The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-23
FOREMAN IS
SHOCKED AT
BROSS TRIAL
CONTINUED from First page.)

kstreet, and lives in 81 Broad street. AT
the time of his arrest five other men
were arrested with him. That was
November s last, and since then efforts
have ben made to keep the matter
quiet. The Grand Jury, however, pro-
ceeded to act on the complaint.
After Frederick G. Ulrich, jr., had
been chosen foreman and several
Jurors had beer excused by both sides,
Mr.. Mott said to the jury, after read
ing the indictment, that ."if the charge
is true, Their the wealth OF the de-
lfendant should not protect him. and, II
the charge is false. we are as anxious
to develop that fact as is counsel for
the defense"
The Kelly girl was the first witness
to face the judge and jury. She told
of her acquaintance with Bross and his
offers of money for the purpose of Sc
curing his alleged victims. Her story
implicated others of her own age-l6
years-and part of 1t was to the effect
that Bross tried to induce her to find
older girls for him. She vas asked to
pick Bross out of the crowd and looked
over several elderly gentlemen in the
audience who she said looked like
him." She finally placed: her hand on
the shoulder of the accused, who WINGED
a little. 1t was nine months ago that
she first met Bross was part of her
testimony.
The Kelly girl. cross-examined by
Mr.. Barrett, did not contradict her
original story to any material extent.
When Mr.. Mott tool her in hand
again she said that she had taken a
false oath previously, when she had
sworn that she was not with Bross
and hat q priest told her that she must
take back" the false oath, and that
the truth of the matter was that she
had been with Bross frequently. She
worked In Edison's factory in Harri
son for four days, and after. she left
there she would tell her mother that
she was at work, while she was in re-
atty with Bross, she said.
Bella Langbein, who was Is years old
last November, followed the Kelly girl
as an accusing witness. She lives i'll
2S6 Halsey street, and testified that she
got acquainted with Bross through the
Quinlass girl.
THE door was open, n Sarah
pushed me right into Bross's store"
she said. She added that Bross tried
to assault her, but she 'hollered," and
he "let her 60"
This girl told of several visits to the
place with another girl, and afterwards
with Catherine Kelly, and added that
Bross gave the former fifty cents on
one occasion and the latter 81. She
herself sometimes got twenty or thirty
cents, she said. Witness also dragged
"Florence's' name. into the case, say
ing that Bross gave Florence" a dol
lar bill, and she (the witness) got one
half of it.
"Why?" asked the court.
because / went with her. Because
she didn't like to go alone" was the
answer.
When cross-examined by Mr.. Barrett
Bella admitted that Bross had never
assaulted her. She was sure, she said
that he had assaulted her friends.
When Sarah" who is Il years old
was called, she said that she lived II
426 Mulberry street, knew the kehy
! Langbein, Fay and Parker girls, I'M
also knew Bross for the last W o.
three months. She first went to MI
place with Bella" she testified, ant
then went into details as to the al
legged doings in his store. She wa
lured there, she said, by ofers OF 1
piece of cheese. She too, so II swore
received 81 from Bross, and she CAV
one-half OF it to "Bclla." She neye
went there again, she sald' WIZ
Bella" as far as she could remember
On the cross-examination by MI
Barrett the girl insisted that di'
not know Rross until the latter ha'
given her the cheese. She stuck to tn
story that the commission merchan
assaulted her. On further questioninI
by Mr.. Mott she added that he ais
assaulted the Fay girl on one occa
sicnI
Another of the girls, Winifred Fay
who is 10 years old, when called sal'
that she knew the previous witness an
the accused. When she first met hin
according to her best recollection, sh
was with Sarah"
Mr.. Mott, during the taking OF ne
testimony, had occasion TO reouke tn
foreman of the jury, who appeared I
be smiling very much. ,
"This is no joke, sir, even II you ar
9. %jurori'' said Mr.. Mott.
The foreman looked somewha
abashed. muttered something about nc
smiling, and Mr.. Mott concluded HI
admonition by saying, This is
mighty solemn thing, it appears I
me-" .
Mr.. Barrett, in opening the case fl
the defense, put in a general denial, saI
ing that the arrest was anoutrage. an
added the evidence of, the girls was Ell
tirely untrustworthy. He offeted mar
witnesses to testify to Bross's reputatc
for probity and general good conduct.
Among those who came forward in h
behalf were the Rev, John Mcdowell. pa
tor of the Park Presbyterian Church,
which he is a member; Henry M: d
remus. former Mayor and Sheriff; Surf,
gate George e. Russell, former Sheri
George Virtue, former County Collect
Richard w. Booth. Henry Dickson, e
ward e. Bergen, William o.. Milford, Joi
Geary, John II. Wilkes, Thomas Cresse
architect, and John J.. Henry.
Shortly before the recess the forema
whit had him called down" by Mr.. No
because OF his tendencies to smile, call
upon Sheriff Sommer and wantd to
~-.-a r-o~a dtfsr q mag told thar III