Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1912-02-22
THE HELhs-HEWES CASE.
The Jury Again Disagree.


jury Thursday and Friday of last
week attracted the people from all
parts of Gloucester county, and pack
ed the Court room until every seat
was taken.
This case was tried a little over
year ago and resulted in disagree
ment of the jury.
Mr. Helms is a we'll known citizen
of Swedesboro and conducts the poul-
try business in the lower end of the
county.
The plaintiff claimed that on the
night of Sept Z, 1910, he with his
wife and young daughter was driving
in a buggy on the road leading from
Swedesboro to Bridgeport, and at
certain point they met two automo-
biles racing, going in an opposite di-
rection. Mr.. Hughes claimed that he
drove his horse down as far as he
could get off the road; that the first
auto passed his buggy at terrific
speed, and the other auto coming di-
the left of the road struck his buggy
tearing off the wheels, throwing the
occupants to the hard road, and caus-
ing permanent injuries to Mrs.
Hughes.
Mr.. Helms admitted being on the
road about the time the accident oc-
Cured, but denied colliding with
wagon of any kind.
Lawyers for the plaintiff were the
Davis Brothers, of Salem County,
both of whom are considered above
the average. Hon. j. Davis is also
a minister, now pastor emeritus of the
Pedricktown Baptist Church, and
Democratic member of the New Jer-
sey Legislature. Associated with
them was their law partner, Joseph
H. Ashbridge, of Philadelphia.
Mr.. Helms was just as ably defend
ed by Hon. D. O. Watkins, and Mr..
Austin H. Swackhamer, two of the
ablest lawyers in this end of the State
The first witness called was James
Sparks, who had taken measurements
and prepared map of the road and
the place of the accident.
Mr.. Hughes, the plaintiff, was next
called to testify, and he gave an ae-
count of his journey with his little
family on the night of the accident
While his testimony was unshaken by
cross examination, it did vary some
from the testimony given at the for
mer trial as to time. He told how
he drove his horse out of tie middle
of the road as far as he could to get
away from the speeding autos, and
what he said to the driver of the auto
that struck his buggy as he passed
him. He said he thought the people
in, he o.rf Io Oh !, II,
them; saw the auto stop in front of
Joseph Wallace's house about hum
dred yards away and a man get out,
walk around the machine, then saw
the machine go on toward Swedes-
boro. While he was getting his wife
and child up out of the road two or.
three persons drove up in buggy,
one young fellow got out, lighted a
match and looked at Mrs. Hughes
face which was very much skinned
and swollen, and her right eye swol-
len and closed. A colored man in an
open wagon going toward Swedesboro
took them in his wagon to the doc
tors Office at ,Swedesboro He got
another team and went home with
his family
John Wesley, the next witness, was
the man who took the Hughes family
to Swedesboro. Said he lives in Lo-
gan Township: knew the plaintiff and
defendant a long while; saw the con-
dition of Mrs. Hughes while she was
in the road; saw two autos pass him
just before the accident going in the
same direction. Asked if they were
going fast, he said: They was going
like lightning. l got as near the
fence as could. If the fence was
not there would have gone out in the,
field. Asked to point out locations
on the map he began to explain quite
readily without the aid of the official
map. Mr.. Watkins, looking over
Johns shoulder, discovered the name
sake of that great founder of Meth
odism with a map of his own from
which he was fairly cleaning infor-
nation which caused some amuse-
ment.
The Court took a recess until 1. 80
p. m.
Mrs. Hughes, wife of the defend
ant, was next called. Her testimony
was about the same as Mr.. Hughes
except in some details. She said they
had light on the wagon which was
lighted. They were over on the right
side of the road as far as they could
get. The first auto went by all right,
the second, which was over farther to-
the left, on the left hand side of the
road struck their buggy with the re-
suit already told; said there was ns
hill or ditch beside the road at that
point: saw the auto stop, then go Or
again. Two or three people came up
in a buggy after the accident an
stopped minute. Then the colored
man came up. Then she went to the
doctors at Swedesboro, in Wesley's
wagon: saw only two autos on the
road. She was asked the nature of
her injuries which she gave In de-
tail showing badly wrecked nervous
system; said she did the work on a
800 acre farm before the accident,
had help since, had to- leave the farm
on account of poor health. Mr..
Swackhamer's cross examination fail
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