The Monmouth inquirer., 1907-02-21
MoMMouTH COUNTY COURTS.


of having bought lead which two
bows, Angelic Grandenette and Frank
Mazza, had stolen from McLane's
boat house at Pleasure Bay. The
bows had the stolen lead hidden in
tall grass back OF the Branchport
railroad station. The junkmen alleg-
ed that they asked the boys where
they got the lead and they told them
none of their business. They made
no further inquiry, but bought the
lead for S. and sold it within an hour
to another junkman for $l1.
Joseph Reilly, of Red Bank, counsel
for the two men, made plea in their
behalf. He said they were two inof-
fensive citiz ems OF Long
Branch and he thought their difficult
ty was due to their ignorance and to
their zeal to make few dollars. He
said they had never been before the
court before and he felt sure they
would never be before the court again.
In pronouncing sentence Judge Fos-
ter said he would take into consider
alton the fact that they had never
been before the court before. He
was determined, however, to stop the
practice on the part of junkmen of
buying junk which they knew had
been stolen. He said that the boys
were tempted to steal anything that
would be converted into cash because
they knew they could find market
for it. Ii there was no market for
stolengoods there would be no excuse
to steal. The two men were sentenced
to four months in the county jail. The
Judge said said that for the benefit
of other junkmen whom he noticed in
4. ,. 4 IT,
next junkmen brought before him on
a similar charge would be sent TO
state prison.
The boys in the case pleaded guilty
to stealing the lead and in considera-
ton of the fact that they had aided
would say that the next junkman
Judge Foster said he wonld fine them
the costs of the prosecution and
would suspend further sentence. The
boys were paroled in the custody of
Probation Officer Ramsay, to whom
they are to report every week.
A pathetic scene was enacted in
court at Freehold Thursday morning
when Captain John H. Skidmore of
Navesink. aged SO years. was before
and battery on Thomas Garvey at
Navesink.
The assault happened several
months ago at the home of Aaron
Polhemus of Navesink, where Mr..
Garvey boarded Mr.. Skidmore went
to the house, being a frequent visitor
there, and npon seeing Garvey attack
ed..him with knife, infiicting Sc
we're wound. Mr.. Skidmore's defense
at the trial was that he and Garvey
!, \ Id Ill in hn 10 1A
that when he went to the Polhemus
home Garvey attacked him first and
that he drew a knife in self-defense.
The evidence showed that Mr.. Skid
more was the aggressor and the jury
convicted him.
When Mr.. Skidmore, white haired
and bent by the weight of years, was
summoned to the bar his counsel, Ed
gar III. Cook, asked the court that
his client might be heard in his own
defense and the request was granted !.
The Captain said that while he acted
| in self defense, he realized that the
/ evidence was against him and that
| the court and jury had no doubt done
their duty. He was therefore ready
to take whatever punishment the
court melted out to him. He said,
| however, that he had but a few more
steps to. take anyway and that he
would like to have his liberty during
his remaining days.
Judge Foster said that Mr.. Skid
more's age and the fact that his mind
mighthave been some whatunbalanced
as result of drink, made the situa-
ton embarrassing to him. HeIsaid he
| had known the defendant for about
quarter of n century and until the
last few years, when he had been
drinking to excess, never knew him to
get into any trouble, The court called
attention to the fact that this was the
second time that Mr.. Skidmore had
attacked man with deadly weapon
having shot James Morgan's ear off
with gun a few years ago. He said
that il had been his rule TO send peo-
pie who made assaults with deadly
weapons to state prison but he would
take the defendants age into consid-
GRAFTON and would send him to the
county Jail tor six months. The Judge
said that he believed hard drinking
to be at the bottom of Mr.. SIX dmore's
difficulties and he suggested to coun-
sci that be might have him examine
as to his sanity. so that if he was
found TO be insane he could be sent to
q proper institution.
The trial OF John G. Wyckoff, of
Oceanic, more commonly known as
.sBoweryn for assault and battery on
Howard Wymbs of that place. at Lii
gier's fire several months ago, took
place on Thursday. According to
Mr.. Wymbs' story he was handling
the hose at the fire, being a member
OF the Oceanic fire company, when
Wyckoff, who is not member of the
company, made some insulting mark
to him about being coward. Mr..
Wymbs said he asked Wyckoff why
he didn't join the company and not
shoot off his mouth so much, where
upon Wyckoff struck him and made a
deep cash with his fist along the side
of his nose. Wymbs's story was cor
roborated by John Allen, George
Kuhn and Joseph Mahoney, mem bers
of the fire company, except that none
of them actually saw the blow struck.
Wyckoff denied having struck
Wymbs. He said he was the first per-
son at the fire and helped get the
apparatus to the scene, after which
he halnad with the hOse He said