Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1920-08-03

NEW BRUNSWICK, Aug. 3.-The
states side of the case in the $4,000
platinum robbery from the Roessler
& Hasslacher Chemical company last
December was completed yesterday
afternoon, and the defense started
this morning with Frank Jersey, one
of the defendants, testifying from
1915 until 1900 after Counselor
Brown asked the court for acquittal
on the ground that the evidence was
not strong enough to convict the
men.
Judge DAILY intimated that the
court in charging the jury would set
the time of the robbery between
Saturday noon and Monday morning.
Ernest Tonghini was on the stand
when recess was taken until 2
O'Clock this afternoon, and from
present appearances the case will ex-
tend over until tomorrow or into the
night. Louis Tonghini was called be-
fore his brother. and will return to
the stand later in the day to COR
rebate statements made by his
brother. Both Jersey and Ernest
Tonghini entered complete denials to
charges of breaking and entering the
Roessler & Hasslacher plant
Sol Cutler, a druggist of Perth
Amboy. was put on the stand and
told OF meeting Kronin last July.
being introduced by Jersey The
witness informed the court that he
later met Kronin in Brooklyn and IN
Staten Island. Kronin was to let
him have some whfskey samples
and they were planning to put
through liquor transaction but il
never materialized, the witness
Louis Tonghini. a brother Of
Ernest. one of the defendants in
this action. was placed on the stand.
The witness told that he is twenty
six years of age and has lived in
Perth Amboy for nineteen years.
Tonghini told of attending the Perth
Amboy schools and of working for
the chemical company from Novem-
Der II, 1913. to August Is. 1917. He
denied giving any information re-
earding the outlay of the plant or
the vaults to his brother or Jersey,
and claimed that they did not ask
for any. Counselor Brown inssmat-
ed that this witness would be
brought back to the stand to cor
roborate statements made by his
brother.
Ernest Tonghini was called to the
stand, and gave his age as twenty
four, and although his occupation
was given as dock builder, since his
release from the army he has been
interested in the booze business, sell
ing whiskey and cleaning beer pipes
has known Jersey for about two and
a half years. and admitted having
met Kronin three or four times, his
dealings relating only TO whiskey.
The witness denied ever being in
Brooklyn, and denied any connection
with the R.. & H. robbery, tools, ar
rangements or anything at all. He
admitted getting customers Tor
The defendant stated the
story of their connection with the
r. & H. case is big lie.
Like Jersey, he told how he spent
the Saturday, Sunday and Monday
around the time of the robbery. He
stated that on Saturday night he
went TO dance in Pulaski hall with
Herman Schwartz, and took his girl,
Sophie McCloskey, home about
midnight, and then he went directly
home. His brother. Frank, the
Perth Amboy patrolman. saw him
going into the house and told him
TO leave the door open for another
brother who was still out. Ernest
claimed. He claims to have slept
until noon Sunday and then spend
ing Sunday afternoon in the Har-
mony Club, coming home for sup
per, and then meeting his girl at the
corner of Prospect and Market
streets about s O'Clock and spending
the night at her home and going
home about midnight. Throughout
his testimony the witness has been /