The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-01-06
Court.

we're indicted for not filing their expense
accounts at the last election.
Judge Homer said it was not a pleas
ant situation which confronted him, as
nearly every man before him had been
more or less Inundated by being in
1icted. The law had been made ON the ,
subject, and it was not for the grand |
jury, the prosecutor or the court, to 90
back of the statute.
Pleas were made in behalf of those !
who had been indicted, all of whom but
one pleaded guilty. In some instances
the men had been told by the township
clerk that, having filed an expense ac-
count in the primary, there was nothing
else to do as they were not successful at
the election. In one case the unfortun-
ate victim let the matter go until the
night of the last day for filing and then
he could not find the official to whom
the return should be made. He got the
papers arranged and sent them in the
next day, but that did not count. A
sentence of SIS was put upon each of
those who appeared before the court and
whose names were published in THE
News last week.
One man, on being asked if he had
anything to say, remarked that he sup
posed he was guilty, but he only spent
five cents in his contest. 81 never gave
a man cent or handed out drink of
rum and that is more than you can say
of the township clerk, who sat in his
store and handed it out all day." said
the man. 1--WE would like to have that
verified before grand jury" said Judge
Homer. ''Well, you will, answered the
man, ''for am going to take it up the
first chance l get"
Lydia Pitman, indicted for stealing a
chicken, pleaded guilty. Lydia and her
husband, William Pitman, were also in
dicted for stealing fence rails. Lydia
seemed willing to take all the blame, for
she pleaded guilty, her husband plead
ing not guilty.
Leo, Rosato and Tito Salamanca and
Nazaret Brandt, indicted for illegal sale
of liquor at Florence, pleaded not guilty.
Atwood and Harold Harker, indicted
for atrocious assault and battery in
Springfield township, retracted their plea
of not guilty and entered plea of non
vult.
Edward j. Buckley was called up to
receive sentence. Buckley was the pro-
moter of a club in which the members
payments, which gave them the privi-
lege of securing goods at a low cost.
After collecting the 81 from each of his
victims Buckley failed to keep the prom
Use made to them and when an investi-
CATION was made it was discovered that
he was not as responsible as he had
represented himself and that he did not
own a store as he had said. Hew fined
800.
| John Britton, of Bordentown, was
tried by the court some time ago on the
charges of assault and battery and high
way robbery. Judge Homer had reserv-
ed his decision until Friday, when he
announced that he had found Britton
guilty of the highway robbery, but not
guilty of the other offense.
The license of the hotel formerly own
ed by Albert Horror at Juliustown, was
transferred to Frank Kelvy.
| In the case of |. Snowden Haines, in
dicted for being interested in contracts
between the Council of Burlington and
the Enterprise Publishing Company
MIR. Haines being a member of each Of
the bodies-prosecutor Atkinson said he
drop the matter. He had made care
full examination of the case and he wa:
satisfied that no wrong had been com
mitted and that the city of Burlington
had not suffered. In a case recently
passed upon by the Court of Errors anC
Appeals it had been held that member
of municipal body could be interested
in contracts if there was no intent tC
defraud. Mr.. Atkinson said he coulc
not secure conviction in this case anC
he thought it was his duty to drop it.
James Smith asked for the release
from Jail of Beverly woman who, he
claimed, was being illegally detained
the justice of the peace not having prop
erly prepared the commitment papers
Judge Horner said there was no doubt
about the correctness of this contention
and ordered the woman's release.
Jonathan HI. Kelsey then took up the
application to allow Joseph A. Couples
to file his account of expenses in the last
election. Mr.. Kelsey relied entirely
upon section of the law which was
passed in 1912 and which provides that
any candidate who has heretofore failed
to file his expense account, may by con-
sent of the court, do so later. Mr.. kel-
sey held that the word heretofore
could be construed.to mean hereafter
and that any man who had failed to file
his account since the passage of the law
was privileged to do so now.
The court, however, held a different
view. Judge Horner thought the law
was passed to aid many who were caught
in the first operation of the new election
law, and that up to April, 1912, they
were entitled to relief, but after that
time they would have to look out He
cited the passage of many laws of SINH
lar import, among them statutes which
provide for the validating of the acts OF
some officials who had done business
after the expiration of their commissions.
The Judge was not able to see how the
word heretofore could in any way be
construed to mean thereafter" and Mr..
Kelsey was allowed to withdraw the APP
plication.
The session of the court yesterday
morning came to sudden end. The
first case called was that of the state
against George Fourvour, of Masonville,
who was indicted for neglect of his fam
ily Three jurors were in the box when
George decided he had better change
his plea so he entered one of non vult.
Then Harry Bowker was called to an
swer to an indictment for atrocious as
sault and battery. Have you lawyer"
| asked Judge Homer. Eyes, said the
prisoner, Robert Peacock is my lawyer "
Robert looked up and pleaded surprise
as that was the first intimation he had
that he was engaged. The three men in
the box retained their seats and the other
nine were drawn. BY this time Bowker