arrested.
For the first time Hamilton went upon
the stand. and elaborately described his
whereabout upon the night of the Staoler
robbery. and attempted to show that he
was tramping from Winslow Junction to
Rosenhayn. He said that when he ar
rived in Bridgeton after the Stadler rob
berry, he met couple of crooks, one
Scram, another Locke, whom he knew.
1t was these fellows who did the robbery.
and he had given this information to the
state, and it had not been acted upon.
~ -" CO q iohS StoTys II SQOW6Q a fertile
immagination. 1t was one of the finest
spun romances and shadow dreams that
has ever been heard in the Court room.
The colored fellow is a past master of
story telling, and his tale would have
made chapter for any yellow covered
novel of up to-date pernicious literature.
Inc appearance of Hamilton upon the
STAND, gave MIR. Logue an opportunity to
cross examine the black fellow. He re-
iused to say where his home was, and
would not admit coming from Ohio with
Coxey's Army.
he admitted that he was guilty of four
OF the Indictments found against him,
put was not guilty of the Stadler and
Knight burglaries. He said that Locke
ana Scram gave him the watches that
were found in his possession.
Cnnuiofinn Hol1or,oJ i