Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-04-09


The trial of Homer w. Ripley, pro-
prietor of the Woodbridge Hotel,
charged with manslaugbter in the
death of George Benyak on outer
State street, Perth Amboy. on the
night of January %, commenced this
morning before Judge John Kirk
patrick and Jury.
County Solicitor Frederick s.
Richardson reI resents the defendant
and Assistant Prosecutor John Z.
Toolan the state.
In opening the states case, Assist
ant Prosecutor Toolan told the jury
the etate expected to show that Rip
ley had been drinking heavily at his
own hotel on the day Benyak was
killed by a speeding automobile ne9r
the American Smelling and Refining
Company's plant. Ripley, according
to the states case. went to Perth
Amboy about 8 o'clock that night,
accompanied by Thos. Cattano. The
two ment went to the Ferry hotel
according to the prosecutor, where
! they had some drinks. Realizing
that Ripley was not in a fit condi-
ton to drive. the jury was told,
Cattano suggested that he drive the
car going home. Ripley insisted
upon driving. the state maintains.
| with the result that Cattano would
not accompany and as a result Rip
| ley drove off in the ear alone, going
out Smith street to State street
and then out State street toward
| Sewaren.
At 1920 O'Clock when the shifts
were changing at the plants along
! the outer end of State street. Assist
/ ant Prosecutor Toolan told the jury,
! 1p{va1ax~se So fhraa Afffardf1f n Z
/ groups of men who were walking
| along the road. Continuing TO s.
warren. the states attorney declared,
the Ripley car was unable to nego-
tiate a turn in the road and crashed
I into a porch, ripping up a plank
which was wedged Under the car
which continued its wild ride into
Woodbridge.
The car was found in Ripley's
garage. the state points out. and evi-
Hdence will be furnished TO show that
| Ripley entered the hotel alone. The
| police received a mysterious messag ge
from someone informing them that
it was Ripley's car which struck and
killed Benyak, the jury was told, but
/ the identity OF tl.is person who gave
the message has never been learned.
The state viii lay artieular stress
/ upon statements alleged to have been
! made by Ripley following his arrest
that he was drunk and was driving
the car at the time it struck Benyak.
The first witness called to the
| stand. was Mrs. Julia Benysk. widow
| of the victim of the tragedy. She
merely testified that he left home
alive about 1890 o'clock that night.
Joseph Sokolowski, employed at
the A. S. & r. Company's plant as
Benyak's helper. told of meeting
Benyak that night near Hall avenue
and walking along the road with him
| on his way to work. When near
Gadeks Hotel, he testified, an auto
mobile struck Benyak. He said he
could not say whether it was the au-
tomobile or Benyak's body which
| also struck him and threw him to
the ground. The witness testified
that no other car had passed along
the road Immediately before Ripley
car nor for nv or ten minutes after
| the accident.
During the cross animation the
| defendants attorney brought out the
fact that the men were walking in
the road at a place where a sidewalk
! exists. Answering this the witness
said the sidewalks were blocked
every few feet with piles Of stone
used in the road construction work,
making it necessary TO turn out into
+, the street often If one attempted to
/ walk on the dewalk.
/ DIR. Edward x. Hanson. the cor
oner, and DR.. John V. Smith, who
was called to give medical attention,
/ testified along medical lines.
John Wicsekowski, the next " Z
| ness, said he was walking alonG
the road when ne heard a crash and
| turned in time to see one man
I struck. Before he could get out
of the way, he said. the car had
+, struck him, He testified to being
able to see that the first number
on the cars license plate was i
| and the last was "7.'57r eesh
and the last was -" These corre-
spond with the figures in Ripley S
i license number.
Alex Macy. employed at the Lead
Works, was the next witness. he
said he was knocked unconscious
by the car and could not remember
what happened after he was hit
except that he was taken to the hos
pital A pear which he had carried
in his lunch. he said. was found in
the broken headlight OF Ripley,s car
later in the night.
Frank Sonatra. who lives near the
Gadek hotel. testified that he was
walking to his store from his garsg re
when he heard a noise which sound
ed like a pistol shot. He said he sa "
car strike one man. then strike
another and about 400 feet up the
road hit a third man. He said that
this car was the only one which
! passed for a considerable time, pos
sibly fifteen minutes.
/ William Gadek. fifteen years old.
| son of the hotel proprietor. testified
that he saw Benyak and his COM
panion hit. He then ran into the
hotel to tell his father. he said. The
boy testified that the car which
| struck the men was a two-seated
roadster with the curtains attached.
Shown a photograph of Ripley's car
taken after the accident, the boy
said the car he saw was similar to
| the picture. He refused to be shaken
in his testimony that the sidewalks
along this part of the street are so
badly damaged that il is the custom
! for practically everyone to walk IN