Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-29
MURDER
TRIAL IS STAYED;
HITCH ON Jury
Sheriff Fails to Serve Three of
Panel and Case Goes
Over.
Especial to the Newark star.I


TOMS RIVER, Sept pa hitch in
grand jury under the new law caused
postponement until December of
the trial of Joseph Moriarity, alias
William ]. Leehan, today.
Justice Willard p. Voorhees, sus-
tanned objections to the jury, made
by Halstead Wainwright, one of
Moriarity's lawyers.
In selecting the jury panel Sheriff
Frank Tilton failed to serve notice
and Chester Bennett, three men out
of the forty-eight, but filed his re-
turns showing that they had been
served with notice.
Mrs. Jasper Lynch, the Lakewood
society woman, who has been so in
terested in the mans plight that she
has donated the funds with which
Leehan's bulwark of legal advisers
was egaged, declared that there was
an attempt being made to discredit
her work in the case. She was ready
to go ahead when the discrepancy in
the regulations was noticed.
Simply to see that justice is done
and because detectives that I have
engaged find Mr.. Leehan guiltless,"
is the reason Mrs. Lynch gives for
her espousal of the defendants cause.
Leehan was formerly employed by
her as a stenographer and she had
such confidence in his integrity that
she Immediately came to his aid when
accusation was lodged against him.
Under the new jury law the sheriff
must prepare an alphabetic list of
voters and from 1t select by lot forty
eight, all of whom must be served.
The trouble might have been over
come by the justice ordering the con-
tinuance Of the case, but the lawyers
were forced to enter the objections
in order to allow an appeal should
they subsequently want one. The
State attorneys likewise refused to
go ahead with the case in view of
the irregularity. Mrs. Lynch in dis
cussing the case after the postpone
ment, declared that there was an at
tempt being made to discredit her
work in the defense.
Sympathy for Leehan.
Moriarty, or Leehan, as he was
known during his residence at Lake.
wood, has no lack of sympathizers.
To judge from the general gossip of
the community 80 per cent. of the in
habitants of Lakewood and Toms
River firmly believe in the young
mems innocence. The prisoner has
exhibited many symptoms of a ner-
vous breakdown during his incarcera-
ton in the little Toms River Jail since
last April, but the confession mo-
mentarily looked for by the authori-
ties has not materialiZed.
Just haw strong a case the State
has against the man is not generally
known. Prosecutor Harry e. New
man has reiterated that he has evil
dence-believed to be mainly in the
form of dictagraph conversations
caught by Burns detectives-that will
clinch a verdict of guilty.
Prosecutor Newman has to aid him
in the trial T. j. F. Browne, former
prosecutor of Monmouth county:
Walter Bacon, former assistant
United States district-attorney, and
Attorney ". p. Woodruff.
Leehan's forces are headed by At
torney Willfred Fl. Jayne, a Prince
ton man; Andrew j. c. Stokes, for
mer assistant prosecutor of the
county. and Attorney Halstead H.
Wainwright.
History of the Crime.
The crime that shocked the fashion
able residents of Lakewood and
stirred the police of several States
into diligent activity was committed
the afternoon of April 25 two years
and a half ago. The victim was the
Q.e