Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-05-10
.2F|NED $500
IN BOOZE CASE
First Heavy Sentence in
MiddleSex Under New Ho-
bart Law
a CASES OF BOOZE GONE
Claim in Court Judge DAILY
Questions Officers and
then, Orders Chief Report
a CASES OF BOOZE GONE

NEW BRUNSWICK. May TO-
William Bessler and William Hun-
ter, New York bOotleggers. convict
ed yesterday fot possessing and
transporting liquor in Perth Am
boy. were given the limit by Judge
DAILY in the county court this morn.
ing, a fine of $500 each. and they
were committed to the county jail
until the fines are paid.
Attorney Richardson made a plea
Tor leniency on behalf of the men.
irasmuch as they are married and
Lave families. Hunter. he said. has
a good reputation. and Bessler was
only convicted once before. for an
election violation in New York
The court pointed out that If fhe
two men had frankly admitted their
guilt, 1eniency would have been con-
sidercd. The judge said:
In NY judgment you added to-
the gravity of the offense by PEI
Juring yourself and this has been
tie most outrageous perjury case /
ever saw" He said further: II am
very sorry the good mea of the jury
were kept out until SIS o'clock. bur
their determination was to fsa-i&e.
| tice DONE,
The court said that it was too bad
the statute limited him 10 a fine ot
$500 each.
The plea interposed by these men.
as spoken of by the court as jus.i-
fable only from insane people.
During the course of the trial OF
William Bessler and William Hum
ter in the county court yesterday on
a charge OF possessing and trans
porting liquor in violation of the
Hobass law, Judge Peter +. DAILY
questioned Officer Aaron F'ranzblau
OF the Perth Amboy police force
regarding the fact that thirty-seyen
cases of liquor were reported seized
from these men and olly thirty
three cases were brought To this
city
Officer Franzblau could not .eA-
plain the reason for this, and the
court requested that the Perth AM
boy police chief be asked to make
a report on the matter. BesslA ana
Hunter were convicted of the in
dictment against them after the JURY
had deliberated on the case for
about five hours
The case Of the state was mcst
complete, while the defense was the
most fiimsy ever heard in the county
court. Officers Franzblau and Chris
topherson of the Perth Amboy
force. and County Detective William
Fitzpatrick told of the arrest and
the transporting Of the liquor &c
this city, in convincing manner
The defense tried TO shcx that the
men were nlnOceat Of any wrong do
ing or knowledge in connection with
transportation or possession of hq-
uor.
Hunter maintained that he had
been employed by a stranger in
New York whom he met at the cor
ner of Third avenue and Fourteenth
street. and was told TO so down 10
Keyport or Matawan TO drive a
Il uck. He insisted that he left New
York by taking the 42nd street ferry
to Jersey City and then took Jer-
sey Central train to Keyport.
This defendant claims he lives
in Freeport. L. l.. and at one time
gave the man who employed him
the name Walters. He said he came
into conversation with this man ny
assisting in fixing a tire. and the
man offered him the Job in Mata-
wan or keyport. He told of going
TO the Matawan station where he
ing in the trucking business
The defendant was given a truck
to drive and told TO go 20 the lunch
wagon of Billy the Kid in Railway
where he would meet a man named
Gallagher. who would paw him SIS
for his nights work. The witnesses
for the state, County Detective Fitx-
patrick and the pstrolmen detailed
&c investigate the case, informed the
court that the story told in court
by the man entirely eontradicted
the story told by them after then
arrest. Bessler told the same story
as Hunter, and admitted having been
convicted in New York for Illegal
election practice.
Judge Daily in charging the jury
said that 1--WE are not concerned here
as TO the wisdom of this legislation.
some of us may be against 1t. but Ne
are bound by our oath REGARDLESS Of
what our opinions are, ana we must
see that the law is enforced
The jury went out at 3s0 O'Clock
and returned at Ss30 O'Clock. I-u~
der this law the court must order
disposal OF the liquor or turn 1zuIe
over to the state board OF he4I<h-
Judge DAILY intinated that be uon1
lhave same turned over to the h1aD{-
tails OF the county for medfcIu4I
purposes - soon as an analysis -
been ma1o-
The truck In which the liquor -
being carried win be up for dI1porf-
tion fonorrow. Il il understood th1&
the owner Is making an effort -
have same returned 70 him inaxuarA
as he rented i cut for Ies:tlnase
\ ..4.44