Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-03-25


Patrick j. Burke, Aldermen Christian
Anderson and Benjamin A. Riedy
were in Prosecutors StriCker's office
and the local police were instructed
to make certain arrests and bring the
accused to the prosecutors office to
testify
Owing to the fact that Alderman
William G. Wilson, chairman of the
police committee. and Alderman AL
bert q. Waters another member of
the committee, are on foxhunting
trip at Toms River, having left yes
terday afternoon. they We're not pres
ent at the inquiry held last night in
the prosecutors Office from shortly
after 0 o'clock until after midnight
The case centers itself around the
hold-up on Monday night of John
Moritko, of 726 State street, his be-
ing taken somewhere between Fords
and New Brunswick by q masked
man and robbed and the disappear
ance of a horse and wagon, belong
ing to Moritko. said to have contain
ed three barrels of either Wbiskey or
vinegar the authorities have not
been able to discover which. When
the account of this holdup became
public ON Tuesday morning it was
said that the holdup occurred under
the Lehigh Valley bridge in State
street and that seven masked men
/ had accomplished It. Details were
Blocking.
The story, as gathered from state,
ments made by the prosecutor from
evidence secured in the case, starts
with Detective Hartmann going TO
Gadek and stating that If he (Gadek)
knew where they could get some
VIII skey he (Hartmann) knew where
they could sell 1t. Gadek is said to
have told Hartmann that he knew OF
such a place and he two are then
reported TO have gone to the saloon
of David Wolfson at the corner OF
Fayette and Prospect streets.
The story is a most complicated one
and many versions of the transactions
involved have come to light making
| it difficult to explain the move
ments of the men implicated.
Although the police committee OF
the Board Of Aldermen and Chief
Burke held a conference yesterday
morning to discuss bringing the mat
ter to light, no definite action was
taken as the result of this meeting
] Prosecutor Stricken yesterday morn
/ ing received a Tip" that everything
was not as it should be in this city
and started an investigation. Yes
/ terday afternoon Mayor Dorsey
quite by accident. received some in
formation, which led him to investi-
gate further into the matter. He
followed the matter up, so that wher
he and the prosecutor got together
last night the mayor had gathered
! suffic, ,ent evidence to make immediate
arrests possible.
At the saloon, the story goes, Hart
mann and Gadek met three men, VIII
proved to be the buyers" and ar
known to the police only as San
Morris and Able. The matter Of buy
ing some liquor was talked over.
is saidh and a deal was finally consu
imated whereby Hartmann and Gadel
ishould arrange with John Moritk'
J (the man who was held up on Mon
day night) to furnish the buyers witt
three barrels of Whiskey.
After this meeting in the saloo1
|anothcr combination Is said 10 hav'
been formed which consisted Of Detec
tive Hartmann, Iadek. Verebr ant
Brown. They made a coup ant
planned to steal the whislley from
Moritko. It is charged. instead of buy
ing it from him and then sell the thre
Ibarrels to the three buyers for $1,00
a barrel. The So 900 derived from III
sale, 1t IS claimed, was then to be di
vided between the four men.
The plans were made so that tn
whiskey could be delivered on Sunda.
night, 1t is said but owing 30 tn
heavy traffic Il was decided to post
ipone action until Monday night. On
Monday Moritko is said to have calle'
up Gadek and claimed that evelythinI
was all right for the conSImatio
OF the deal and Gadek in turn get
in touch with "Sam" to give him tn
same information.
On Monday night about II o'cloc
Sam goes to Moritko's place in QUITE
state street the story goes, and pay
him $50 as a deposit on the purchase
which was to be followed by the pay
ment OF the remainder upon the de