Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-06-17
HEAR STATE
AT TRIAL Of
Local Officer on Trial for High
way Robbery in HoId-Up of
John M0ritk0---Court Filled

John M0ritk0---C0urt Filled
| NEW BRUNSWICK, June 17-Wil-
liam 1 Hartmann, the Perth Amboy
| detective. arrested in March charged
with highway robbery in the hold-up
OF John Moritko. a Perth Amboy sa-
! loon keeper. was placed on trial be-
fore Judge Peter +. DAILY and a struck
jury here this morning. The court
room was well filled with Perth AM
boyans interested in the case and sew
eral members of the police depart
ment, subpoenaed as witnesses.
| Ten challenges were made In the
| selecting of the jury, the state, repre-
sented by Prosecutor Joseph +. Strick-
er and the defense represented by
Senator Thomas Brown, each making
five objections to jurors selected to
hear the case. The jury as finally Sc
lected consisted of six New Bruns-
wick men. three Perth Amboyans. two
from South Amboy and one from
Highland Park.
Those selected for the jury were:
Joseph McDermott, of New Bruins
wick; Peter Tonneson, New Bruins
wick; John Ludwig. New Brunswick;
j. Mccormick, Jr., Perth Amboy;
William Denton. New Brunswick: j.
d. VanPelt. South Amboy; p. ].
Cooney South Amboy; Chris Nielsen,
Perth Amboy; Thomas ]. Pepitone,
Highland Park; John 4. Bradley,
New Brunswick; James A. Maher,
New Brunswick.
Mayor Frank Dorsey, Alderman
Benjamin Riedy, Alderman Christian
Anderson. Chief of Police z. ].
Burke. Sergeant James Mulligan and
Detective Sergeant Lawrence A, Long
were among those subpoenaed from
Perth Amboy.
In placing the states case before
the jury Prosecutor Stricken told of
Hartmann's planning the holdup in
the Hotel Cunningham with the idea
of getting Moritko out of the way in
order that three barrels of liquor
might be stolen. The holdup of Nor
itko and his being taken from the
city by Joseph Brombert. already
found guilty by a jury, were describ-
ed by the prosecutor. Upon Brom-
bert's return, the prosecutor said.
the spoils were divided among Hart
mann, Andrew Gadek and Stephen
Vereb, the three men arrested with
Brombert.
Moritko was the first witness
placed on the stand. he telling the
same identical story which he had
told at the trials of Brombert and
Gadek. both OF whom were found
guilty.
Moritko was examined at length by
Senator Brown regarding the cesti-
mony given by him at Brombert's
trial. The witness stated that upon
his being released by Brombert fol-
lowing his forced automobile ride o
Rogan's Corner and back. he had
taken the police officers to the Lehigh
Valley bridge In State street. instead
of to Barracks street as he thought
the three men, Hartmann. Vereb and
Gadek would be there In reply to
questions asked the witness by Judge
DAILY, Moritko claimed he could not
recognize the men in the party as they
all had handkerchiefs over their faces.
Brombert was the next witness
called. He declared he had known
Hartmann for two years and that he
(Brombert had been sent to Railway
reformatory about three years ago for
stealing automobile tires. The prose-
cutor tried to show that the arrest
OF Brombert was made by Hartmann
and since that time they had been
good friends.
Brombert testified that the four
men had planned to carry out the
robbery on Sunday night, March 29,
but 1t had been postponed upon ad
vice of Hartmann and Gadek until
Monday night owing to the heavy
Sunday night traffic. The witness de
clared Hartmann gave him a gun
and badge and told him how to con-
duct the holdup of Moritko, the de-
tective being about five feet behind
Brombert when the holdup was car
Iried out. All of the men had hand
kerchiefs over their faces, according
to Brombert. He told of taking Nor
itko to Fords and finding $40 in his
pocket when he had allowed the sa-
loonkeeper to go. The other three
men demanded that he split this
amount with them, the witness said,
when they met the following day,
and this he did. giving each IS.
During the cross examination put
to him by Senator Brown, Brombert
was asked why he had claimed to be
alone in his original testimony and
now said the other men were with
him in the holdup. Brombert de
clared he was trying to shield the
others at first but was now telling
the truth as he thought the others
should share the blame with him.
He denied that any promises had
been made to him by the state which
would result in his changing his evil
dence.
Charles Kubavch, brother-in-law
of Moritko, testified TO finding his
barn doors open on the morning fol-
lowing the holdup and his three bar
rels of vinegar in his wagon.
Patrolman William Bachman and
Patrolman Charles Jorgenson both
testified to have hunted about Smith,
Oak and Prospect streets in a taxi
cab for Gadek, they finally finding
him on Oak street near New Bruins
wick avenue. Neither officer report
ed his findings at headquarters.
Bachman claiming he thought other
officers would report the incident
while Jorgenson said it was not on
his beat.
Chief Patrick j. Burke identified
Hartmann's badge while on the
stand. Mayor Frank Dorsey. as a
said that both Brombert's
and Gadek's statements had been
read TO Hartmann but the detective
refused to say anything as to wheth-
er or not they were true. Prosecutor
Stricken took the stand and told of
the statements of Brombert and
Gadek being read to Hartmann.
The state had not completed its
case when the court adjourned at