The Penn's Grove record., 1919-01-31
County Court Proceedings
Penns Grove Police Cases Put
Off Until February 14th

absence of Clarence Cole, one of the
counsel for the defendants, on account
of sickness, they would be heard on
Thursday. William B. Surran, also of
counsel for the defendants, was pres
ent and took up the matter with Judge
Washington.
1t was learned on Wednesday night
however, that these cases had been
again postponed until February 14th,
on account of Mr.. Coles continued ILL
ness, he having a severe attack of
influenza.
Prosecutor Summerill then moved
the east of Gilberto Alaya, for man
slaughter, in killing Louis Jummines
in the powder works at Carney Point
on August 10th last. Also the case
against Samuel j. Dean, a guard at
the plant, for atrocious assault and
battery upon James Crutchfield, a col
ored man, better known as "Big Boy"
The case against Gilberto Alaya for
manslaughter, occupied the morning
session.
Ayala is a Mexican and has been in
this country about a year and was en-
ployed at the powder works. Last
August he got into an alteration with
another employee, Louis dummies, and
in the melee the latter was struck in
the breast with a sharp pointed stick
which caused his death.
The defense was that Alaya was
acting in self defense; that dummies
disliked Ayala bossing him and be-
cause he was taken to task for "soE
diering" on the job; that while the
men were moving a truck with about
two tons of powder on it, dummies de-
clared it was a mules work" and re-
fused to assist whereupon Alaya told
him to "get ON the job" and help.
This angered dummies and he picked
up two bricks which he threw at
Alaya, one hitting him in the back and
the other in the breast. AS he stopped
declared to have made the remark
that eff you don't look out l will fix
YOU" AS he approached Alaya the
latter pulled out a sharp pointed stick,
which the men carry and use for put
him in the breast.
Several witnesses to testify to the
good reputation of Alaya and of his
character as a workman were called.
They all declared it was of the best,
while Jummies' was troublesome and
a shirker.
Alaya could not speak English so
Mrs. j. Lorenza, of Carney Point, who
speaks Spanish very well, was used as
interpreter. Mrs. Lorenzo is a native
of Porto Rico and a granddaughter of
William z. Flitcraft, of Woodstown.
The case went to the jury early in
the afternoon and after celebrating
about three-quarters Of an hour, a
verdict of not guilty was rendered.
H. Burt Ware, of Salem, was counsel
for the defendant.
On Monday afternoon the case
against Samuel J. Dean, a guard at
the DUPONT works, for atrocious as
upon James C~rutchfeld, was moved
by Prosecutor Summerill. t. G. Hill
lizard represented Dean.
This case created considerable in
terest and was listened to with close
attention by all present from the fact
that the defendant made the state
ment boldly on the stand that he
would shoot any man who called him
q S.. He is a Southerner-
Prosecutor Summerill did a COM
mendable act in explaining to the
Court and jury the status of the
guards employed at the powder works.
Deans counsel, in showing his author
ity as an officer of the law, said the
defendant was a regular constituted
official of Upper Penns Neck with full
authority to make arrests in the
township.
To this Prosecutor Summerill took
exceptions. He said they were merely
sworn in to act as guards at the pow
der plant. That they were hired and
paid by the DUPONT Company and per-
formed no other service whatever in
the township. 1t was shown that these
guards are mostly fixed post men and
for any one of them to leave his post
without orders or permission to do
anv other police service would prob
abiv result in his dismissal.
Crutchfeld testified he was a team-
ster for M. P. Newton, at Carney
Point, and after he finished work on
AUGUST 2Sth, he went to Wilmington
and got under the influence of liquor.
On his return to Carney Point he stop
ped at the Plaza Cafe, opposite Plant
No. 2 gate of the DUPONT Company
and ordered something to eat. He did
not know Just what he did, but remem-
bared an old guard named James
wanted him to quiet down and go
home, but he refused until he had Sc
cured the meal. He got the waiter to
place the food in a paper bag, but IN
the meantime the old guard had left
the building. He vas about to leave
the building when Guard Dean ap-
peared on the scene with a revolver
in his hand. Dean came toward him
and told him to get out or he would
shoot, calling him a vile name. -
held my arms out at full length, with
the bag in n hand" said Crutch-
field, "and told him to shoot and be
damned, and he did shoot"
The bullet entered Crutchfield's left
breast Just below the heart and pass
ed entirely through his body. He
stripped and showed the jury the
scars, The bullet also struck another
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