Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1900-01-18
CUMBERLAND COURTS.
Second Weeks Proceedings in
Detail
MANY SPEAK-EASY CASES.
Those Who Sell Rum the Sly Have
Their JUnIngs with the Court.
Wednesday Afternoon.

Wn6n the young lawyer, rex A. Don
nelly came in Court this afternoon, he
had tucked away in his inside pocket, a
writ of certorari, the imposing, signature
at the bottom, was that of Supreme Court
Justice Charles Garrison. The writ had
been secured by Mr.. Donnelly after 'an
all night hunt.
The paper was a writ of certorari and
took the indictment against Jacob
Nelson, charged with illegal dredging,
out of the Courts here into the Supreme
Court. Nelson was arrests at the in
stance of the Oyster Superintendent, and
an Indictment found. He pleaded not
guilty, and the Court assigned Mr..
Donnelly to defend him. The young
lawyer discovered, as he believes, that
the INDICTMENT itself is defective, and
that the diction of the law alleged to have
been violated, is unconstitutional. For
these reasons the writ of certorari has
been granted, and Nelson's case will not
come before the Court at leaast this term
Alfred Moore was called before the
Prosecutor to plead to an indictment
charging him with assault and battery
He pleaded guilty.
Lawyer Bacon did not waste many
words in opening the defense in the
William Polhamus case. Hs simply
said his client was not guilty, and wanted
to prove it by the evidence.
William Polhamus was the first, and of
course, the most important witness for
himself. He sprang something of SEN
sation at once, He admitted frankly
that he knew all about the big railway
chain from Russells ship yard. He had
been personally acquainted with that
particular chain for at least twenty years.
1t was past all usefulness and not .valua-
Bile.
P'5ihamus declared that he made no
pretense of taking this chain from the
tTSip yard q secretly It-was taken down
in the presence of several passers by, and
left all day on the river bank before it
was loaded on the boat.
The cross-examination of Polhamus
was somewhat interesting. Prosecutor
Fithian began by asking the defendant,
how he explained that the date upon the
alleged Russell receipt was blotted .over
Polhamus said he did not undertake to
explain it. Mr.. Fithian then asked how
he explained that the date of the receipt
was written in different color of ink: from
the body of the receipt. Polhamus said
he made no effort to explain it.
Upon re direct examination, Mr.. Bacon
managed to get Polhamus Strengthened
up somewhat, and subsequent witnesses
heped him out amazingly.
Go oI
OF testimony. He said he was with Pol
hamus and Camp when the defendant
bought che chain of John Russell.
Dan Bishop, of Millville, was called to
the witness stand, and being shown the
alleged receipt given by Russell to Pol
hamus, pronounced it to be in the hand
writing OF the late John Russell He was
quite sure that he was competent to inde a
ME. Russell hand writing. Upon cross
examination Prosecutor Fithian showed
Mr.. Bishop paper, and asked if tie
signature attached to it was that of Mr..
Russell. Mr.. Bishop did not think it
was. TIE Prosecutor then turned the
paper over, and showed that it was a
check given by Russell to Dan Rishop.
and bore the endorsement of Mr. Bishop
He admitted then that the signature was
that of Mr. Russell.
Capt. Polhamus, father of the defend
ant, testified that he found the Russell
receipt in the pocketbook of his son offer
the October term of court. Then followed
an exhibition of cross-examination fire
works. Capt. Polhamus admitted that he
had tried to settle the case by paving
BENZ. Russell money. This cross ex-
animation was not made without a series
of objections upon the part of the defense.
but the Court overruled most of the
objections.
Albert Polhamus testified that he had
been acquitted by jury upon charge
of assisting William Polhamus to steal
the chain. Prosecutor Fithian desired to
know of Albert if he did not save his
own skin by laying the crime upon. his
brother. The answer was not entirely
satisfactory.
In rebuttal, the State called Henry
Paullin, of the: City Hotel. He said he
was acquainted with John Camp, and
was free to say that he would not believe
Camp upon his oath. Some other testi-
mony was offered in rebuttal, and the
case closed. The jury will be charged in
the morning.
Thursday Morning.
With convening of Court, at fifteen
minutes of ten this morning, Judge
Trenchard charged the Polhamus Jury.
The CouIt was entirely impartial, and the
jury retiAlsd for verdict.
The business of the third days GRIM
inal session began with Joseph Elwell
defending an indictment against him,
alleging that he had sold liquor illegally.
Elwell was represented in the case by
John s. Mitchell. Esq. The Indictment