Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1924-06-02
EXPLOSIVE CASE
IS CONTINUED
THIS MORNING
Manager of Picric Acid Con
Germ Is Questioned at
Length Today
PLAN TO MOVE MATERIAL
Says Explosive Will Be Takef
to New York State
Within 8 Months

NEW BRUNSWICK. June q.
The defense rested its case short
ly after l o clock this afternoon
in the trial of the Butterwopth.
Judson Company of Newark and
William A. Bradford Of New
York. charged with maintaining
a nuisance in the storage Of pic
ric acid on the Raritan river
meadows at Nixon. The trial
started last week in county
court here before Judge John r.
kirkpatrick and a jury, having
been adjourned last Thursd6<
until this morning when Ii N1z
resumed
| William A. Bradford. one & ~
defendants. was the last w1kne 2
the defense. As soon as he ha6 ISIi
the stand adjournment was faIE<55
for lunch after which the attorne5
for the state, Assistant Prosecufo1|
John Z. Toolan. and counsel for tl1e|
defense, will sum up. A verdict il
expected this afternoon.
In addition to having been presi
dent of the Butterworth- JudSos
Company until July. 1921, Bradfo1:
said he was also financially inter
ested in the International Motol
Company. Atlantic and Gulf RAJ.
road, Savage Arms Company an
other large corporations. He corro
borated the testimony of other wit
nesses as TO the absence of explosions
during the manufacture of picric acid
in the Newark plant.
The witness said the Butterworth
Judson Company had manufactured
between S5,000,000 and 10000. .000.
pounds of picric acid prior to 1891
and at times as much as 1000, 900
or 100000 pounds were stored bni
no explosions had ever taken place
despite numerous fires.
Bradford said he considered picric
acid good commercial proposition
as it is used by chemists in making
dyes and in medicine as a disinfect-
ant and for burns. He said he paid
Tor 2,555.0 900 pounds when he pur-
chased the acid from the Butter
worth Judson Company after 1t went
into the hands of the receivers but
he did not believe he received the
amount of picric acid he paid for.
The witness said the French book
account was used by the company to
determine the quantity of material
on hand before he bought ii, the
company having formerly purchased
it from the French government.
According to Bradford it would
take six months to weigh the picric
acid he had bought and as this was.
too long a time he did not bother to
check up on the amount sold him.
He testified to shipping 500. 900
pounds to Japan and Buffalo and an-
other 10000 pounds 10 another GUS
toner Immediately after the AM
monte explosion. The witness said
he had applied for a new license
permitting him to continue to store.
the material at Nixon but had re-
ceived no word from the state as to
whether or not the license would be
granted. His present lease on the
meadow lands expires on October Is
next, he said.
George A. Mcintosh. vice president
of the Butterworth Judson Company
sine 1917, and manager Of the plant
at Newark since April p, 1922
when receivers were named for tbs
company. was the flrst witness called
this morning. He testified that the
company had purchased three and
ore-haif million pounds of plcric
acid fl ON the French gov ernnent in.
1918 and this material was record1~.
toned in 1921. The company cars
ried out the decree of the court Of
chancery relative to the storage and
handling of the picric acid the wit
(Continued on page 2