Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-05-02
LILLIAN TRIED
IN BOOZE CASE
Man Arrested at MetuChen on
Charge of Transporting
Liquor Faces Jury Today.
AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE
Alleged He Carried Concealed
Weapons--J Jury is Selected
to Try the Case.
AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE

NEW BRUNSWICK, May =
William Lillian, the alleged Eliza
beth bootlegger, arrested in Metuch-
en- On March on charge OF trans
porting liquor without "a permit. and
also ON a charge of carrying con-
cealed weapons, is being tried on
the latter violation in the county
court this morning. Senator Thomas
Brown represents the defendant,
and Prosecutor Joseph +. Stricken
is acting for the state in this case.
Lillian was recently fined $500 after
pleading guilty to the transporting
charge, in the federal court.
The jury picked to hear this case
is as follows: A. Beckho1f, Perth
Amboy; William Latham, New
Brunswick; Joseph w. Crane, Perth
Amboy; Joseph Gibbons, Perth AM
boy: Leon McElroy, Woodbridge;
Edward G. Rolfe, New Brunswick;
Calvin Hill, New Brunswick; Will
lam II. Hoy, Perth Amboy; Charles
II. Huston, New Brunswick and Ar
thur G. Seele, Perth Amboy.
The state is endeavoring to show
that the overcoat in which the re-
'vClver was found, was worn by the
defendant before he started to assist
John c. Bowers. proprietor of a
garage at Metuchen, in repairing a
punctured tire. The defendants
lawyer Will endeavor to show the
coat was in the drivers seat and
belonged to Lilliau's BROTHER. @
In presenting the case to the court
Prosecutor Stricken told of the pune
ture, and the defendant going to
Bowers garage on Main street to
have same repaired. The prosecutor
stated that Patrolman Smelzer of
the Metuchen police came along and
ssisted in raising the truck to allow
for the placing of a jack under same.
The suspicious of the officer were
attracted, the prosecutor pointed
out, when it was necessary to use a
five ton truck jack for this truck, a
one ton affair.
The prosecutor told the court that
the officer went for Chief Hutchin-
son, who after an investigation
placed the defendant under arrest.
The prosecutor told the court of
finding the truck loaded with booze,
and in regard to Chief Hutchinson
asking Lillian if he was armed. A
search of the bootlegger'sl person
followed, the prosecutor stated, and
a gun was found in the overcoat ly-
ing on the left mudguard of the
truck.
Chief Hutchinson told of the find
ing of the liquor and gun in the
overcoat. The revolver, with four
loaded cartridges and one empty
shell taken from the overcoat were
in evidence. The defendant claimed
the overcoat in which the gun was
found belonged to his brother. on
cross examination the witness claim
ed he did not know whether the de-
fendant wore the coat after being
arrested.
Officer Titus Smelzer told the
court of assisting in placing the jack
under the truck and of notifying
Chief Hutchinson. He was not sure
whether the defendant wore the
overcoat from which the revolver
was taken, after the arrest had been
made Recorder &. G. Weber told
the court that he arraigned the pris-
oner the morning after the arrest
and that he wore an overcoat at the
time, but did not know whether that
was the one in which the revolver
was found.
County Detective Ferd David took
the stand and told the court of ques-
tioning Lillian on Sunday morning
al out the coat. and claimed the de-
fendant told him the coat he was
wearing was the same one in which
the gun was found. The detective
stated the defendant claimed the
gun belonged to his cousin.
Lillian took the stand in his own
behalf and told the court the over
coat belonged to his brother. He
claimed he took the overcoat from
his tool box and laid it on the mud
guard when he was taking his tools
from the box. He admitted wearing
an overcoat. but not the one in
which the gun WAS found.