Evening journal., 1906-07-28
HERBERT [. RICE
MAKES STATEMENT
Explains Through the Even
ing Journal Many Things
That Looked Queer
No INTEREST in SYNDICATE

TO The Evening Journal.
AS the case Of The Mayor and Council /
of wilmington US. Edith Grant has as
sumed such Importance as to warrant al
most daily notice in your newspaper and
at one time, namey-on The 23rd of july
an article of great length including "a /
statement sworn TO by Vito Nigro, l VIII
ask The Evening Journal to publish the |
/ following statement which is true his |
/ tory of the case as il came to my atten- /
tion refreshing my memory as TO dates by
reference to the records kept at the cry
Hall in this city.
usually arrive at the City Hall about
half past eight in the morning; and then
secure the clerks sheet from the House
Sergeant in charge, together W tn the war.
rants and subpoenas in the cases set for
trial that day and take them 10 the C ERIK 8
office where 1 assert the same on, May
10th the name of Edith Grant appeared on
the docket for the morning. chargl d with
two offences. one Of keeping a house of
ill-fame; and the other one that of sell
ing Intoxicating liquor without a license.
1 was arranging the warrants and subpoe-
mas on the morning of the 1G h when Ch ef
Black came in and called my attention o
the charges against Edith Grant. He
stated that this woman formerly lived in
this city; that she had been away for
some time but had now returned and
opened up a house Of ill-fame at No. 21
Tatnan street and he was not going TO
allow it TO continue. / told HIM that
approved of that course and would do an
that 1 could to break up the place. Ed tn
Grant, when arraigncd that morning
pleaded guilty Of both offenses and was
fined $50. the one amount named in the
: ordinance for keeping a house Of prosti-
( tuition and $50 for selling liquor without
license. After court 1 had a talk with
Chief Black as TO the best way to pFoce
to break up the place. and he said that
he would tell her that she must stop run.
ming such house, or he would have her
arrested every time we could poss bly, get
the evidence against her.
on or about the S0th of May Edith
= Grant was arrested on a warrant sworn
S out by Vito Nigro on a charge Of k e.
y ing a d'sorderly honse (Which IS e vsry
J. different charge from keeping a house OF
j ill-fame or what is commonly called ard
4 understood TO be a disreputable house,.
on this charge she pleaded guilty ard
o was fined $50 and costs, which as a matter
Of fact, is so more than the larges.
amount set forth in the ordinance. TINS
fine she also paid.
on the 7th day cf June, Edith Grant was
i again arrested on a warrant sworn out
l. this time by Lillian Nigro, the daughter os
e Vito Nigro, on a charge Of keeping dis
! orderly house. The o.her WITNESSES IN the
(, case berg ane Nigro and Vito / acilc Sd.
& 1...sr Fe..a
e Tatnall street 1 talked with the witnes ses
= en- the morning Of June 9TH and found the
IS evidence 10 be insufficient to warrant the
presentation Of the case to the court and
advised the Nigro family to this effect
and told them they must get other wit
e nesses in the neighborhood. did not tell
n anyone of the nature CT the ev.d nee
K thinking that possibly Edith Grant wou d
d again plead guilty when arraigned tbs
Il morning. This she did not do as she ask d
d for a continuance until she could secure
the presence of her attorney Mr. Waite,
Hayes. The case was continued until June
18th. On June 18th, the day set for tbs
/ trial Of the case. I consulted with Chiei
- Black and we agreed that the only thine
D, we could do on account of the insufn-
" cheney of evidence was to ask that the
'r case be dismissed. I made such a motion
p and the case, as is customary in the court
upon such application being made by ths
prosecuting attorney. was dismissed and
at that time l explained to the NigrC
: family that would do everything that
=. possibly could TO break up the disordery
house next door to them.
Saturday night June 10th, Charles Sen.
tina and Theodore Hocker We're arrested
by officer Dutton who entered a charge
of disorderly conduct against them, The
witnesses being Vito Nigro and Nicholas
= Furfore The first 1 knew of the case was
" on Monday morning. June 18th when ]
- looked over the docket for the morning
The same morning received letter at
the police station from the officer ii
n charge of the training ship Saratoga sta.
,e toned in Philadelphia saying that tn,
le two men, Charles Sendna and Theodor,
sr Hecler were officers of some description
m on that boat: that they bore excellen
l. regulations and if they were fined in tn,
k. Municipal Court in this city it would 3,
lie very bard with them on the ship and al
far as the officer in charge knew. it wa
their first offense. II was the first tint
n that 1 had ever seen the men and / havl
ID no interest whatever in them. AS Office
y Dutton had made the arrest I sent TO
L him and explained the contents Of the let
e ter to him and we together went to Wit
'n Nigro, his son. and Nicholas Furfore II
III the court room and we. at that time, ex
u plalncd the letter to them and the.
ia seemed very willing to have the case dis
missed under the circumstances. Both MI
- Dutton and myself are positive that not
y word was>said about the Grant woman o.
M tho house which she kept.
~ The Grant woman was again arrested Of
to the 18th of June on the charge of keepn
Id a disorderly house on a warrant swou
at out by Lillian Nigro, the other witnesse
IN in the case being Sophia Nigro, the W +
of Vito Nigro. and Daniel Nigro, his sor
again examined the witnesses and agai
n. consulted with Chief Black concerning IN
rs evidence and told him that the witnesse
ly We're from the Nigro house only and tina
rl did not consider the evidence suffcien