The Morris County chronicle., 1903-04-03
HELD COURT
FOR LAST TIME
Judge Vreeland Celebrated Re-
tirement From Bench by
LesSening Burdens
RELEASED TWO PRISONERS

Bontempo, an Italian, who Admitted
Having stabbed Man a short Time
Ago was Lucky Enough to Have
His sentence so Mitigated That he
May get out of Jail by Paying a
$500 Fine.
On Monday Judge Vreeland presided
in the Morris County Courts for the
last time. He heard many motions in
criminal matters and in many in
stances tempered justice with mercy.
William Burke and Ezra Beam, two
young men confined in the jail for re-
fusing to give bond for the support of
illegitimate children were, on order,
discharged Burke had been in Jail
since January o. His attorney, John
Sickle, of R0ckaway, stated to the
court that Burke wanted to go to jail
for awhile, but was now willing to be
released if the court saw fit. In the
other case, involving the township of
Washington, John Mills pleaded to the
court for discharge, which was
granted,
An application was made to the
court on behalf of Bontempo, recently
convicted for stabbing Jerry Course,
coored, by his lawyer, Charles Stilwell,
to have the sentence modified. Bon
tempo had been sentenced to four
months and a fine of $500 imposed.
Lawyer Stilwell offered petition
signed by the Revs. Joseph M. Flynn,
Philemon f. Sturgis, Dr. Mcdowell,
of Madison: T. Nj. Donovan, A. Erd-
man, w. M. Hughes, and Joseph
Genier, all former employers of Bon
tempo. The plea set forth that the
man was unable to pay the fine and
that his family we're dependant upon
the charity of his fellow countrymen.
Lawyer Stilwell also presented an
affidavit from Jerry Course stating
that if he had been called upon to
identify Bontempo when on the stand
he would not have done so. He states
he was not aware that there were two
men in the police station on the night
of the stabbing who were dressed in
light overcoats, and that it was by
this means only, he made the identiti-
cation. He wished at this time to
right any wrong that might have been
done Bontempo. Prosecutor Mills
said that Courses statement did not
change the situation any, for if Bon
tempo had not stabbed Jerry Course,
he had stabbed Sam Course, and this
| the prisoner had admitted on the stand
although the State had proved it was
Jerry Course that he stabbed He also
declared that justice had been
tampered with in the case asserting
that Sam Course was offered 5000 to
leave town which he did shortly after
wards.
A colored man named Peterson, the
prosecutor said, had been approached
by an Italian, and been offered money
to leave town, but Peterson did not
know what the Italian was trying tC
get at.
In defense of this. LAWYER Stilwell
said that his client was not guilty OF
such things. After brief consulta-
tion the Judge vacated the former
sentence and passed a new one impOs-
ing fine of $780, $3.50 to be paid down
and the balance within year in equal
monthly payments.
Winfield Mcpherson, who pleaded
guilty to three indictments, retracteo
his plea and entered a new one of not
guilty to the one charging him with
assault and battery on Michael Claercy.
The boy, who is fifteen years old, was
sentenced to the Reform School at
/ Jamesburg