The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-05-23
DON'T co
IN JERSEY.
Vice Chancellor Pitney Dis
courages Crokerism In
Chancery.
THAT QUEER RELEASE
Some Very Conflicting Evi-
dence In the Isaacs-
zeman Case.

An admirer and follower of the meth
DDS of the Hon. Richard Croker came to
grief this morning when he tried on
those methods in Vice Chancellor Pitney's
court Simon Zeman was on the stand
and was asked a question by Mr.. Benny.
one of the counsel.
That's my private business" replied
the witness, with a that-settles-that air.
Vice Chancellor Pitney whirled around
in his chair as though he had been shot.
He glared moment at the witness and
then thundered ANSWER Immediately,
sirn'
The witness looked defiant for a min
ute. 1t was only a minute, though, and
then he very meekly answered the ques-
tion.
Isaacs against Leopold Zeman was con-
tinued. Mrs. Isaacs seeks to forecose
a mortgage on the property. No. 4OS Ave
nue. D, Bayonne, which Leopold Zeman
claims to own. Leopold bought the prop
erty from his brother, Simon, who was
engaged at one time to marry Mrs.
Isaacss daughter. The engagement was
broken off and, according to the Hebrew
custom, a formal release was executed.
This document, it is claimed, also re-
leased the mortgage This the Isaacs fam
lily deny and claim that the release which
the Zemans produced is a forgery.
The first witness this morning was ST.
mon Zeman of Chicago. He testified to
the breaking of his engagement to Miss
Isaacs and the drawing up of the agree
ment.
He told of the marriage agreement Mrs.
~, frn1 No
Bank of New York and agreed to fur
nish her daughter with trousseau and
gave her wedding while David Zeman-
ski, the father of the groom, the younger
generation having dropped the "ski,
agreed to give the couple a warantee deed
for piece of property valued at sS,oeo.
Witness also gave Mrs. Isaac promls-
sorry note for $1,000. When the engagement
was declared off and the releases drawn
Mrs. Isaacs got $4,000 back, but the wit
ness did not remember getting back mis-
note.
Witness was shown letter which 1t is
claimed Miss Isaacs wrote him at Pitts
burg He Acknowledged receiving the en-
velope, but he denied that he ever got the
letter it contained. The Vice Chancellor
examined him carefully on this point, and
although the letter was dated the same
day the envelope was postmarked, was
of the same kind of paper and folded so as
to fit the envelope, the witness was posi-
tive he never received 1t.
The witness was asked about the money
he paid for the property. At previous
hearing he had testified that the money
he had paid for the property when he
bought it from Mrs. Isaacs's mother-in-
aw, he had saved. He had made it point
to save SO much day
"How much did you have thus saved up
when you bought the property" asked
Mr.. Benny, who was cross-examining the
witness.
That's my private business replied
the witness defantly Then it was the
Vice Chancellor turned upon him and Mr..
Zeman answered meekly enough
about sS.Ooo.''
The witness was asked why when he nad
sold the property to his brother,
Leopold he had not had the release made
out to him. He replied that he had given
his brother a warantee deed for the
property and he thought that was suffi-
cient He did hear of the suit to fore
close the mortgage until six months after
it had been begun.
Isaac B. Zeman, brother of the fore
going witness, who acted as his attor-
ney in settling the engagement affair with
Miss Isaacs, testified to that transaction.
He said that Mrs. Isaacs was not present
at the settlement and for that reason
he did not wish to go on with it. Miss
Mary Isaacs produced a power of attor-
ney authorizing her to act for her mother
and upon being assured by a lawyer pres
ent that it was all right witness agreed
to go on. The witness was positive that
the release of the mortgage was part
of the agreement. He had had a CONVEX
sation about the mortgage with Mrs.
Isaacs before the agreement was signed
| and she agreed that the mortgage should
| be released.
| After the release had been signed he
gave it to his brother Simon, who showed
| it to Leopold to convince the latter that
there was no encumbrance upon the Bay
onne property.
This closed the case for the defense and
Mr. Benny introduced DIR. Harris B.
| Adler, who acted as the attorney for the
Isaaces when the settlement was made.
| He explained that he did not care to
| have it known that he was taking part
| in the affair so he had Mr. Issacs intro
! duce him to Mr.. Zeman as Mr. Cass.
Subsequently heSexplained to Mr.. Zeman
| that he was not Mr.. Cass but DR.. Adler.
| Witness said he read the papers before
| they were signed and he was positive
| there was nothing about the mortgage i'll
| the release nor was anything said about
releasing the mortgage during the pro-
ceedings The case was still on when the
court took a recess.