Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-04-10
RIPLEY TAXES
STAND IN TRIAL
Proprietor of Woodbridge
Hotel, on Trial for Man.
slaughter
EXPERT TESTIMONY
EXPERT
TESTIMONY
Perth Amboy and New Bruns-
wick Physicians Give Hypo-
thetical Testimony at Trial

] NEW BRUNSWICK, April 18.--1t
Became evident during the testimony
OF the witnesses FOR the defense in
the granddaughter trial of Homer w.
Ripley, proprietor of the Wood
bridge hotel, here yesterday after-
noon before Judge Kirkpatrick and
"a jury, that the defense will maintain
that Ripley was not the driver OF the
car during its wild trip from Perth
Amboy to Woodbridge, during which
time it struck three groups of men.
killing George BenyalS of Perth Am
ooy. Although the defense has not
Drought out the name of the man
who could have driven The car. II
it were not Ripley, it has been in
timated by the dcfense's attorney.
Frederick g. Richardson, that
Ihomas Cattano was the driver.
ripley took the stand in his own
de1ense yesterday afternoon but
pleaded ignorance of all which oc-
Cured from the time he said he had
several drinks in Wards Ferry Hotel
IN Perth Amboy until the next morn
ing following his arrest. His repits
TO all questions put TO him concern
ing his actions during this. Interim
was Il don't remember"
The defense has endeavored to
show that heavy drinking for years
made Ripley susceptible to alcoholic
dementfa during the course 81 w4lfaa
he was unconscious of his actions.
Three points are brought out by
the attorney for the defense, in de-
lendlng the charges against RIPLEY.
The first is that the dead man con
r1outed to any negligence that
might have caused the accident, as
ne was walking in the road instead
Of on the sidewalk. The second inn
portant contention is that Ripley did
not drive the car. 1t is intinnated
that Cattano was the driver as A.
torney Richardson Yesterday asked
Cattano, when the latter was on The
stand, whether he drove the car.
Cattano maintains he was in the
Argonne Hotel at the time Benvalx
was killed and has witnesses to veri-
" his statement. The defense points
out that no one saw who was in the
car when it struck the men. The
mysterious telephone call, the attor-
ney for the defense claims, could
have come from the driver of the
car who LETT it after the accident and
wanted to place the blame on Rip
ley. The third point brought out
by the defense was the contention
that Ripley was the victim of alco-
holic dementia.
Lieutenant Andrew Jensen of the
Perth Amboy police force testified
that at 1928 o'clock on the night OF
the accident he received a telephone
call from Joseph Gadek telling him
of the man being struck. Shortly
afterward, the police lieutenant teF-
tifed, a telephone call came from
the Lead Works. A man, who re-
fused to divulge his Identity, said.
Lieutenant, the car you are looking
for is in the Woodbridge Hotel ga
rage. Homer is in bed asleep. If
you want to get him, you better
make it snappy," Officer Jensen testt-
fed.
Chief OF Police Niels ]. Tonnesen.
of the Perth Amboy force, told Of
efforts made through the press to
have the person who made the
phone call communicate with him
on the promise that all information
CONTINUED on page rwo)
P A, Hdwe. for Afifs. Gloves zans.
1so5S-S-27-tfs