Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1922-01-18
NEED No TRIAL
FOR LOCAL MAN
Only Aim of Alex SzeIer is
That He Escape the EIeC-
trio Chair
BEFORE JUSTICE BERGEN
Case is Reviewed and Sen
tence follows --KilIed His
Wife Here Dec. 26

NEW BRUNSWICK, Jan. 1S:--
Alexander Szeler, of Perth Amboy,
this morning entered a plea OF non
vult through his attorney, John
kirkpatrick, to an indictment
charging the murder of his wife. in
the county court before Justice
James J. Bergen this morning. The
plea was accepted and the man was
sentenced to spend the remainder of
his natural life in state prison at
hard labor.
Szeler, according 20 his confession
after he gave himself up to the po-
lice, murdered his wife on Decem-
Der 26 at their nome on Stockton
street, Perth Amboy. He placed her
body in the cellar. went to the home
of friends IN Keasbey and several
days later reported the matter to
the Perth Amboy police.
When the man was arraigned IN
couct this :,tornins he entered plea
of guilty tn ougE an interpreter, but
his attorney entered plea of non
vult, to first degree murder. When
the court through an interpreter in
formed the defendant what the non
vuit pie meant he declared that he
protested agains. -the~~efeetffvs scffofr:
immediately after the courts eX-
PLANTATION Of the plea the attorney
for the defendant ana Prosecutor Jo-
seph Il. Stricker reviewed the case
and the latter accepted the plea.
Prosecutor Stricler contended
that the ends of justice would be
met by the sentence meted out as
resul; of the plea. Attorney Kirk
patrick in going over the case told
the court that the couple had been
married TO. min years and that dur
ing this time they had lived IN
Cleveland, Bridgeport and Perth
Amboy.
The attorney for the defendant
continuet. that on last Christmas
day Szeley' purchased pint ana
half of whiskey which was partly
consumed on that day. Early the
next morning the man went out for
a paper and returned home to ina
his wife ST.. in bed. He called her
requesting that She get his break
fast and it is alleged that she arose
and started to curse and abuse MN
and that she also threw plates at
him. Attorney Knkpatrick further
alleges thai she took a butcher knlle
and chased him into an adJolnlng,
room where he grabbed her anu
choKed her.
the examining physician pointed
out that the choking was responsible
for :he killing. Sze,er, it is charged,
hit his wife on the head with the
blunt head of a hatchet after ne
had choktd her This, attorney
Kirkpatrick claims, did not con-
tribute to her death. The attorney
for the defense pointed out lha'
Szeler is net legally insane, but that
he injured his head by fall when
he w. six year. old, and as re
suit he was unable to talk for eight
years. A. times, l. is claimed. ne
rets dizzy from the effects of TINS
fall At the Close of this review Al
torney Kirkpatrick asserted that ne
felt the plea of non vult the pest
solution of the case.
Prosecutor Stricker's review OF the
case differed somewhat from that OF
Attorney Kirkpatrick inasmuch as
the murder occurred late in the art
ernoon or early in Ihe evening. The
state alleges that the knife referred
to by Attorney kirkpatrick was not
found during the Investigation anu
in the con. .ess:on OF Szeler the prose,
cutor referred t. the statement OF
the defendant that his Wife showed
signs of life after having been grap-
bed aroun.I the neck and as result
he nit her On the mead with the axe.
the prosecutor further asserted tha1
in anticip ation of an insanity plea
he had the man examined ana the
,epCrt of the physician was to the ell
feet that tie man IS sane.