Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1921-10-14
JURY ACQUITS TWO FREEHOLDERS
AND FIND TWO GUILTY
The Director of the Board and the Engineer Convicted Of
Malfeasance in the Wildwood Crest Road Case

After celebrating nearly seven
hours the jury in the case of three
Freeholders and the engineer en-
ployed by the Board of Freeholders
charged with malfeasance in office in
allowing a contractor, it is alleged, to
"skimp'' on road material, returned a
verdict at about ten o'clock on Friday
night, October 7, 1921, acquitting two
of the defendants and finding the other
two guilty.
Hope Candy, of Tuckahoe, and Otto
Koeneke, of Wildwood, were acquitted.
Leaning M. Rice, of Wildwood, engi-
neer of Cape May County, and Joseph
Camp, director of the board, of Middle
Township, we're found guilty.
Shortly before the verdict was an
nounced Judge Eldredge informed the
jurors that unless they reached a YER
dict soon he would lock them up for
the night. Five minutes later the jury
returned and announced a conclusion
had been reached. The jury went out
at $50 o'clock last Friday afternoon.
In asking for a conviction, Attorney
General Newcorn said: "You jurymen
have known the defendants since boy
hood in many cases. 1t has been ru-
mored that you will not convict no
matter what the evidence is that is
placed before you. If such is the case
then anarchy and chaos will o o be
reigning throughout Cape May
County"
The first witness called by the de-
tense this morning was Rice, who
under direct examination denied that
he obtained a cut from the contractors
on the work. He also denied the
charge that the material used in the
construction work in the laying of the
concrete roadway on Mechanic street
did not come up to the specifications.
Rice made a complete denial of all the
charges and said the work on the road
was better than was expected. He was
subjected to a hot cross-examination,
but did not waiver in his testimony.
When Camp was testifying he said
that he knew nothing about any slight
luS VI IN WI Ny bhO SOhIA oObOAo IL
relied upon Rice, the engineer, for in
formation as to whether the contrac-
tor was complying with the specifca-
tions. Candy and Koeneke gave SINH
lar testimony. Candy said he ordered
the bills of the contractor paid on the
recommendations of Rice.
Joseph Costello, a road foreman en-
ployed by the contractor, testified that
all the material used in the construc-
ton of the roads was Of the materials
called for and that no skimping of the
material was done.
Case Summed Up for Defense
A large crowd attended the opening
of court. Robert McCarter, formerly
Attorney General, who is of counsel
for the Freeholders, in addressing the
jury, touched on the evidence of Rob-
ert Warwick, one of the witnesses for
the state. MI. -McCarter said:
SIN reference to the testimony of
Mr.. Warwick on the stand, I am not
going to enter into any pro and o
argument, but you have heard the tes-
timony of Mr.. Warwick, and I believe
Camp was telling the truth, and be-
tween the two men 1 believe Camp"
Two witnesses favorable to the de-
Tense were Jay c.. Remington, Jr., of
Haddonfield, N. j., and Charles Weise,
a concrete expert of New York. Both
witnesses testified that the concrete
used on the road was of high grade
material and from their inspection of
the roads the work had been carried
out to a letter as the specifications
called for. Then followed several
character witnesses.
The summing up by both sides con-
sumed one hour, when Judge Eldredge
charged the jury. Then the jury re-
tired.-Public Ledger.
-O-