The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-25
TRY N. ]. DEPUTIES
FOR STRIKE MURDER
Ten Of 90 Accused in Roosevelt
Affair Before "Forcign"
Jury.
CASE TO BE HARD FOUGHT

New BRUNSWICK, N. J.. May H.-Ten
OF tho t~wenty-six deputies under indlct-
rnent for murder as the result Of the
deaths OF two men who were shot down
In an attack Upon a crowd OF striking
fertilizer workmen ~ Roosevelt. MID
dlesex county. on January 10 last. were
placed on trial to-day before Supreme
Court. Justice James j. Bergen and
County Judge Peter r. DAILY. The de-
fendants were specifically charged with
the murder OF Alesandro Tessitore.
The trial IL being conducted before a
so-cailed foreign Jury, consisting or
residents OF Mercer county. for the
prisoners that a fair minded panel could
not be secured In Middlesex county
owing TO the infamed state OF public
opinion. The order for the foreign"
Jury was granted several weeks by
supreme Court Justice Swayze
Although the panel was drawn in
Mercer county tho names OF the tales
men were taken from the box by
Sheriff Edward +. Houghton OF Md
dlesex county, the man who swore In as
tfINlI1lfN EltFlN ftIlI'lpN tb " NV ,
O'Brien Detective Agency OF Newark 10
do duty at the plants Of the fertilizer
companies during the strike. The Sheriff
performed this act OF drawing the names
from the box because II was required OF
him by law. but several lawyers not In
the case raised the question that a jury
20 drawn would be illegal for the reason
that the Sheriff was indirectly Interested
in the result.
The state II represented by Attorney
General John ". Wescott and Josiah
Stryker. one Of his assistants. and
Prosecutor w. Edwin F1orancc OF MID
dlesex county and his assistant, John
Coan. The defendants lawyers are ex-
Assistant Prosecutor Joseph a. Stricken
OF Middlesex county and former At
torney-General Robert II. McCarter.
The ten men on trial are Robert J.
Wallace. James H.. Williams, Frank
Rice, Fred Mull.n. Michael Manning.
Harry Tone. John O'Niara. James
Ravier. william Mclaughlin and John
&. Moran.
In his opening address Prosecutor
florance recitei the events OF tho
Roosevelt strike preceding tho attack
OF the guards nj tho Clark & williams
station. on the morning OF January 10.
he said. about forty-fve strike guards
emerged from the plant. marched upon
$50 strikers who garhered AZ the station
az a train came IN and fred upon them
Some were armed with revolvers
and some with riot guns" he said.
They deliberately hred into the crowd.
They fired under the train that the
strikers had halted and kept on fr!ng
after tho train had pulled out. over
went men were shot down. Tessi-
tore was shot in the legs and as ne
ran away he was deliberately sho in
the back. lie died IN the Alexian
Brothers Hospital. Elizabeth"
TIE Prosecutor said the fact hat
guns had been placed in the possession
Of the defendants and that badges had
heen put on their coats did not give
hem tho right 70 shoot any one whether
thny were offending the law or not.
Edward Vail 81 punellen. an Ame-i-
can Express Company messenger on
the train. testified he saw deputies stoop
down and IRE under che cars at the
strikers.
George II. Jackson. engineer Of the
train, gave similar testimony.
Daniel sullivan. the conductor. aid
that SO far as he saw all tho deputies
fred low AMI under tho train. The at
tack started. he said, as he was about
10 give q committee OF strikers per
mission 10 go Trough the train to
'ook for strike breakers.
Alexander Polar swore that he found
a lot o. empty shells near the station
after tho shooting vas over.
James :. Ryder, a ;rainman. tcsti-
fed tho deputies were all armed with
pistols and riot guns and as they shot
tho strikers ran IN all directions.
The trial will be continued to-day.