Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-05-29
JUDGE REFUSES
| BAIL FOR OFFICER
WHO KILLED BOY
Also Denies Application to Re-
duce Murder Charge to :,
Manslaughter. q
ENGLEWOOD POLICEMAN y
THOUGHT BOY BURGLAR
John E. Ruddock, Student, Was
Returning from Fair When
Fatally Wounded. hi

| While the funeral of John e. Ruda
dock. the 16-year-old boy who was
fatally shot in mistake for a burglar
in Englewood. Friday night. by Police
man Michael o'Neil. was under wav
in that city today, Supreme Court
Justice Charles w. Parker sat In the
local Chancery chambers and, after an
argument Of several hours, denied two
applications made in the policeman's
behalf. One was to have the charge
of murder made against him by the
authorities of Bergen county changed
to manslaughter. and the other was to
let him out of the local Jail on bail
Coroner's Inquest Tonight.
The coroner's inquest will be held
tonight and the grand jury, which Is
to take up the matter. will meet June
g. William M Seufere and Thomas ].
Hucking, of Englewood. appeared for
the incarcerated policeman and pleaded
for his release
When the argument was all over
Justice Parker said:
Gentlemen, you are asking me TOO
much You are asking me to antici-
pate the coroners inquest, and the
action of the grand jury. I think this
man can stay in jail. 1t will be only
for a few days. II 1 should change
the charge 1t would be tantamount to
saying that the grand jury should find
no other indictment than manslaugh-
ter | don't believe it would be a
proper course to take in this undeni-
able act of shooting at this presumable
marauder by saying that he is guilty
OF nothing more than manslaughter.
Told of Shooting.
In the course of the applications Mr.
Seufert gave an outline of the story of
the shooting. which caused such a
sensation in Englewood, that differed
little from that given by Ruddocls In
his ante-mortem statement in which
he was backed by Oran Lozier, his
companion, who got safely away from
the bullets. The lawyer insisted that
the shooting was wholly accidental and
that all the circumstances warranted
the policeman in acting in a way so as
to frighten the boys,
Ruddock and Lozier had attended a
fair in Liberty school, according to the
story told by them soon after the
shooting. The fair was in aid of the
High School Athletic Association
From it they went to Ruddocks home
and from there to the lawn of the
home of Cameron Blaikie. about 800
yards away, and at the rear of the
Dwight School for Girls, a private in
stitution, where they intended to listen
to the girls practising their music les
sons for the June commencement exer-
cises.
Policeman in Citizens Clothes.
Just as darkness was falling the boys
were hailed by O'Neil who was in
citizens dress. Lozier says he does
not know why they ran, but they did.
and ONeil fired three shots in quick
succession. He says that he does not
know which of tho bullets hit his COM
panion, as they were speeding in op-
poste directions toward their respec-
tive homes.
One hundred yards from Ruddock's
home ONeil overlook him. and the boy
complained that he was shot O'Neil
insisted that he had not hit him. but
Ruddock collapsed on the doorsteps Of
his home. O'Neil. however according
to the boys, told Ruddoek that he
must go with him to the police head
quarters and explain his presence on
half a mile away from the Ruddock
home. and his father protested against
the long walk. He insisted that a rig
should be hired and finally the police-
man agreed, although still stating that
he hadn't hurt the boy
When an examination was made AZ
police headquarters it was shown that
a bullet had entered Ruddock's back
passed through his lung and broke the
NTH rib which protruded to the front
An ambulance was procured, and he
was hurried TO the Englewood Hos
pttal. where he died Saturday morning.
Several times in the course of the
hearing Justice Parker wanted to know
how he could consistently comply with
the request of the Englewood lawyers.
who finally said they thought they
could secure the consent of the Bergen
county prosecutors office to have the
charge changed from murder to man
slaughter
Had Opera Glasses.
Ir. Seufert, when asked as to the
facts in the case, brought out one point
that had not been touched upon before,
and that was that the victim of the
shooting had pair of opera glasses in
his possession when the policeman took
him in charge. The lawyer denied that
it was for the express purpose of spy
ing into the dormitories of the girls
school.
His client, he said. had placed him
self behind a tree on the fatal night
and noticed two forms coming across
the lawn, apparently those of we'll
developed men, keeping we'll within the
darkness of the trees around the prem
ises where the trouble occurred.
THE policeman called them to halt
added the lawyer, "and Immediately
they turned around and made in the
direction they had come from ONeli
ran after them. While he was running