Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1913-08-22
QUEER STUNTS
BY ALDERMAN
IN FIFTH WARD
Keeps the Police Department
on the Move With His
Strange Ideas.
HIS GAMBLING RAID
FlZZLING OUT.
Casa Likely to be Re0pensd
and the Man May be
Discharged

The case against John ZaXonaua-
kos, of 421 Mechanic street, arrested
and fined as the result of Alderman
John J. Clark's queer actions We'd
nesday night, will be reopened by
Recorder Pickersgill tonight. 1t has
been brought to the attention of
Recorder Pickersgill that the man ls
not guilty of conducting a gambling
house and that Alderman Clark had
no grounds upon which to base his
charge. Inasmuch as Zaxonauakos
was fined but $40 on the technical
charge of disorderly conduct, the
recorder concludes he was not pun
ished sufficiently if he did conduct
such a gambling den as Clark said ne
did. For these reasons he will re-
open the case at o'clock tonight, at
which time the man will be punished
severely according to law if found
guilty, or will be released if no
further evidence is offered to prove
his guilt.
Actions of Alderman Clark amused
a score of people about police head
quarters and city hall after he had
caused Zaxonauakos's arrest Wednes-
day night Yesterday he acted queer
ly by ordering PatrOlman Maher to
close up a licensed drinking place in
his ward, according to information
supplied to the heads of the police
department. On Wednesday, accord
ing to information at police head
quarters, he ordered two patrolmen
about, timed them and then boasted
to bystauders that such were the
kind of boys he had"
Soon after the man was arrested
Wednesday night Alderman Clark
went about doing everything possi-
| BILE to secure his release. He crdsr-
ed the prisoner arraigned before him
so that he could discharge him. Act
ing Sergeant Hartmann was not
obedient to all of the alderman
orders, deciding that he would act
within his legal rights. At the time
| Clark insisted to bystanders about
police headquarters that he had
ralded the greatest gambling den in
the city While he thought SO, the
police did not. They have informed
Recorder Pickersgill that there were
no more signs of gambling In Zaxo-
nauakos's place Wednesday night
than q friendly game of cards when
they raided 1t.
| According to information supplied
| by the police to the recorder, Zaxo-
nauakos has been selling liquor il
| legally since he was fined $50 for
the same offense recently. AS he was
not arrested on that score and it ap-
pears there is no further evidence
| that he conducted a gambling place,
indications are that his fine Of $40
will be remitted and he will be dis
charged tonight.
There were fifteen patrolmen in
the raiding party, led by Patrolman
Underhil. They found a friendly
game of cards in progress and no
other evidence of gambling Clark
! had been in there previously and
said he could see seven or eight
tables at which there were gambling
/ games. Since then he has seen lots
of other things, including a drinking
place which he concluded was doing
an Illegal business in his ward, and
which the police declared was icing
| legally conducted.
Should Clark continue his alleged
! queer doings it is likely that Mayor
| Garretson will step in and call halt.
Unlike conditions in New Brunswick
and some other cities, the mayor has
more power in police regulation than
| the police committee and is the chief
/ Of police here. When seen today he
refused to comment on Clark s ac-
| tions. stating he first desired to
. know how the other members Of the
police department felt about them.
/ Aldermen Henry w. Sandbeck, Jr.,
| and f. William Hilker, the other
Continued on page ;