Bridgeton pioneer., 1916-01-27
IN THE Big
COURT ROOM
Observations During the
Wills Trial.
MUCH INTEREST.
Court Room Is Filled w. .th Wit
nesses and Spectators as
Trial Proceeds.

greatest interest seems to be CELL
tired in the trial of Walter H. Wills,
the young man of Mauricetown,
charged with embezzlement, now in
progress in the County Court room
at the Court House.
The Pioneer had reporter in the
court room a considerable time yes
terday other than the regular court
reporter. He found the room filled
with people, men and women, many of
them witnesses. A number of the
women were sitting in the extra jury
box on the north side of the room.
These people evidently found much
of interest in the proceedings, and
they nodded their heads or shook them
negatively as they agreed or disa-
greed with the statements made by
the witness upon the stand.
Several of these women were wit
resses for the State, and as they told
of Wills making collections of them
and not giving them full credit for
the money paid, they indicated some
feeling against the young man.
The defendant sat by his counsel, F.
A. Stanger, Jr, we'll groomed in a
suit of dark blue, white pin stripe
showing plainly in the cloth. His
| .et black hair was carefully brushed,
| and his face was clean shaven. There
| was bit of pallor noticeable in
| Wills face, he having been in jail for
some time. , hi
But Wills was entirely at ease. He
did not seem to care how damaging
the statements made by the witnesses
called by the State WERE At times he
whispered to his counsel, and he
closely scrutinized all of the receipts
| and papers that were presented as
evidence. At times Wills looked care
| lessly about the room surveying the
people as they sat all about him.
The twelve men sitting in the jury
| rox were patient, but they seemed a
trifle bored. The production of the
States testimony Is accompanied by
4 mass of figures and papers, and in
| order to fix the exact defalcation
| charged, each item is proven with
| great particularly.
The States case is being admirably
| handled by Louis H. Miller, the pri-
vate counsel for the Prudential Com
pany. He seems to have every thread
OF his case in hand and every move
he makes is with absolute assurance.
Mr.. Miller is assisted by Superintend-
ent George A. Nitche and two other
experts of the great company and
they are fortified with voluminous
records The trial in a measure ex-
plains something of the wonderful
system of the corporation, and it
seems that the concern has a fault
less system of checking up it's many
agents, and it's records are so kept
that almost any paper can be pro-
duced at a moments notice.
Judge Leroy w. Loder is closely
following the case and often inter
rupts to ask questions or to make
the proof of some paper clear and
comprehensive.
Mr.. Stanger, while appointed by the
Court for the defence, is ever alert
and is giving Wills the best possible
legal aid.
Yesterday the greatest interest
manifested was in the testimony of
Assistant Superintendent Kane. His
testimony upon direct examination
was most essential to the State and
while Kane indicated that Wills had
confessed to him his guilt and that he
mad followed Wills as fugitive, moth
ing Kane said seemed to ruffle either
the defendant or his counsel, and
there was ever present a feeling
among those more experienced with
court room happenings, that the de-
fence expected to have an interesting
session with Mr.. Kane when oppor-
tunity came for cross examination.
There was a decided relief when
about three o'clock. Judge Loder an
nounced fifteen minute recess, and
everybody was up and moving about
for a bit of exercise.