New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-26
NUGENT ACCUSED OF
WELDING BLACKJACK
Lieutenant of Defeated Jersey
Boss Must Answer for Alleged
Assault on Detectives.
TRIED TO FREE PRISONERS
Primary Fight Results in War
rants for Arrest of Newark
City Counsel on Four
Serious Charges.

Warrants We're issued by Judge os-
borne in Newark yesterday for the ar
rest Of City Counsel James r. Nugent.
of that city. former Democratic state
chairman and chief lieutenant for for
mer Senator James Smith. jr.
The COMPLAINTS are five in number,
two charging assault, one carrying
concealed weapon, one for rescuing
prisoners under arrest and one for in
terfering with officers in making an
arrest. The warrants. after being
signed by the Judge, were ordered held
on Nugent If he fails to obey an order
to appear in court at 10 o'clock this
morning.
This is the sequel of an attack made
by Nugent late Tuesday night, it is al
legged on Detectives Alfred Hargan
and Louis Slutzsky. OF Prosecutor
Motifs staff. During the attack
Nugent used a blackjack i'm an effort
10 assault Slutzsky, according TO the
complaint. and at the same time pulled
two policemen who were under arrest
from the detectives automobile.
Hargan and Slutzsky. according 10
their stories, were sent to a polling
place at No. 116 Commerce street late
on Tuesday night to arrest two police
men on "Iohn Doe" warrants issued
by Judge Osborne on complaint of Pro-
gressive Democratic challengcrs. who
said they had been driven from the
polling place, despite the fact that they
exhibited their credentials.
Patrolmen Thomas Fahey ana Rich
ard Dolan were the men on duty there.
and when Hargan and Slutzsky placed
them under arrest they We're asked 10
wait few minutes until a hondsman
could be 'phoned for. After brief
wait the detectives were told Il vas ali
right, and they started out with Fahey
and Dolan. The four had climbed into
an automobile that was In waiting.
when an Italian. Il is alleged. sprang Ia
the front Of the ear. revolver in hand.
and warned the chauffeur not 40 start
Just then, it is alleged. a taxicab
dashed up and Nugent jumped cut Of il.
According 10 Slutzsky. Nugent seized
the two policemen, jerked them from
the vehicle and said they should not 20
with their captors, who. he asserted.
had no right TO arrest them. As he
pushed the bluecoats aside Nugent
sprang 10 the running board ~ the car.
Slutzsky said. and made a vicious blow
at him with a blackjack. but fortu-
nately he was able To dodge IL. Be
fore he could renew the attack Nugen;
was seized by the two bluccoats, ac-
cording TO Slutzsl,y. and restrained.
By this time there was a crowd sur
rounding the car. the detectives assert.
and when a plainclothes man ran TO the
front Of the car. drove away ne Ital-
ian with the revolver and tsid them 90
get away quickly, they needed MS ad-
vice and went without their prisoners.
They did that. they say, because they
knew they could get the prisoners and
their rescuer later, and did not want TO
pull their guns and start a light that
might end in some innocent persons
being killed.
From the polling place they went to
the courthouse, where the judges were
still waiting. told their story and
yesterday repeated it under oath, the
issuing OF the warrants following.
The trouble was the outcome Of the
bitter primary fight between the NTH
Nugent and the Progressive factions Of
the Democratic party.