The Monmouth inquirer., 1906-10-11
Monmouth County Courts.

day before Judge Foster in Freehold
in which William A. Dewitt. former
station agent at Elberop station, was
defendant. and Bloomingdale Com
pany, of New York. was plaintiff.
The New York firm sold Mr.. Dewitt
while he was employed at the Elberon
station a piano on the installment
plan, Dewitt agreeing to pay $40
down and the balance in monthly in
stallments of S. each.
Soon after the purchase of the pi-
ano Mr.. Dewitt lost his position. He
wrote Bloomingdale Company, asking
them for an extension of time. The
firm, instead of granting the request,
brought suit. Mr.. Dewitt put In no
defence. After judgment had been
entered, Bloomingdale had Dewitt ar
rested and put in jail.
Thursday Thomas P. Fay appeared
before Judge Foster ana argued for
Dewitt's dismissal. Frank P. McDer-
mott, of Jersey City, represented
Bloomingdale Company. Mr.. Fay
claimed that the New York firm had
no right to seize the body of Dewitt
and put him in Jail, as Mr.. Dewitt had
agreed TO give up possession of the
piano. Judge Foster, after hearing
the argument, promptly discharged
Dewitt from custody setting aside
the order for his arrest.
Dewitt will now sue Bloomingdale
Company for damages for false arrest
and Imprisonment. Mr. Fay has asked
lawyer r. V. Lawrence, of Freehold,
to prepare the case. When it comes
to trial Mr.. Fay will represent Mr.. De-
witt.
The plaintiff tried to show that De-
witt had made representations when
he purchased the piano to the effect
that he owned his own home. Mr.. De-
witt had witnesses to prove the con-
trary.
The October grand jury handed up
"a indictments and a presentment be-
fore Judge John E. Foster in court
Monday morning and then adjourned
until next Monday, when its delibera-
tions will be continued.
The presentment delves into the re-
cent charges of violations of the anti
bribery law, but a large portion of
the document is given over to CRITICS
ing certain papers of Monmouth coun-
ty which contained news of the arrest
of John s. Apologize, jr., Frank Man
son, Republican assembly nominee,
and James Mallory, all of Red Bank,
for bribing voters at the polls.
The presentment reads: "As direct
ed by the court, we. the grand in
quest of the county, have called be-
fore us all persons claiming to know,
or whom it was alleged had knowl
edge of the bribery, of voters at
the recent primary election, including
the persons whose names were fur
nlshed US by the court through the
prosecutor.
I'VE have made very thorough
and exhaustive examination of the
subject and of the witnesses, and We
have been unable to elicit a single
fact to justify the accusation of any
person of this offense. We found that
all such charges we're based on rumor,
surmise or suspicion created by state
ments of certain sensational news
papers, or created and circulated by
certain notoriety seeking individuals
and by this presentment we desire to
express our condemnation of all per-
sons or papers engaged in creating
and circulating unwarranted stories
about the bribing of voters in our
county. such papers and persons
bringing undeserved reproach upon
the good name of all the citizens of
Monmouth county and are deserving
of the severest censure."
The document is signed by % of
the 90 juors, one said to have been
absent at the time the presentment
was prepared.