The Penn's Grove record., 1919-10-03
Busy Session Of Court
Mayor Fishers Case Continued.
Witnesses Cannot Be Found

There has been a lot of trouble at
this term of Court in getting criminal
cases moved This has been occasioned
for mainly one reason, the inability to
get material witnesses. Most of the
cases have come from Upper Penns
Neck and Penns Grove and as some of
these witnesses left the powder plant
after the armistice was signed it seems
impossible to locate them.
Three cases set down for Monday
were those against Isaac Stetser, Frank
Burton and Frank f. Wilkinson for the
Illegal sale of cider. These defendants
are represented by Attorneys ]. f. Sin
nickson, T.. G. Hilliard and Henry Burt
Ware. The attorneys stated to the
Court hat they have carefully exam
ined the statutes and there is grave
doubt whether the selling of cider is
an indictable ~offense.
Prosecutor Summeril1 intended to
move the case hanging over from the
last term against Edward P. Griffith,
of Penns Grove, a one time detective
for the County, for accepting graft to
suppress crime, but Griffith's attorney,
James Mercer Davis, filed an affidavit
that Charles Hendricks, a material wit
ness and ONE without whom he could
not go to trial, was now on board a
boat enroute to Rotterdam, but upon
his return to the States efforts will be
made to get him to come to Salem
County.
Mrs Nellie Wygand, of Penns Grove,
was acquitted of a charge Of assault
and bettery on Mrs. Bertha Snedaker.
Philip Heilman, who beat up the
Penns Grove police force and was
otherwise disorderly retracted his plea
of not guilty and pleaded non vult. He
was sentenced to the road camp for six
months and to pay a fine of $50.
In the Naturalization Court on Fri
day among those granted papers were
Henry Karchmer, Russian, Guiseppi
Zell, Italian; Joseph Schafran, Russian;
Stomatios G.. Batchis, Greek; Rudolph
G. Rickles, Russian; Canuto Clemente,
Italian; F. De Berardinis, Italian, all of
Penns Grove; Mark Olsen, Russian, U.
P. Neck; Adam Knowles, English,
Woodstown; Arthur Kemp, English,
Carneys Point.
Although listed to come UP for trial
on Wednesday the case against former
Mayor J. Albert Fisher. of Penns Grove,
on the charge of graft, was postponed
because of the inability to secure ma
terial witnesses for the State.
In July MI. Fisher resigned as Mayor
of Penns Grove to take a position at
White Hall, S. c., and is now living
there. He has declared his willingness
to return at any time the State desires,
that he may be v~indicated of the
charge.
Efforts were made last week by I'm
der Sheriff Brown to get some of the
States witnesses, but it was found by
the officer that all but two of them
have left for parts unknown. An
nouncement was then made by Prose-
cutor Summerill that the trial would
have to be postponed.
Ida Dichter. Mike Howcher and Isa-
dore Wasaalenski were all found guilty
of the illegal sale of liquor. They will
be sentenced today.
Tuesday morning the case of the
State VS.. Roy Roberts, of Penns Grove,
for larceny was moved and the defen-
liant found guilty.
1t was shown that Roberts gave a
Mr.. Phillips a note in part payment for
an automobile, but when the paper
came due he did not meet the obligation
so Judgment vas secured and a levy
made on the car by Constable Harbeson
of Penns Grove; that Roberts ac-
knowledged service and was warned by
the officer not to remove the car with
out his permission. The testimony was
that later Roberts took the a away
and sold it. and to date has not paid
Mr.. Phillips the amount due him. 1t
was further declared hat Roberts said
he would never pay.
1t was the contention of the defend
ant that Constable Harbeson said he
could take the car out and if possible
dispose of it so as to pay Mr.. Phillips.