Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-02-07
THE PURJURY CHARGE AGAINST A. N.
BAHMAN and CHAS. F. REIDER.

dH6lbS lOI VIC cftfc VI CCLiOOtCy . ~SASs---S-
the former in this county and the latter in
Cumberland One day in shat year they
were in Schooley's Philadelphia Office when
Schooley introduced them to james l..
Crawford, who in turn asked them to
witness execution OF his will
After the death of Mr.. Crawford, this
will was offered for probate, and they were
summoned to Scranton as witnesses OF its
execution. They testified to what they
knew and returned home. By this will
schooley inherited a large sum Of money.
There was another will under which
Mrs. Crawford and other heirs in Scranton
received all she great estate and cousin
Schooley nothing. Local sentiment at
Scranton was strong against Schooley for
offering these Jerseymen for witnessing
the will, and the District Attorney pro-
cured warrants for all three. The papers
served on Bahman aud Rieder alleged that
they were purjurers and fugitives from
Justice. No indictment had even been OBJ
tanned; they were apprehended and held
on the say-so of the District Attorney OF
Lackawana county.
AS we said last week, Thomas E. French,
Esq, Bahmans COUNSEL, hurried to Scran-
ton Just as soon as be learned Of his clients
arrest. What he went up against, as the
saying is, he told a reporter OF the Bulletin
| last week. 81 never encountered such
opposition as met in Scranton trying to
bail out these men, he said
ssThis case shows, y he said, "that man
can be arrested in one State on such
charge as that, even before he is indicted,
taken into another State and then held 'tlil
indicted and punished.
| He then told OF how he wired to friends
in Philadelphia TO bail out Bahman and
Reider, and use property which he, Mr..
French, has in Philadelphia, as security.
Mr.. French's Philadelphia representatives
wired TO their representatives among the
| leading business men ct Scranton. These
replied that to do anything for the prison.
ers would be an impossibillty as the whole
city was on the side Of Mrs. Crawford and
the Dstrict Attorney.
Mr.. French went to Scranton, when he
received this information, and tried to get
somebody to accept his collateral and go
bail for Bahrnan and Rieder Rieder offered
his personal check for 81, 900 as part security
for the sum- At all Of the banks, trust
companies, and business houses, where it
was tried to secure bail, Mr.. French was
refused In every instance he was told
that to do SO would mean loss of business.
! A Mr.. Sheppard, Mrs. Crawford's son by
former husband, is influential in the city
and was said to be the cause of the appar-
ent boycott.
61r. French appeared before the Lacka-
I wana County Common Pleas Court Tues
day morning, Jan. 49, and asked that he be
accepted as bail He offered security in
value far in excess Of the bail, but being q
nonresident he was refused.
j He then asked that cash bail be accepted,
but upon objection of the Districs Atsor-
4 ney the Judge refused to act until. his two
contemporaries were on the bench
The three Judges then sat on the case
The District Attorney said that to accept
cash bail in such cases would be against
the State statutes and illegal. He was up
held
Mr.. French then informed the court that
no trust company would go on the prison
ers' bond, eyen when offered the bail ir
cash. The court ahen told the solicitor te
J 20 10 any or all OF the trust companies, and
il they refused 10 accept his collateral and
go the bail. 70 notify him, and in future
that firm would get no court business.
After heated argument with the officers
OF the Title, Guarantee and Trust Com
pany, whose building is opposite the Cour1
House, the Company agreed TO go the bail
Mr.. French returned to Camden that night
and nexs day sent Mr.. Marter to scran
ton with draft for S., 800. Is is said She
com pany demanded that $500 in excess O
she bail be given them.