Evening journal., 1917-01-31
Stevens Held ON
PERJURY CHARGE
Witness in BodeSki Murder
Case Must Face High
Court
TOLD DIFFERENT
STORY OF CRIME

James Stevens. Of Camden. n. j..
was held by Judge Churchman this
morning in $4,000 bail for the Court Of
General Sessions on the charge of per
jury He is alleged to have given false
testimony In the Samuel Ganges muir
der trial in the Court OF oyer and
Terminer last week. Stevens was rep
! resented by j. Frank Ball and James
Salisbury, while Deputy Attorney
General P. Warren Green represented
the State.
/ Considerable argument took place
upon the legality Of Stevens arrest.
and whether or not Il was proper to
arraign him. Stevens attorneys con
1 tended that he had been regularly
summoned as a witness IN the murder
case, and when he was arrested he
was on his way home from court, and
that no warrant had beon issued for
/ his arrest until after he was brought
i before court last week on the charge,
Ii was set forth that a witness in a
case is privileged to leave court with
out arrest. Because Of the charge
( being a felony, It was contended by
Mr.. Green that a warrant was not
needed and he asserted that from all
appearances Stevens was not on his
way directly home, but had gone out
Of his way and was mingling with
friends when arrested. He was ar
rested by Detective Mahony in a res
taurant at Fourth and Tatnall streets
about an hour following the trial
Judge Churchman considered that
Stevens was not on his way home
at the time, and he was arraigned
today on the perjury charge. Stevens
In his own defense. said that the
subpoena was brought to him IN Cam
| den, and was given him on the train
as it neared the local station He did
not know. he said. whether he was
required to be in a Delaware court
upon the subpoena, he living In New
Jersey, or whether IL was at HIS dis
erection whether he should appear or
not.
Eugene Hardesty, court stenog-
rapher Of the Court Of Oyer and Ter
miner, produced the testimony given
| by Stevens at the murder trial. In
this testimony Stevens declared that
he had been talking with John Alex
ander. in Camden. two or three OF
three or four days after the Springs
park murder. and that Alexander
had said to him that he had heard
at the time of the murder a female
voice cry: "Spiro. let me 60" and the
spiro had insisted upon sleeping In
the boat or boathouse, against the
wishes Of his brother Nicholas Nicho-
las, prior 20 this cry.
John Alexander denied making such
statements within the time stated by
! Stevens: and that the first time he
had been TO Camden following the
murder was about eight days after
its occurrence. Then, he said, he did
not see Stevens.
Alexander said that he did not re-
member what he said at a party at
] Stevens house in October because
he was intoxicated at the time. Mr..
Ball took him up on a conflicting dec
laation in which at one time he declar-
ed he did not make the statements,
and another that "he did not remem-
/ Der making the statements Alex
ander recalled little that happened at
/ the party. Alexander's credibility
was tested by Judge Ball in producing
out on probation Of the Camden Court
for some trouble.
Spiro Nicholas testified that Alex
ander did not leave Wilmington for
about one week after the murder
/ therefore not having said within
two or three, or three or four days
after the murder" what he was al
! legged to have said by Stevens.
Detective Sergeant King testified
! that Alexander had been here about
week following the Bodesld murder.
Judge Churchman brought out the
fact that Alexander did not make the
alleged statements 10 Stevens direct
\ ~ following the day OF the murder,
July %, 1916, but later "by months, A"
II being in October when he had a
conversation with Stevens. and
brought out the question whether
there are probable grounds to suspect
/ perjury. and held Stevens for the
Court OF General Sessions