The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-05-08
GREY'S DILEMMA
Can't Induce Beck and
Pidgeon to Come to
Jersey City.
NOONAN SIMPSON CASE
Testimony in Disbarment
Proceedings Adjourned
Until Saturday
Morning.

Acknowledgement Samuel H. Grey has
run up against snag in the proceedings
to disbar ex-Assistant Prosecutor Joseph
NJ. Noonan and Lawyer Alexander Sfmp-
son. This morning. the time fixed for the
taking of testimony to be submitted to
the Supreme Court, the Attorney General
told the defendant lawyers that he
couldn't go on because one of his wit
nesses had refused to come from New
York and he didn't know where to find
the other. The witnesses We're Beck and
Pidgeon, the precious pair of individuals
hired by the Evening Journal to de-
bauch two public officials
It was half-past eleven o'clock this
morning before the Attorney General
walked into Lawyer L. Garrison's office
in the Davidson Building. He found wait
ing for him Messrs. Noonan and Simpson
and Mr. Garrison, who had been appointed
commissioner to take the testimony. Mr..
Grey brought with him stenographer
and he got to work by entering on the
record the proof of service of subpoenas
made on the defendants. These prelim-
inaries being finished the Attorney Gen
eral turned to Messrs. Noonan and Simp-
son and said
nave DcSu ulidDAc " SCI Liz va
nesses here, Beck and Pidgeon, whom
relied upon being present. The fact is l
can't find one and the other wouldn't
come are you willing to take their tes-
timony at the trial of the case, if SO we
can proceed with that?"
II don't care to consent to that" re-
piled Mr. Noonan, until we have ascer-
tanned what efforts have been made to
find out these witnesses
my proposition isl said the Attorney
General, after a pause, ..to adjourn this
hearing until Saturday and in the mean
time will see if 1 can get the witnesses
here In the meantime I will deliver to
you a copy of the testimony. l will ad-
wise you by Saturday whether or not
can get the men here. and then we can
take some definite action"
Mr.. Noonan told the Attorney General
that he had the printed testimony of Beck
and Pidgeon. but there were many mac
curacies in it. 1t was in some places con-
fusing and particularly where answers
like -tno'' and Eyes" occurred. These,
Mr.. Noonan said were misplaced.
Are they material?' asked the Attor-
ney General.
81 think they are," was the others re-
ply "There are omissions. misstatements
and confusion of languages. Well have
to make changes in it,
Commissioner Garrison thought that
Friday would be a safer day than Satur-
day, because it was legal half holiday,
but the lawyers agreed to have Saturday
and it was entered on the record.
Il may determine before Saturday
whether 1 can get those men, and If l
don't get their promise to come l will
know what prospects there are of get
ting here, and 1 will notify you by tele-
graph" said Mr. Grey. "By the way, does
any one know where that man, Simon
Buttner, is to be found?''
The Attorney General was Informed
that the ex-proprietor of the Star Hotel,
where the Journals vile plot was con-
cocted is now rusticating on Long Island,
far from the Tenderloin and Captain
Price. Pidgeon and Beck are both in New
York, but have declined to put their noses
in Jersey City again.