The Penn's Grove record., 1920-02-27
PAGE SIX
Opinions on The Prosecutorship

The Salem Sunbeam, February 20th,
had the following to say in regards to
Salem County Prosecutorship:
The most important vacancy that Will
occur is that of County Prosecutor. The
five year term of Daniel V. Summerlll,
Jr, ends this year. Mr.. m Is d
candidate to succeed himself. He is OPP
posed by d. Websteq Beckley, of Mon
roeville who is a prominent Democrat
and a party worker. Mr.. Beckley has
been practicing his profession at Wood
bury and also served a time as prose-
cutor of Gloucester county. The vote
on these two men was very close. Both
names will be presented to the Cover
nor.
In putting in his claim for reap
pointment, Prosecutor Summerill calls
attention to the fact that his was the
most strenuous term in the history OF the
county. Certainly the greatest volume
of criminal business passed thru the
office during his term for it embraces
all of the time that Carneys POINT ana
Penns Grove werd booming on account
of war work. The population was
greatly increased during his term by
men who came to work in the ouPont
plant and many were of a disorderly
character. There was also a great IN
rIx of other undesirables both male
and females. The speakeasy and dis
orderly house iourished in Penns Grove
as well as in the two townships. Ihe
foreign clement helped to swell the
criminal cases and at times the county
iail was overcrowded with men ana
women waiting for trial while the Road
Camp had to be enlarged several times
IT is doubtful if there ever was a time
in the criminal history of the county
vhent there were so many cases HANDLED
by the Grand Juries. The list took In
every crime on the calendar. The sup
preston Of the Illegal sale or intoNl-
cants was a job in itself and there were
numerous homicides. AS a result there
were never go many men from Salen
county serving time in State prison as
there is now. All OF this work passed
through the hands Of Prosecutor Sum-
merrill.
The man who gets the appointment
for the next five years will have a COM
paratively easy job especially II the
eighteenth amendment holds good
The Woodstown Monitor-Register
says:
$50 far as immediate changes go in
the officials of this county the Demo
cratic County Committee, at a meeting
in Salem last week. decided to name
D. Webster Beckley, a nominal resident
of Salem County, because he happen
to reside at Monroeville, to fill the posi-
ton of Prosecutor of the Pleas, in place
of D. V. Summerill. The fight for the
position has been quite animated. and
many are wondering why they go out
of the county practically to find a man
for Prosecutor. Mr.. Beckley is really a
resident of Gloucester county to all IN
tents and purposes. He has served as
Prosecutor of Gloucester county and is
now a member of the Gloucester County
Bar. with offices at Woodbury., and has
more practice in Gloucester county than
in Salem. What's the matter with Mr..
Summerill What is the matter with
f. Newlin Acton Both Salem county
men. Is his to be the method of nam
ing the county Judge 1t was stated
soon after the election of Governor Ed
wards that Judge Washington would
be r~e-appointed, but Notwithstanding
his, whispers have been heard in GER
tain quarters that he is marked Tor
decapitation along with Prosecutor
Summerill. and now that the latter is TO
be displaced gives color to the other
side of the story. We shall see when
the time comes"