The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-07-18
Jane WEST
DYED BLACK
Ralph Cohen's Lawyer Saw
agely Denounces Her
for Turning States
Evidence.
MADE DEFENDANT SMILE
Jury Has the Caso for Con-
spiracy to Rob the Title
Guarantee and Trust
Company.
MADE DEFENDANT SMILE

"Jane West sat lASiue ehS
closure of the General Sessions court
room this morning and for over TWO
hours listened to the shower OF abuse
hurled at her by Lawyer Warren DlNon
in his summing up in the conspiracy
trial of Ralph Cohen,s the New YORK real
estate broker, who, the woman Alleges
was her accomplice in the attempt 10 de-
fraud the New Jersey Title Guarantee
and Trust Company by obtaining mort
gage ON property she did not own.
In an impassioned address devoted
largely to denunciation of the States
principal witness. Lawyer Dixon present
cd the defendants side of the case in
particularly brilliant manner, He dweif
with much emphasis on the statement of
.Jane West that she had promised TO
teach Mrs. Dingelstedt to- read and write
and had begun to teach her the aipha-
bet. He then produced the deed for the
Ogden avenue property, which was sign
ed by Mrs. Dingelstedt herself and de-
nounced as an infamous lie the very
foundation of the States theory as TO
how its principal witness had gained the
confidence of Mrs. Dingelstedt.
"Her story is as black and false as
the heart within is" thundered the de-
PENDANTS lawyer, as he walked in front
of the table at which the aged woman
sat and shook his forefinger in her face.
With keen attention Jane West" lis
tened to. every word said. Her eyes
never left the man who was SO bitterly
assailing her, but not an expression on
that thin, drawn, deathly looking face
indicated that the bitter words uttered
had the slightest effect on her.
COHEN AND HIS BROTHER.
A few feet away and separated by
only chair, sat Ralph Cohen, who, the
woman said, was the originator of the
plan to defraud the banking institution.
BY his side sat his brother, so much
like him in appearance that one could
readily be mistaken for the other. Cohen
closely followed every movement of his
counsel and listened to very wird. The
scathing denunciations of the woman
brought smile of seeming satisfaction
to his otherwise expressionless face. He
was surrounded by his friends and many
others Of them Occupied seats among the
spectators.
"Jane West sat alone, apparently
friendless. The only person who has
noticed her during the long trial was a
short, stout, rather good looking young
woman, who sat by her side when she
was not on the witness stand and occa-
sionally exchanged a word with her. 1t
was said that this woman was Clara
Reynolds, who was recently released
| from the Jail, where she had been con-
fined awaiting trial on d charge of de-
| frauding an aged North Hudson woman
out of sum of money. The case was
| settled by the withdrawal of the com
plaint and the Reynolds woman was dis
charged.
HER FRIEND IN JAIL.
White said she met "Jane West" and
a friendship sprahg up between the two,
and after the release of Miss or Mrs.
Reynolds. she visited the other woman
in the jail frequently. 1t is believed that
it was largely through her instrumental
ty that 'Jane West was induced to turn
States evidence and testify against her
alleged aceomplice.
At all events the Reynolds woman has
been constant in her attendance on the
aged woman prisoner since the trial be-
gan, and has been the only person with
| whom Jane West has talked outside of
answering questions put to her by coun-
] sci during these examinations.
Although, when court adjourned at
o'clock yesterday afternoon it was agreed
that each side should only use forty min
utes in its summing up, Lawyer Dixon
/ took nearly an hour and quarter to pre-
sent the defendants case, and it was
after 20 O'clock when he concluded.
Prosecutor Erwin then began calm,
impassioned and logical presentation OF
the States case. He dwelt with par
ticular emphasis on the testimony Of Mrs.
Day and Mrs. Edwards, the two Hobo
ken women at whose homes Jane West
had lived at different times. He pointed
out that in direct contradiction of the de-
fendant's statement that he never knew
the woman prisoner except as Mrs.
Dingelstedt, that these two disintervst-
ed witnesses had identified him as the
man who had called at their homes and
asked to see Mrs. Warren, the name by
which .Jane West" was known to them
This corroboration Of Jane Vests
story is conceded to be the strongest
point in the States case and every effort
of the defendants counsel to overcome
1t on cross Rmination was thwarted.
Prosecutor Erwin finished his address
just before the noon recess After re-
cess Judge Blair began bis charge and
the case went to the jury