Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1921-05-27
GRAND JURY INDICTS
PRESIDENTOFUNTON BANK
Five More Persons Involved in
New Findings by Jury Who
Adjourn Until June 18th
OTHER COURT CASES HEARD

Olr1ER HEhRO
The Cape May County Grand Jury met
again on Friday afternoon of last week
and returned ten more indictments in the
County Freebooter matter. Five new
persons are named in the indictments.
They are Capt. Frank P. Downs, presi-
dent of the Union Bank, Wildwood;
former County Collector C. W. Saul,
Latimer r. Baker, vice president of the
Wildwood Title and Trust Co.; Council.
man Ralph Whitley and Robert Ham.
mond, of Wildwood Crest. Mr.. Saul is
one of the directors of the Union Bank
at Wildwood.
This makes a total of sixty true bills
found, with thirty persons involved. The
new indictments are similar in nature to
the others. No. 80, involving County
Engineer Rice, Mr.. Baker, Councilman
Whitley, Mr.. Hammond and Cassidy &
Holman, is for conspiracy to cheat and
defraud the county of Cape May and the
case is over the Turtle Gut Inlet road,
where it connects Wildwood Crest and
Two Mile Beach, reaching deep water at
Cold Spring Inlet, where it is proposed to
have docks built to unload merchandise
from ships.
Mr.. Saul's name is on three indict-
ments, No. 81, containing the names of
Freeholders KOeneke, Camp, Hewitt and
Messrs. Saul and Capt. Downs, and is the
Union Bank interest matter brought out
in the investigators report. The investi-
gators charge that Mr.. Saul showed favor
itism to the Union Bank in placing the
large sum of 100000 in his bank and
claim it did not draw interest. At the
time the other banks had very little
county money. 1t is also charged that
the Union Bank had some of this money
on deposit in a New York bank drawing
a large rate of interest.
The defendants were called to plead
on Tuesday morning and all appeared in
court except Mr.. Hammond, who it is
said was i'll. All present plead not
guilty and bail was fixed by Judge Ed
redge as follows:
Latimer R. Baker, $4,000; bondsman,
Harry l.. Nickerson.
Ralph Whitley, $4,000; bondsman,
Harry L. Nickerson.
Charles W. Saul, $1,000; bondsman,
Thomas S. Coslin. Held as a material
witness.
Joseph Camp, $500; bondsman, Edwin
Foster.
Capt. Frank P. Downs, $4,000; bonds
man, John Taylor.
William Cassidy, $1,000; .bondsman,
Frank Cassidy.
Henry W. Townsend, $1,000; bonds.
man, Edward Bacon.
Messrs. Camp and Townsend we're held
over from last week as they were no
notified. Arthur Wilson named in n of
the indictments was not called, as the
prosecutor was uncertain as to whether
he was connected with the case.
In the Turtle Gut Inlet road case
Walter M. Holman, whose name was in
cluded in those indicted, was not called,
He plead guilty on two our last week
On Thursday last a %presentment OF the
findings and recommendations of the
Grand Jury was presented to the Court
and will be found printed in full on
page seven.
The Grand Jury has adjourned until
June 18th, at go A. M.
Just when and where the trials will be
held cannot be learned. The report that
they would start June second is absolutely
without foundation.
For many years it was the practice Of
the Cape May County Board of Freehold
ers to publish an annual statement in the
newspapers, giving an itemized account
of the receipts and expenditures for the
year. The law requires that this be done
but the board discontinued the practice
a few years ago, giving as a reason that
it was expensive. In view of subsequent
events there may have been another mo
tive in concealing an itemized report OF
all expenditures. The taxpayer is en-
titled to the information and any official
or disbursing officer who refuses to fur
nish such itemized report should be
watched. If the Board of Freebooter;
had complied with the law in this respect
the members might have avoided their
present predicament.