The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-02-08
COUNTY court NEWS.
Continued from First Page

dld It at the instigatit of two young
men and without any criminal intent
1t was shown that Messenger was {
half orphan and that he was llyins
with Mr.. and Mrs Smith of Min,
Hill, but that on several occasions h,
had run away from his home there anf
under these circumstances the court
deemed it better for the boy that he
should be under the care of some in
stitution, and made an order that he
be taken to the Jamestown reform
school
On Monday morning Judge Vree-
land held session in the Orphans
Court. 1t was very short and nothing
but routine business came before it.
On Tue day morning the Quinlan
murder case was taken up before Judge
Garretson in the Court of Oyer and
Terminer. The following jurors
were selected:
Samuel Valentine, of Chester; John
Downey, of Mount Arlington Jesse
Reed, of Roxbury; Benjamin @. Cor.
don, of Kobxury; Romeo Robinson, Of
Chester; Richard s. Hart, of Port
Dram; James Kingdom, of Jefferson
George W. McPeak, of Mount Olive
John S. Bell, of this city; Theodore
Sharp, of Mount Olive; John Duffy,
OF Jefferson, and James B. Blackwell
of Randolph.
Each juror as he was sworn was
called upon to stand up and look al
the prisoner, who was also requested
to look at the juror, custom which
Judge Ford omitted in the Sutton
murder trial at last term of court.
The case occupied the whole of Tues
day in the presentation of the evil
dence.
On Wednesday morning, Judge Gut
Ter. counsel for defence and Elmer
Mills, prosecutor summed up and the
court charged the jury. After being out
about an hour and half the jury re-
turned the verdict mot guilty. .
After the verdict was rendered the
judge remarked: "A very extraor-
binary verdict, gentlemen, and truly
it seemed to be to those who have
followed the case from the beginning
and during the trial.
The facts are these: that Quinlan
with his two brothers were walking
along Speedwell avenue in Morristowr
in front of Lippman's grocery store
when they passed Gustave Koetter,
an old eccentric German, quite en-.
feebled. AS most of the boys de
Quinlan stopped to tease the old maj
who was drunk and the old man al
his wont, became angry and pushed
him away and Quinlan struck him il
the nose fracturing the nasal bone
and also the arbital plates causing
menengitis from which he died.
The defendant who is but eighteen
years of age claimed that when tn,
old man struck him, he struck back ii
self defense and that he did not intent
to hurt him, but several witnesses il
court testified that after the old mai
pushed the defendant, the latte
walked away because it is alleged. a
that time Policeman Meslar was pass
ing, and after retiring few steps ant
when the officer had disappeared! int,
a store. Quinlan came back and strucl
the blow, causing the death.
On Wednesday afternoon, Judg,
Garretson set aside the verdict of tn,
jury in the case of Reihman VS.. Trow
bridge, the bicycle replevin suit, anc
granted new trial to the defendan
which, however, will not take plac,
until next term.
That afternoon, the case of William
Vanderhoof VS.. McEwan Brother
Company was taken up in the Circui
Court. This was an action for falls,
Imprisonment; Vanderhoof was one O.
the men arrested for having set fire tt
the defendants mill at Whippany las
year, but was discharged by the justice
on the hearing. This action was fol
damages for his detention in Jail
The case Mas on all day Thursday
and was laid over until Monday
morning. a
! Before Judge Vreeland in the Quar-
ter Sessions the case of the State VS.
Whiteheld Mead on charge of forgery
was taken up on Thursday morning.