The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-11-27
TR1BoLEr NOT GUILTY OF ARSON

The trial of William Tribolet, charged
with burning house belonging to
John Worth, was begun on Friday be-
fore Judge Lippincott and jury.
The state was represented by Prose
cutor Kelsey and ex-Prosecutor Atkin-
son; Robert Peacock appeared for the
defendant.
The house was five-room structure
situated on small farm owned by Mr..
Worth, on the road from Mount Holly
to Rancocas. 1t was destroyed by fire
on April End last, between the hours of
8 and 9 p. NJ, and was unoccupied at
that time.
The evidence showed that Tribolet
formerly had occupied the house and
that after he removed to Mount Holly
it had been vacant until the time of
the fire. The defendant still took an
interest in the property, however, as it
is located adjoining to the farm of his
father.
Hearing that Mr.. Worth had rented
the place to Frank Mason, a colored
man, Tribolet wrote a letter to the
owner, stating that the latter would be
sorry if he permitted negro to move
there. Mr.. Mason was to occupy the
place the day after the fire.
One witness, William Dreas, testified
that two or three days before the fire,
Tribolet had stated that he would get
even with Worth for renting the house
to Mason.
Dreas and two other witnesses testi-
fed that on the evening of April End
they saw Tribolett cross field and go
toward the house that shortly after
ward was discovered to be on fire.
The first person who arrived at the
fire discovered that window had been
broken open and that entrance had
been gained by using a step ladder
which had been taken from another
building on the farm.
The defence to the charge was an
alibi. Tribolett claiming that he was in
Mount Holly when the fire occurred
and that therefore he could not have
committed the crime.
He testified that he and his wife had
visited his fathers farm that afternoon;
that they left about 6.1O in the even
ing, returning to Mount Holly by way
of the WOODLAND road. Later that
evening he and Mrs. Tribolett were
walking on Washington and Main
streets, afterward returning to their
home on Madison avenue. He heard
the report that the Worth farm house
had been destroyed by fire.
His testimony was corroborated by
his wife, and a number of witnesses
stated that they saw him in Mount
Holly that evening at about the time
of the fire.
The case was not concluded on Fri
day and was continued until yesterday,
when more witnesses in support of the
alibi were heard.
In rebuttal the state produced three
witnesses who testified that they saw
Tribolett that night at about 8. 10 COM
ing alone down the Burlington rail
road, toward Water street. In his ties.
timony the defendant had stated that
after leaving his fathers farm that
evening he and his wife had gone W
WOODLAND road to the Burlington road,
and come directly down Main to Wash
ington street to their home on Madison
avenue. Two witnesses testified that
Mrs. Tribolett visited their house on
Water street that night.
1t was shown also that the testimony
OF defendant and his wife differed in
several respects from the testimony
taken at the preliminary hearing be
fore Justice Heilbron.
| The jury returned verdict of moi
guilty.