Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1901-07-11
AbandOnS His Defense and En-
ters a Plea of Non. Vult.
WILL ABANDON BUSINESS.
The Case Was to Have Been Tried
Before Struck jury. but the
Defendant Changes. his Plea of
Not Guilty and the Case is Dis
posed of.

A midsummer session OF Criminal
business is a little out of the ordi-
nary. A trial before struck jury is
still more out of the ordinary, and
there gathered in the Court room this
morning representative men of the
county, summoned as petit jurors.
The Court room was far from at
tractive Tueday morning. Carpenters.
plumbers and others have been work
ing over there upon the new system
of ventilation, but Sheriff Hendee had
gotten things in remarkably good
shape, considering the circumstances.
County Clerk Betchner called the
roll. OF jurors, and with four excep-
tions all answered to their names.
Are you ready to move a case,
Mr.. Prosecutor queried the Court.
Permit me to ascertain if some
witnesses are present. replied the
Prosecutor, and he called over num-
Der OF names from piece of paper.
Nearly all answered their names.
May it please the Court, !" said the
Prosecutor, 81 am ready to move the
case against George Schlachter. .
At this time neither the defendant
or his counsel were in the room, but
few moments later Mr.. Schlachter
came in the room, and from the rear
room came his counsel, former Judge
John W. Westcott, Lawyer DANCES
and Samuel Iredell.
The Prosecutor again announced
his readiness to move the Indictment
against George Schlachter, charged
with the illegal selling of liquor
This case has become somewhat
famous in the community. Schlachter
is charged and has been time and
again charged with selling liquor in
Millville. Only recently the Court of
Errors and Appeals affirmed convic-
tion for violation of Millville ordi-
nance.
At the last May term the Schlachter
indictment was vigorously prosecuted
by the State, resulting in a mistrial,
because of a disagreement of the jury.
At that trial, the State alone pre-
sented evidence, the defense calling
no witnesses whatever. Still the jury
disagreed, and Prosecutor FIthian de-
c ided TO try the case before struck
jury, which was empaneled by Judge
Trenchard. There was manifest sur
prise at the very outset of the matter,
Judge Westcott making an earnest,
effective argument to the Court He
said, that before further proceedings
in this case were taken, he begged the
Court to permit him to say that coun-
sci for the defense regard primarily
that their first duty is to the defendant
Second, their duty to the Court and
the Prosecutor Third, their duty to
the people of this community. Con-
tinuing, Judge Westcott said, after
looking carefully over every phase of
this unfortunate controversy, the
plain duty of the counsel to the de-
fendant, to the Court and Prosecutor
and the community was to enter a
plea OF non vult.
This determination. Judge Westcott
said, had only been arrived at after
much consideration. While this plea
is not technically a plea of guilty, it
puts the defendant in such relation to
the Court that punishment may be in
f1icted upon him.
Judge Westcott then reviewed the
case as it appeared before the Court.
He urged with emphasis that Schlach-
ter was not criminal in the ordinary
sense of the word. Schlachter, he ex-
planned, was an honest German, man
of thorough convictions, and who
would not, under any circumstances.
permit himself to violate the laws
knowingly. Schlachter had become
convinced that he was opposing the
deep-seated sentiments of the com
munity, and that he had fully decided
to abandon the business of selling beer
within the boundaries of the State.
In fact he had already done SO. This,
Judge Westcott urged, was all the
community would ask for. Sclllach-
ter, by reason of this prosecution.
now stood a ruined man financially.
He had a young wife and child, who
were practically dependents. The