Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-07-19
WILMINGTON CASE
IS DISMISSED
Had Hearing Today on Charge
Growing Out Of Trapping
Motorists.

Declaring that County Constable
George Wilmington was merely fol
ing ont orders Of his Supporters. when
on July . he halted n number of motor
lists near st. Georges. and arraigned
them before Squire NinCente. of that
place. but terining' the practice ot
"trapplng' motorists ms s~candalous'
Judge Hastings In city Court this
morning dismissed the officer who was
before him on a charge OF
extortiou,
The charge against Constable Whit
tingtcn was preferred by George NJ.
Pierce n local real estate ngcnt. AC-
cording To Mr.. Pierce, or the morning
nf July . he was halted at tlarks
Corner, Just outside of ST. Georges. 10y
lCnnstahlc Campbell and arrested On
a charge of speeding. They were I'M
mediatoly Joined by Wilmington ana
taken tu the bank building I'm st
Georges. where Squire Nincente, the
local magistrate. was sitting.
Then he claims, after n brief dis
c,issIou in which nc was not properly
arraigncd or heard, he was told by the
! uf1tluAnN int' n' Nbhih W
on paVment of one half the costs. or
50. Seeing nO alternative, but vnicine
protests. he paid the amount. Whit
Itingtuu gave him "A receipt for tho
amount after the magistrate had re-
fused to do 90. Wilmington told him
he said. that he. Wilmington. must
make IA living in some way. Leaving
he told the constable that he woulI
take the matter To the courts.
Judge Hastings stated that he dc
not think the defendant could be hel'
for extortiOn. The man had merely
acted On the orders of the Iovy Court
Il think the practice of allowinf
motorists to run freely through Ger
tain districts for long periods an
then TO suddenly establish traps there
is perfectly scandalous." h sail.
Concerning the regularity Of Nj
pierce's trial the court stated that Ger
, tain irregularities must lac expected II
a court where only one or two case
p are heard monthly, and II felt no In
Clination TO convict n man ON techni
I Calitics.
: Philip l.. Garrett. acting for III
state. at the request OF Assistant CIT
solicitor Green. maintained tina
though the defendant had beer actin
A under torders. the amount he charge
as costs was Illegal.
Wilmington was called 10 n stan
10 give a statement of expenses !
the case. The officer said that his mil,
: age In the case. including his trip frol
Wilmington. amounted to Sl.40. Wi
nesses $50. the equire's service
S1.30, his fees as constable and fC
serving the warrant 81. These item
he showed totaled $500. lie had M
agreed TO let Mr.. Pierce off at ha
Z rates. he said. but had merely tric
to keep amount under the actual sun
Under Mr.. CARROTS attack, III
court agreed that the defendant coul
not charge Mr.. Pierce'for mileage frol
Wilmington to the scene Of the al
rest. nor could he charge for servin
the warrant. as he admitted 1t wac n,
sworn to TIL after the costs were co
: lected. The state also contended tn;
as the officer received a wage for II
county he could not exact fees for wi
Messing in it's behalf, thus leaving Il
actual costs of the a amounting
Sl.33.
At this point the court stated tn.
it could not hold the defendant on Il
II charges and announced the dismisei