The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-05-30

} when a recess was taken until 10 80, 8
, the case to be moved could not procee
until the arrival of Abraham Simons,
prisoner confined in the State Reformatorl
having been convicted and sentenced fC
receiving stolen goods.
The issue was that of the state agains
, Samuel Koostervitz, Aaron Newman
Abraham Gladstone and Abraham Simon'
They were each indicted for having II
ceived stolen goods consisting of larg
quantity of copper wire belonging to th
American Telegraph and Telephone Com
pany. John Mahan and James Durkin
two residents of Bordentown, were al
rested for this theft. They pleade
guilty and have been in Jail for over
year. They also turned states evidence
and have not yet been sentenced.
Simons, securely fastened with hand
cuffs, and in charge of Detective Parker, o
Mount Holly, and Assistant Superinten
dent Abbott, of the New Jersey Reform
atory, arrived on the 10 % train, and i
short time the prisoner was sitting be
fore the bar of justice, having joined hi
three companions, all of whom were jun
dealers and peddlers. Mahan and Dur
kin were brought from Jail by Constabl
Throckmorton, and it looked as if the cas-
time was consumed because of the fac
that Eckard p Budd, who had been re
tanned to represent the other three men
refused to defend Simons.
i Prosecutor Atkinson insisted that tn
quartette be tried together, and the cour
sent for George Hillman. That gentle
man, however, was engaged in anothe
case in the Office of Charles Evan Merritt
so V. Claude Palmer was called to the bar
After a short conversation Judge Gaskil
requested the young lawyer to interview
the client suddenly thrust upon him.
Returning to the court room Simons en-
tered plea of not guilty to the indict
ment found against him, and then tn
wheels of justice began to move, ant
they were kept in motion until all hand
became tired
In opening the case Prosecutor Atkin
son said that the four defendants had beef
indicted at the May term, 1904, for re
ceiving stolen goods of the value of $500
The allegation is that the goods consisted
of lot of copper wire belonging to tn,
American Telegraph and Telephone Com
panY. This corporation had the wire stored
in building at Bordentown. This was re
moved by Durkin and Mahan to the latter
home on Second street, where he liveC
alone. They have entered pleas of guilty tt
stealing the wire and will testify as witness
es. These men sold the wire to these fou
defendants. 1t will be shown that they
bought it at a grossly inadequate fgur,
The wholesale price of the goods stoleI
amounted to about $500, and these mer
bought it for ST or $25. The wire wa
packed in boxes, on which was printed
the name of the company and stree
Inn hon 0f 80. 1afa
ants took the wire to Trenton, where they
tried to sell it in the identical boxes un
opened. They were detected in the act
and were told that they had better TAXI
it back to Bordentown, which they did
and upon arriving there with the wire
they were arrested.
H. G. Robinson, of Maryland, Construc
ton foreman of the Telegraph Company
was in the employ of the Company il
May 1904. Six boxes of tie wire an(
another box of copper sundries were re
ceived at BordentOwn and stored in {
building in charge of f. G. Wiese. Or
May IL, witness discovered that the
wire was gone but the box of sundries re
manned, although some articles had beer
taken from it, Robinson first went to thu
office of Squire Steele, and together they
proceeded to Trenton. In company will
officer Clancy the trio started out to notify
junk dealers of the robbery. Two days
later the four defendants came back tt
Bordentown in wagon and had the wirt
with them, two of the boxes being just az
they had been stolen. Robinson attended
the hearing and the prisoners were proper
ly warned concerning their making {
statement, as anything they said would
be used against them. Newman was thu
only one who said anything, he acting a!
an interpreter for the others Newman
said he didn't buy any wire One of thu
men was his partner. referring to Simons
The latter came to him to get So to pay
for some copper wire which Simons haC
purchased.
On cross examination by Mr.. Budd, the
latter asked: what do l understand you
said these defendants brought back 2"
"The copper wire contained in thu
small boxes Some of it was in sacks anC
some loose in the wagon. The majority
of the $500 worth of wire was returned
Newman made no purchase of wire. FL,
was on the outskirts of the town waiting
for his partner to buy whatever he could
The men said they learned in Trenton
that it was stolen property and they haC
brought it back.
John Mahan, who was the active THE
in the transaction, was then called to tn,
stand.
Mr.. Budd.-"Is this one of the prisoner
from the jail? If so would like to hav'
the other removed
The Court.-"There is nothing unfai
about that request"
The Prosecutor.-'I have no obiec
lions"
The Court -"Durkin, you go into tn
Judges room in charge of Constable
Beatty" This was a windfall to tn
Moorestown officer, who, while only
spectator, got in a days work.
Mahan then proceeded. He said he ha,
pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing
the wire and told the Prosecutor that b
was willing to testify and to speak tn
truth about the matter. No inducement
whatever had been held out to him. H
lived at Bordentown for 40 years. Th
wire was stored in the rear of Lampson
store. He knew this because he hear
people talking about it when the CON
pany was about to pass through that city
Durkin was with him when the wire wa
, stolen The door of the building wa
open. The wire was taken to Mahan
house in wheelbarrow at night. Th
next day they sold it to the defendants
| |
you give for some copper wire?" he aske
of KoOstervitz. Let me see. let me see,
repeated the Hebrew. "You want to b
r careful now, this is stolen goods sal
Mahan to the boy Koostervitz and New
man took two boxes for S. rs. Soon afts
this the same men wanted the balance fl
$3.50, and again they were informed tina
, the wire had been stolen. The good
were placed in the wagon and covered VI
Durkin was present and received the S. u
The men did not ask Mahan where he &C
the wire They were cautioned severs
times to be careful.
On cross-examination the defendar
said he was drunk at the time aud ha
been ON long spree. He first sold viii
to Koostervitz, who refused to purchase /
the pound. Having ascertained that
/ had been stolen he knew he coul1 get
at any price The boy did not weigh i
Mahan wanted more than SIS rs but IL
Jew would not give it,
In getting the witness to say whether
s not he had sold some wire to Gladston
: Mahan blurted out to the defendan
you had light coat on then, old spor
L didn't your"
o In demonstrating how the boxes we
sold, Mahan remarked as he lifted one
them: 1T has been so long since l sa
these boxes, l thought they were twice {
:; large"
+ On cross examination by Mr.. Paine
/, Mahan said he saw Jews come to tow
most every day and he could not disti
guish them. He sold no wire to Simon
l. Saw him going up an alley with ba
: but he did not know if he belonged vii
II the other three men.
James Durkin took the stand, and h
testimony showed the wisdom of reno