The sun., 1906-12-27
OCEAN COUNTY COURTEBR
NO MONEY NOW TO PAY W.T.
NESSES or JURHMEN.
Experts VINO Were with esses In the Breuwer
Trial CIamorlnE for Their Fees-s7. 200
Owing In That Case--DlrectOr Of Free
holders TO Be Tried for EmbeZzIement

freehOlderS OF Ocean county, VIII appear
before Judge A. e. Martin, sitting in Quarter
Sessions Court, 10 answer the charge OF
embezzling the funds Of the county. The
court Of Ocean county ia now running on
credit. and jurors, Illnesses and the Of
ficers of the court III all have 10 rely on the
integrity of Ocean county for payment
some time in the future, for since the trial
OF DIR. Frank Brouwer in October there
has not been cent 10 defray court expenses
In the county treasury.
In the month of October the county was
put to the expense of s., 900 in the conduct
of the trial Of Dr. Brouwer on the charge
of murder The Freeholders thought the
trial would cost them more than that, 80
they did not provide for il in the years
budget last May, but relied upon bonding
the county for $1,000 or 5000 to defray the
expense of the trial. When Prosecutor
Brown presented bill for 5000 the Free
holders decided that they could not bond
the county for 80 small a sum, and yet the
director of the board refused 10 be party
to the raising of 50 900 on the credit Of the
county.
This is the director who stands trial for
embezzement tomorrow. The chief Wit
ness against him il believed to be dying.
II the court had no money 10 defray ex-
penses and his trial were postponed the
witness might die. but the court IL running
on credit even though it has about 5000
tailed up on its debit column, and some
of the experts for the State in the Brouwer
trial are threatening to bring suit for their
wages.
At the Eeginning OF the fiscal year in
May last the Freeholders voted 5000 for
court expenses. OF this sum IS, 900 went to
pay back debts. When the Brouwer trial
came in Octol er there was nothing left.
Prosecutor Brown had a bill with some
large items Incorporated in it. DIR. Cattell
of Philadelphia. the specialist who had as
sisted in the analysis made Of the body of
Mrs. Frank Brouwer, charged $3.50 for his
services. Prof. Gnth, also specialist from
Philadelphia. had been retained for s7O0.
+. McDermott, a lawyer, was retained for
s73l. DR.. Washington Of Newark had
charged si35 for testifyng that Mrs. Brou wer
bad, he believed, died OF arsenical and
strychnine poisoning. DIR. Cate, another
expert physician, put in "a Dlll Tor $500.
Coroner's Physician Weston accumulated
$50 worth of expenses.
To the Dr1lmmond Detective Agency OF
New York Sl8l had Eeen promised. To the
items of stenographer, railroad fares and
miscellaneous the remainder OF the s., 300
was charged.
Prosecutor Brown sent this bill TO Judge
Hendrickson, who presided at the trial.
and by him il was certified. Then he pre-
sented il to County Collector Wilkinson q.
Conrad. Mr.. Conrad told the Ereeholders
that the appropriation for the court was
all spent. Time passed and no step was
made TO raise the money for the lituida- !
tion of the debt. DIR. Cattell of Philadel-
phia began TO write letters To the Prose-
cutor of Ocean county demanding q settle |
ment. The letters grew more insistent |
with the passing weeks, and finally threats |
TO hiring suit came from the irate specialist. |
Three weeks ago Prosecutor Brown went |
before the Supreme Court and asked for "A
writ of mandamus to force the Freeholders |
10 pay the court expenses. A notice to |
answer the mandamus proceedings was sent |
The Freeholders. On November 80 they |
held a meeting. which Director Otis did not |
attend. At this meeting maj jority passed |
an order to raise So 900 on the county note, /
When Director Otis was apprised Of the
action Of the rest Of the board he refused to
put his name to the note. He said that the |
action Of the board had been taken illegally,
since il had not been done at a regular meet
ing and since he had not been present. The
Board OF Freeholders Is composed of the
same personnel, with one exception, as In
November of last year, when Prosecutor
Brown had the whole board arrested and
brought before the Court on the charge of
in Office.
The board, to a man. pleaded guilty and
each Of the fourteen members was fined SlO0.
The charges against the Freeholders arose
out of an inyesti cation into the manner in
which they had been granting contracts for
for road and bridge building. Acton G.
Hartshorne was the court commissioner
appointed by Judge Hendrtckson to make
the estigation which resulted in the
bringing of indictments against the Free
holders last May for running the county into
/ bigger debt than the law allows.
But after punishment had been meted
put. to the board as a whole further in
iiotments on the charge OF embezzlement
we're brought against Director Otis and
County Collector Conrad. The charges
against these two officials arise out OF the
same source az those against the Free
lolders OTIS and Conrad do not intend to
plead guilty but will fight their cases. The
explain the deficit in the
court account by saying that
hey expected to have to spend a lot OF
money In the Brouwer trial and were not
prepared to meet such expense save by
means. Some Of the friends
II the Freeholders said yesterday that
Prosecutor Brown was too vigorous an
,fficial and that the cases he has conducted
eoently have run the county into debt.
Il have been prosecutor OF Ocean county
or ten years. said Brown yesterday,
During six months OF last year l brought
nto the county treasury enough money
n fines to have paid my salary for these
en- years. ,
Last March raided the Albemarle
Tub, a gambling establishment run by |
lawrence g. Gallagher in Lakewood. had
he gamblers convicted and the total amount
Il fines paid was 1000. The expense Of the
amounted to 5000.
-In conducting the prosecution OF DR.. |
3rouwer used such economy as to surprise |
he Freeholders themselves, who admitted
hey were preparing to bond the county
or $1,000 or more 20 pay the expenses Of
he prosecution.
I'm the inaction OF the Freeholders in
ettling the expenses OF the Brouwer trial
md OF the September court term that
'reoeded it and the December term now
n progress has resulted an anomalous
situation. The Grand Jury has not been
,aid and the juries In the various cases
ince September are still waiting for their
iole. All OF the witnesses In the Brouwer
rial hold bills against the county. The
,herin has 81 500 spent In feeding and hous-
pg juries still coming to him. The County
)lerk and constables ara living on hopes.
ks a consequence Of the present financial ,
tringency when the Sheriff summons
he talesnen for jury he tells them that
hey will be fined 500 il they don't answer
he summons and that they will not get
? day II they are chosen 70 serve In
he box"