Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-18

In ransaeking an attic over the liv-
ing quarters at the county Jail recent
ly Warden Richard McGuinness came
across two time-worn and torn old
books that. when busted and cleaned
up, proved to be the original books
of record of the county jail from the
time of its opening on November 10,
1887, and running through for almost
twenty years
The writing in the books although
faded in most instances to a rusty
brown, is still perfectly legible, and
although written in many different
hands, shows that most of the jail
bookkeepers in the old days were able
penmen.
At the time the Jail was opened in
November, 1887, Jonathan Osborne, il,
was sheriff of the county and Abra-
ham Beach the county jailer, the posi-
ton evidently at that time not hav-
ing reached the position of being
called warden.
The first entry in the book is the
names of eighteen prisoners who were
transferred from the old Jail. The
first prisoner to be received into the
then new Jail, which, by the way,
consisted of but one building, that
being the old stone building that ex-
tends east and west along New street,
was Elisha A. Davis, who was listed
on November 20 for drunkenness.
Drunkenness seemed to be, just as
popular a crime, OF offense, in those
days as 1t does now, for fully one
half of the entries on the book are
for that offense.
The books, particularly the Oldest
one, which is about half filed with
entries running from 1887 to 1874, con-
tain many entries which are odd in
these days, when all commitments are
made on forms filled with legal terms,
For instance on August 4, 1910,
Thomas Lumex was admitted ana Is
charged with the offense of being
re ar ord is q notation. "Died in prison
October 81, 1s40 Verdict of the jury,
D. c. Berry, coroner, Died by vista
ton of God.
There are many entries in the OLD
books for breaking and entering
canal boats" In those days the now
practically deserted Morris and Essex
canal was a very busy place anu
strings of canal boats were constantly
passing through the city At that time
all insane persons, not cared TOT py
their own people, We're apparently sent
to the county jail, for there are many
entries in the books under the crime
committed for" column in which the
offense is simply stated as crazy
or "insane." the word crazy" being
used far more frequently than in
sane" while the word "lunatic" does
not appear at all.
Under date of March 80, 1853. Mat
thew McGuinness must have got MN
self into all sorts of trouble. for ne
is charged with three separate Of
lenses as follows: "Riotous and dis
orderly" drunkenness" and "saucy
to a watchan."
Although Matthew McGuinness
spelled his name the same way as
hearted Dick McGuinness, the
present warden of the Jail, the latter
disclaims all relationship, but says
even IL he did sauce a Waterman
he must have been a good fellow be-
cause he was an Irishman.
In going through the old books
there is one entry that quickly at
tracts the eye, for it is near the top
of the page and the name of the
person committed is completely out
lined in a heavy bordering of black
ink. The reason Is apparent when
the disposition of this prisoner is
looked into. He was hanged in the
county jail.
The entry reads: December Q, 1851,
John Erpersteine, suspicion of muir
derlng wife" John Erpersteine, who
ever he was, must have murdered his
wife all right, for the entries follow
ing the charge OF suspicion of muir
dering wife are: Hung fifteen min
utes after II o'clock. March 30, 1852.
Cost to county, $130.63. Sentenced to
be hung, January 20, 1851; hung,
March 30, 1852"
1t will be noticed in this case that
less than four months elapsed from
the time Erpersteine was lodged in
jail on a suspicion of killing his wife
until he was executed for the crime,
while only twenty days elapsed from
had been tried and found guilty. The
county courts certainly were not as
busy in those days as they are now,
when it takes all the way from three
to six months before person can be
brought to trial, and all the way from
one to two years, and sometimes
longer, before the death sentence, if
imposed, is executed.
The trial of the suit of the Ballan-
tine Brewing Company against the
Public Service Gas Company for
alleged pollution of the brewing COM
pany's ale by the gas company's gas
brought out a number of funny little
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