Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-05-28
DEFENSE CLOSES TODAY ON
DEPUTIES MURDER TRIAL;
SHERIFF NOT TO TESTIFY
Deputies Testyg In Their Own Defense Declare They Honestly
Believe They Were Authorized Deputy Sherffs After They
Had Been Sworn in by Houghon- Roosevelt Police
Chief Harrington to Leave Room at Trial This Morning.

sworn he lived in New Jersey to get
the job as guard, because he was out
of work. He said he had worked as
a guard at Bonhamtown, N. j., at
one time.
James D. Williams, one of the de-
fendant deputies, said that he was
born in Boston, and that he was
thirty-ive years old He declared
that at 1850 o'clock the eventful
morning a mob of about 400 strikers
railroad tracks, three-fourths of
them being armed with sticks, pieces
Of iron, or stones. They fired fifteen
or twenty revolver shots before
reaching the plant station, he de-
clared. Williams told the jury that
he was employed as motorman by
the Interborough Rapid Transit
Company in New York during the
strike five years ago. He claims that
he has never been strike-breaker,
and he Indignantly protested to the
jury when Attorney General Wescott
referred to him as such. He told of
having served at Bonhamtown three
years ago under Sheriff Bollschweil-
er, this being his first connection
with strike duty.
The witness declared that after
having been sworn In at Roosevelt
Sheriff Houghton told him, as well as
the other deputies, to use discretion
and to act as gentleman at all
times. He was asked II he had con-
ferred with the other deputies In the
Jail in regard to the murder trial. He
said that he had and that after
conference the deputies had reached
the conclusion to tell the whole
truth, believing that the truth
wouldn't hurt them. He was ques-
toned in regard to his acquaintance
with other deputies, and Justice Ber-
gen ruled out Wescott's query If he
had seen Patterson the morning of
the strike outside the plant.
Williams identified statement
that had been procured from him af-
ter the shooting by Assistant Prose
cutor Coan, and admitted that 1t was
not all correct He said In this
statement that Wallace, another dep
uty, had been hit with stone on the
foot, but he declared this morning
that this was not true.
1t became practically certain at 9
late hour today that Deputy Sheriff
Houghton would not testify for
either the state or defense.
Harry Tone, another of the depu-
ties on trial for their lives, was
placed on the stand shortly before
noon. He said that he used a pump
gun on the morning of January -.
He explained pump gun Is rifle
that shoots buckshot He declared
each time he fred it was In the air.
His testimony was similar to that
given by the other deputies.
Frank ]. Rick, another of the ten
deputies, testified that he was thirty
one years old, and that he had lived
in New York City before becoming
a guard at the Williams & Clark
plant. He said he lied when he gave
his residence and swore that he lived
in New Jersey because he was hard
pushed for work. He declared he
had been employed in Michigan as
deputy at one time. He said that he
thought there were fifteen or twenty
shots fired by the strikers before the
deputies fired. He said the strikers
rushed to the second and third
coaches of the train, and that the
deputies followed the officials from
the train to the plant. He testified
that the strikers were rioting and
his other evidence was similar to
that given by the preceding deputies.
On cross-examination 1t was
brought out that the witness had
served as guard at the plant of the
American Smelling & Refining Com
pany at Perth Amboy during the big
Industrial strike in that city In 1912.
J. c. Moran, another defendant
deputy, continued on the stand until
a late hour today His testimony
was along the same line as the other
deputies. He said that he had lived
in New York, but lied to get Job
as a deputy and had said he lived in
New jersey
At 2:45 O'Clock there was every
Indication that the defense would
finish its case this afternoon, that
there would be no night session, and
that rebuttal would be in order the
first thing tomorrow morning. The
number of witnesses recalled In re-
buttal will determine how long it
will be before the jury gets the case,
which now appears might be about
noon tomorrow or in the afternoon.
Testimony Late Yesterday.
When the defense got well under
way yesterday afternoon there came
indications that the jury was being |
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