Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1899-10-19
CUMBERLAND COURTS.
Criminal Business Drags YEARLY
Along.
OYSTER THIEVES CONVICTED.
The Court Proceedings of the Past Week
Given in Detail.
Wednesday Afternoon.


There were all sorts of goings on il
Court yesterday. The civil list was dis
posed Of, defendants pleaded guilty o
not, as the case might be, and the Stat
Oyster Commission brought its first cas-
in the criminal courts.
AS soon as Court convened yesterday
afternoon the jury in the celebrated hors,
case came and returned verdict in favor
of DR.. Kirk, in the sum of $3.50 damages
the owner Of the horse being decided te
be him.
Several persons were brought into
court to plead to indictments found by
the Grand Jury. They We're these:
Jacob A. Ritz, stealing eggs, not guilty
Jesse Andrews, larceny, two wagons
not guilty.
Maggie Bozarth, abusing livery rig,
not guilty.
Patrick McMahan, charged with burg.
larry, retracted his plea of not guilty and
pleaded guilty.
Mary Cook retracted. her plea of not
guilty to receiving stolen goods, and
pleaded guilty.
Just bit of breeze was raised right
at the start of the criminal business, not
enough to sail the crack cup raciug
yachts, but enough to awaken interest.
Prosecutor Fithian, in the absence of a
State witness, announced that be would
not move the case against William Pol
hamus at this time. This brought Pol
hamus' counsel, W. H. Bacon, to his feet
with decided objections, claiming that
the Prosecutor had agreed to put this
case on first, and finally Mr.. Bacon
moved that the Indictment be noHe
pressed, which motion was denied and
Mr.. Bacon to ok an exception.
There was no preliminary skirmish
with unimportant cases to inaugurate the
criminal campaign, the Prosecutor
plnnging right into the fighting line, pre-
senting the indictment against John
Reed, Benson Heverin and Warrie Smell,
charged with illegal dredging. This case
was brought by the State Oyster Commits
sion, and Supt. Thomas F. Austin was
seated at the Prosecutors table to take
aggressive steps against the defendants.
Prosecutor Fithian was fortunate in hav-
ing with him, in this case, former Prose-
cutor William A. Logue. who is counsel
for the State Commission.
That the three defendants will have no
advantage taken of them is apparent,
when it is considered that their counsel
are Judge John w. Westcott and Hon.
Harry Scovel, the we'll known Camden
lawyers.
Judge Westcoh, right at the outset,
ko1 hot Info od
i'm the Jail were unable to personally look
after their witnesses. They had had sub
poenas issued and placed in the hands of
constable. There was reason to believe,
the Judge said that the defendants had
been tricked. Certain it was that the
constable had not subp@naed the wit
nesses. Judge Westcott thought the
matter might be adjusted before the de.
Tense was ready to use the witnesses.
The first bit Of the States case was un.
furled by J. H. Lake, Captain of one of
the Commission guard boats. The officer
said that on the night of the 18th of July,
he was on the guard boat, in Maurice
River Cove, and noticed the vessel "Maria
and Francis," of which the defendants
were the crew. The guard boat was some
distance away from the "Maria and Fran
cis," but the captain could see that the
boat was in the act of dredging, not that
] he actually 'uld see the dredges, but the
boat was going about as boats do when
they are dredging. Captain Lake started
after the "Maria and Francis," but could
not catch her, and later the vessel ran in
to Oronoken Greek. On the following
morning, Capt. Lake says the "Maria
and Francis'' was sailed from Oronoke en-
Creek to Bivalve, where she tied up at
the wharf. On the following day, the
10th of July, Capt Lake went aboard the
boat, and found oysters in her hold.
Judge Westcott cross examined Capt
Lake. and when he was through, the cap
tain admitted that his conclusions were
speculative, his inference being that the
defendants we're dredging illegally, be
cause of the motion of their boat He
admitted that he did not see any of the
defendants upon the "Maria and Fran
cis,n on the night of the 10th OF July, but
did see them the next morning in
Oronoken Creek. The captain first sale
that he watched the defendants boat al
night, and the men must have been or
her the night before. A moment later b,
admitted that he had taken short mar
during the night, and was also out O
sight of the "Maria and Francis'' |
short time.
"Read that" said Judge Westcott tt
Herman Fisk, pointing to large letter
upon the map before the jury. Herman
failed, he could not make out the larg
letters. Mr.. Logue protested that effor
was being made to reduce the witnesses
but Judge Westcott was cross examining
the witness, and few minutes befor
Fisk had sworn he could read. Fisk wa
upon the guard boat, with Captain Lake