The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-06-22


CAMDEN's sensational trial came to tan
end on Thursday evening, when. by or
der of the court, E. Amber Armstrong
was acquitted of the charge of embez-
element, for which act he was indicted by
the grand jury. This case was one OF
great interest for many reasons. the cnieI
of which was the fact that the man being
tried for q crime had at one time been
Judge In the criminal court that he was
now appearing before in an entirely diff
ferent role, and occupied high position
in business, political and social circles.
The jury did not have chance to pass
upon the evidence, the matter being set
tied by the court because the indictment
was not found within the two years re-
uuired by the statutes. The Camden
Courier expresses the opinion that the In
dictmeut was the result of enmity, and
was a case of persecution without any
basis for its finding. If such were the
case it is pity the statute OF limitations
was pleaded, much better would 1t have
been to have allowed the jury to acquit.
Then there could not have been any doubt
about the weight of evidence. If per
secution" was the foundation for the &C.
ton. there was nothing to fear from any
testimony that could be offered. Papers
In other parts of the state do not agree
with the Courier on the verdict. The
Newark Nesos says:
ssThe statute of limitations has saved
former Judge Il. Amber Armstrong from
having the question of his guilt or 1nno-
cence Of the crime of embezzlement sub
mitted to the determination OF jury
His acquittal at Camden Thursday was by
direction of the court on technfcality.
Judge Davis accepted the view OF Arm
strong's counsel that II the accused had
embezzled from the defunct State Mutual
Building and Loan Association, the crime
was committed SO long ago that 1t was not
within a period during which prosecution
would lie.
.sSuch a directed verdict is not vindi-
cation for Armstrong and for the men In
dicted on charges Of having ruined the
association and impoverished hundreds OF
stockholders. 1t gives him his liberty, of
course, and probably means that the other
indictments against him and other officials
of the association will be nolle pressed.
Such an outcome of the case is most re-
grettable. There is still on the records,
however, the opinion of Judge Dill, rem
dered for the Court of Errors, that there
was gross criminality in the conduct OF
the affairs of the State Mutual Building
and Loan Association, and that opinion
will not be cancelled by the action OF the
Court at Camden Thursday. The attempt
made by the institution to place the blame
for this criminality upon the shoulders OF
a dead man NAV have been proper from u
legal point of view, but 1t will hardly sat
isfy the defrauded stockholders or the
general public.
The NeaoGrk Star'says: Former Judge
E. Amber Armstrong saved everything
but his good name by the result OF the
trial on an embezzlement charge at Cam
den last week. AS the plea that the pros
ecution was barred by the statute of limi-
tations was accepted by the court, the
case was not permitted to go to the jury,
and therefore there was no acquittal. If
the defendant had strong defense and
was confident that there would be no con-
viction, the plea that ended the trial
would not have been set up. 1t was with
with regret that the people of the State
received the indictment of man who had
occupied high public positions and acquit-
ted himself honorably, and 1t is not with
out sympathy that he retires into private
life, carrying with him the stain of an I'M
finished and undetermined criminal trial.
1t would have gratified the sentiment OF
the state II the jury had brought in YER
dict of acquittal."