Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-03-24
Keyport Officer Testifies.

keyport Officer Testifies.
Asbury Mount, the Keyport Off
Ger who made the arrest, stated that
he went to Cliffwood with Hauser,
and to the brickyard where the con-
ductor identified the man. The Of
ficer identified the clothes worn by
the man. Mount stated that the
negro was arrested about 1880
/ o'clock Monday morning. On cross
examination Mount told the court
/ into custoGV iu congestion with the
/ breaking OF some trolley car win
/ dows in Perth Amboy, and that he
| told the negro TO come to Perth Am
/ boy to have the matter Strengthened
| out. The officer stated the negro
readily went. but was shaken and
| nervous.
Joe. Harris, colored. of Cliffwood,
| boarding boss of the defendants,
| testified to loaning Knight a pair
| of his trousers after the latter re-
turned from Perth Amboy on the
| Saturday night in question. This con-
/ cluded the states case.
The defense admitted that knight
came to Perth Amboy on the night
| Of March -, and went to a saloon
with several other men, where they
remained drinking for some time.
| The defense claimed four pints of
gin had been purchased and of this
number, Knight drank either two or
three.
knight, the defense claimed. went
down the street, and made grab at
| somebody. man, woman or child,
and that the liquor made him so
| vicious that he could commit an act
and then forget about it. The de-
fease contended that it was a dark
and stormy night and that the wo-
man died of fright before the ne
| gre laid his hands on her.
Knight Takes Stand.
| In regard to the confession, the
| defense claimed a man of this type
| would do anything asked, especially
when drunk. knight was placed on
the stand. He was garbed in loose
| fitting dark clothes and a striped
| shirt open at the neck. He answer
! ed questions readily regarding his
early life, telling the court that he
was born in Newport News. Va,
where his mother still lives. He told
the court that his father is dead,
| and that he left home in 1914.
| The defendant told of coming
| North and working in Derby, Conn.
| and later for the New York and
New Jersey Steamboat company.
| running between New York and Key
port. Still later, Knight claims he
drove a truck in New York and
five months ago came to Cliffwood
| The defendant emphatically denied
being in the army, although he was
in France during the war on a ship,
| the Caledonia, on which he was
/ working.
| The negro told of coming to Perth
| AmbOy on March u and going to a
saloon. He told of purchasing gin
(which was good after it got down, -
and stated that he drank about one
and a half pints of the four pints
| purchased.
Says He Grabbed Woman
| The defendant told the court that
he grabbed somebody. but did not
know whether it was woman, and
did not know what direction he had
walked. In reply TO questions by his
lawyer, the negro claimed that the
police officers told him all about the
case after he was arrested. He stat
ed that Oficer Mount told him ne
was wanted in Perth Amboy for
breaking trolley windows. When the
| officers told him about the crime,
showed the blood on his clothing,
he thought they were fooling him.
Knight claimed.
The witness claimed there were
about fifteen men in the room exam
ining him. and he got afraid and
thought 1t best 10 answer yes" to
every question. He claimed that
one officer came into the room with
n blackjack in his hand. and after
this made up his mind to answer
yes" to every question. The negro
admitted signing George Washing
ton one confession and George
Washington Knight to the other,
also one in Jail. He stated he was
unable to read.
The defendants attorney also
questioned him in regard to his ar
irving in town on that night, and
questioned him up to the time he
grabbed someone. In his confession
the negro admitted he grabbed a
woman, and inasmueh as he had
the jewelry It could not have been
a man he grabbed. He claimed he
did not know about the jewelry un-
til the next morning.
= = ~ - 4.