Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-02-03
INDICTMENTSOF
OFFICIALS STAND,
TENNANT ORDERS
Tells Hudson Jurymen Strang-
er Approached Him to Have
Them Reconsidered.
FOLLOW TESTIMONY OF
PRoPRIETRESS OF DIVE
Mayor Mohn and West Hobo
ken counciImen to Be
Among the Principals.
Special to the Evening star.


Special to the Evening Star.
JERSEY CITY, Feb. Indictments
have been returned by the
Hudson county grand jury against
Charles A. Mohn. mayor of West Ho-
! boken; Percy Hopkins, william G.
Weller and John Plough, members Of
the West Hoboken Common Council;
Robert G. stearn, Of Secaucus; Ed
ward Mulcahey. Edward Costello and
Samuel Smith, members Of the Re-
publican County Committee. The in
6ictment. charges them with helping
to maintain a disorderly house.
After handing in the indictments,
| the jury sought TO reconsider them,
and Foreman Thomas ]. Stewart
asked Judre George G. Tenant how
to go about 1t. Judge Tenants reply
was startling. He told the jury he
knew outside influences were at work
to have the indictments quashed, and
that one man, d stranger TO him, had
had the audacity to go to his house
and ask that he use his influence to
have the indictments duasked.
Judge Tenants Charge.
| Gentlemen of the grand inquest, -
said Judge Tenant, Judge Sullivan
asks me to speak for the court in o
matter of considerable Importance,
which has been brought to our atten-
tion. Last evening, at my hause in
Jersey City. a gentleman whose name
was announced to me, but which |
do not now remember came to me
after dinner and stated in substance
that he would like to take the op-
portunity to discuss with me the
matter Of reconsidering what. he un-
derstood to be some Indictments
which the grand inquest of this coun-
try had voted upon. 1 at once told
him that | would not talk with him
nor should he talk with me, on such
a grave subject.
He thenasked If I, as one of the
judges Of the Oyer and Terminer OF
this county, Quarter Sessions judge
or otherwise, would not do something
| to influences the grand inquest OF tbs
| county in reconsidering certain in
| dictments. AS was my duty. 1 tols
| him that neither would I discus
such q subject with him nor peFni
him TO discuss It with me. | an
willing 10 give 70 the gentleman
! whose name do not know, the bene
| fit of any doubt, and believe tina
ignorance prompted him to do what
| he did, but because Of the utmost
gravity of such a situation the couri
feels that it must, out of protection
to the grand inquest of the county
as well as the dignity, and all thai
goes with the dignity, of the court
present to you those facts In con-
nection with certain other matters
which are brought to the attention oi
the court. l have emphasized what
was presented to me last evening.
81 now find it necessary to present
to you what has been stated to the
court on the best authority, namely
that certain persons whose names
need not now mention. have directly
or indirectly, subterraneoasly or other
wise. as you may please to call 1t, ap-
preached members of the grand in
quest to get them TO reconsider GER
tain indictments which have been,
am informed by the prosecutor, regu-
Iarly found by the grand inquest II
Is OF the utmost importance, in fact
highly imperative, that the grand in
quest should be kept inviolate, and
by that l mean cleanly and clearly
that you as members of the grand IN
which you swore to before Almighty
God: that no man has a right %
speak to you concerning any matter
which you as grand jurors have &c
deal with in the grand jury room. nol
have you the right to speak to any
one. The only manner IN which such
a matter can be presented to you is
by way of evidence in the grand jury
room.
at Is said to the court on the best
of authority that some one or more
persons, high in authority in thi:
county. have spoken to the grand in.
quest about some of the matters Il
which refer. That Is criminal con.
tennpt Of court and a misdemeanor
and will be punished as such More
over. gentlemen, the court finds 4
necessary to say to YOU as grand
inrors that 1t is your dutv. and voI
violate your oath If you fall to follow
this. that IL this has been done to am
me Of YOU It Is yoiir sworn duty I,
present It TO the court and on vou-
failure to do that you. too. are guilt
Of ontempt-crininai contempt-o
t-'s court, as we'll SIS malfeasance il
o@sce.
ST feel 7 shonid say what I bav'
for vour protection. and 10 serve & ,
eanerai ro+ice to afI concerned. tho
we who 1--we in This eoun+v ra1'st IN
NoId invinlate the thirgs whi"h ".
nave sworn to nersarno 7 think hav'
said all that &c necassarv Gentlemen
Mohn Led the Raid.
The indictments were returned afte
the testimony of Gertrude Willie. VIII
was arrested by Mayor Mohn on De
ceniber last, charged with running {
disorderly house. the Cafe Trefeld
The raiding party started from Mayo'
Mohn's home, and several men ant
women were arrested. Gertrude Will
pleaded guilty and was sentenced Il
three years in Jail.
In chambers she is said to hav'
charged that Mayor Mohn and tn,
councilmen gave her house their pro
lection; that Weller and Plough askeS
her for campaign contributions wheT
Mohn was running for sheriff last fall
and that she paid 5000 through Null
cahey and Costello to Samuel Smith
of the Hudson County Committee, ant
that Stearn acted as go-between.
Mayor Mohn's defense will be tha
he opposed the license TO Gertrud.
Willie last year. He is also prepared
to meet the charge that he was inf1n
enced by a 81 900 plumbing job in tn
Cafe Trefeld. He says the work wa!
undertaken by his son. who is in th'
plumbing business with him, while h
was absent In the South.
Other indictments.
In addition to the Trefeld Hote
case indictments, ten cafe owners
and hotel proprietors. who wer'
caught In a recent raid by the prose
cutor's men on charges of maintain
ing disorderly houses, Indictment
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