The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-05-09
Court.

While there was not much business
transacted in court on Thursday, the SEES
sion occupied the entire day.
Charles Riker, of Burlington, against
whom there were two indictments for as
sault and battery found at the December
term of court entered plea of guilty to
the second count After the circumstances
of the case had been stated to the court
by Eckard p. Budd, Judge Gaskill ordered
the defendant to pay fine of $25.
A jury was then drawn to try indict-
ments found at the May term of court,
1904, against Samuel Koostervitz, Abra-
ham Gladstone, Aaron Newman and
Abraham Simons. who were charged with
receiving stolen goods, they having pur
chased, it is alleged, some copper wire
belonging to the American Telegraph and
Telephone Company. from John Mahan
and James Durkin, who are charged with
stealing the same. The men were repre-
sented by Eckard P. Budd, who was pre-
sent to proceed with the case, but which
did not come off, as Prosecutor Samuel A.
Atkinson, who intended to try all the de-
PENDANTS together. found that Simons was
serving term in Jail at Trenton, having
been convicted of receiving stolen goods.
The trial of this case was set down for
Friday, May 26, when Simons will appear
under habeas corpus proceeding. Mahan
and Durkin, having confessed their crime,
are in the county Jail, and the state will
use them as witnesses.
Joseph Griffith, indicted at the May
term of court, 1904, for setting fire to the
barn of John P. Lippincott, near ViRcen-
town, was placed on trial Most of the
buildings on the farm were DESTROYED,
together with twenty calves, on the morn
ing of May 81.
Griffith, together with his father and
two sisters, were employed on the place
For quite awhile the lad, who is IA years
old, held to the story that he saw a man
running from the barn, giving a good de-
scription of him. Officers of the Pursu-
ing and Detective Association were mott
fled, and posse started out Immediately
to find the irebug, but without success
Later on Joseph admitted that he set fire
to the barn, accidentally, while lighting a
cigarette. Failing in his efforts to ex-
tinguish the blaze, he turned his attention
to saving the live stock. He said he was
afraid to tell the truth about the matter.
A number of witnesses were called who
heard the boy tell of the man running
from the barn and escaping through the
| field of rye
The most damaging evidence submitted
against the youthful defendant was that
given by Elmer Powell and Harry Garon,
who testified to having heard Joseph say:
1.-The next fire will be on the farm of John
| Lippincott, and that occurred a week
later. This remark was alleged to have
been made at the Allen farm, where there
was fire the week previous In explain
alton of this statement, when on the stand
testifying in his own behalf, Joseph
denied the statements Of Powell and Ca
ron, and said that what they heard was a
conversation the witness had heard be-
tween two old men and which he repeated.
He did not know who the men were, and
had never seen them before or since, al
though he was acquainted with most of
the people in the neighborhood On
cross-examinatiOn he admitted that when
the old men made this statement he was
at the Allen house and they we're about
one hundred yards away.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty,
with recommendation of mercy.
Samuel Griffith, father of Joseph, had
previously agreed with Prosecutor Atkiu-
son to have his son committed to the Re
form School, but later on changed his de-
termination.
/ The juors were excused until Tuesday,
May 16, when Judge Endicott will take
up the trial of Supreme and Circuit Court
cases.
On Saturday Judge Gaskill sat at the
court house and transacted business The
first thing done was to pass sentence upon
several offenders.
Joseph Griffith, the boy who was con
victed of setting fire to the buildings of
John P. Lippincott near Vincentown,
was sent to the Reform School
Joseph Wells was given seven years in
the state prison for assaulting a small girl.
Joseph Turner, colored man, who was
convicted of assault and battery upon a
boy in Evesham township, was also sent
to the state prison. In addition to the as
sault this man took some money from the
boy, which added the crime of highway
robbery to the other charge, but the sum
was small, so the sentence was not as
heavy as it might have been. Joseph will
have year and six months in which to
reflect upon his past.
Edward McCloskey was called for sen
tence for committing an assault and bat
terry. William A. Slaughter made an ap.
peal for his client and said this was first
offence and that the accused, who is q
young man, bears a good character, in
support of which statement several letters
from citizens of Beverly were offered
Judge Gaskill suspended sentence and
placed McCloskey in charge of the Pro
baton officer, with instructions to have
the costs maid within three m0ntha