Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1921-03-15
TWO ARRESTED
At STURM PLACE
Held for Grand Jury on Charge
of Selling Liquor---BaiI is
Placed at $1,000.
WOMAN SURRENDERS
Mrs. Sturm Gives Herself Up
and is Also Held for the
Grand Jury.

Following the taking OF George
Washington knight. colored. the
confessed murderer of Mrs. Edith
Wilson. to New Brunswick, a raid
ing party headed by the chairman
of the police committee. Alderman
John +. Sofield and Chief Niels j.
Tonnesen, visited the store of Mrs.
Sarah Sturm at the corner of State
and Commerce streets. where VIII
liam Brencha, twenty eight. a bar
tender, residing over the store and
L. klotz. twenty-five. no occupation.
also living over the store, a brother
of the owner. were arrested on
charge of violating the excise law. A
quantity of gin and other liquor was
taken as evidence by the raiding
party. Mrs. Sturm. who was identi-
fed this morning as the woman who
served the gin to the negroes on Sat-
urday night. was later charged with
violating the state law. and paroled
in the custody of her counsel. Harry
s. Medinets.
After Brencha and Klotz had been
taken to police headquarters, the two
men were ordered to furnish $1,000
bail each to await the action of the
grand jury. and this was Immediately
furnished. Acting Recorder Stephen
F. Somogyi fixed the bail in this
case. In court this morning. Bren-
cha was held in 200 bail as a ma
terial witness for the state In case
against Harry Fredericks. Newark:
Charles Sheppard. Gordon street.
and Carl Johanson. Meade street.
who are charged with conspiracy.
According to the story told by
Acting Detective Michael Muska in
court this morning, he entered the
store of Mrs. Sturm at the corner
of Commerce and State streets be-
tween and 3 O'Clock Sunday morn
ing, March s.. and overheard a con-
versation between three men, said
to be Fredericks, Sheppard and
Johansen. in the side room of the
Sturm store. The detective stated
that Fredericks, known to him as
Jersey" talked of a plan to call
the bartender in with a drink, for
one of the other two men to stand
behind the door with a bottle, and
as he entered to hit him over the
head with same, so that they could
take his money, it being claimed
that he carried around $1,000 with
him.
Sheppard was in court represent
ed by David Wilentz, while Frede-
ricks was represented by Thomas
Christopher. Johansen was not in
court. Detective Muska, in telling
his story, stated that after hearing
this story he told the bartender to
go upstairs and get his gun before
entering the room. Fredericks came
out of the side room and Officer
Muska held the three men up, but
the bartender or handy man refused
to call the police for help, and there
was a possibility of five against one
if the detective attempted to take
the men out alone, Detective Muska
stated. Although both lawyers
moved for dismissal of the charges
against their clients, Sheppard's bail
was fixed at $500, and Fredericks'
at $4,000.
Brencha. the bartender, who a
short time ago came to headquar-
ters and voluntarily signed a COM
plant against the man, refused to
appear in court against the man at
a later date. A short time afterward
he requested the complaint be dis
missed. After defendants had been
held in bail, Recorder Pickersgill
stated after granting Counselor Med
inet's premission to have the barten-
der paroled in his custody, that the
man would either appear in court
tonight ard furnish the $1,000 bail
as a state witness or he would be
arrested and held in $1,000 bail.
Store Raided.
The raiding party consisting of
Alderman Sofield, Chief Tonnesen.
Captain Lawrence A. Long. Lieuten-
ants Huff and Muska, Chauffeur
Emil Koyen and Motorcycle Officer
Frank SeibOth. went to the Sturm
store shortly after 5 o'clock last
night, took some of the liquor in the
establishment as evidence. and ar
rested the bartender and brother
of the owners. Mrs. Sturm, who IL
is said. was in Newark at the time
of the raid. appeared in court this
morning, and was turned over to the
police by Counselor Medinets. She
was later taken into court on a
charge of violating the state law.
The woman was paroled in her
counsers custody until wanted.