Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1924-04-15


Summing up of the case of the state
VS.. Louis Hansen and Lawrence
Marmon. Perth Amboy policemen
charged with malfeasance in office
and with shaking down" boot
logger for S2SS, was started in the
county court this afternoon and 1t is
expected that the jury will get the
case in about two hours.
The sate's case is centered about
the testimony of three bootleggers.
one of which is pending sentence
for transportation and another who
has not been indicted, and a former
saloonkeeper who awaits county
and federal indictment for a liquor
violation. The denial of the police
men to the charges made, makes up
the case of the defense.
Just before the defense was COM
pleted this afternoon, a Perth AM
boy storekeeper and a fight manager.
Lieber and Jackson, respectively.
were called to testify that they were
with Officer Hansen at the time the
''shakedown" is alleged to have oc-
CURED. Fred Rast and Jorgen Han
sen. Perth Amboy residents, claim
they were in Roth's saloon when
the booze was supposed to be de-
Iivered and that no other men came
in the establishment that night.
City Clerk Costello was recalled
and there was an argument between
the opposing attorneys regarding the
introduction of city charter and a
city ordinance. The defense attor-
ney brought out that the ordinance
never was published. Lieutenant
Jensen explained the rings of the
men on the night in question and
Carpenski and Sergeant Larson were
recalled by the state. Roth was re-
called and told of ga conversation
with Hansen on April 5. motion
by Prosecutor Toolan for amend
ment of the indictment was allowed.
Just before the first recess of the
day, the court overruled a request
of Attorney Brown that the jury be
directed in its work to return ver-
dict. The defense attorney gave four
reasons why the verdict should be
directed.
The accused officers do not deny
that the bootlegger, William Lang
field, of South River, might have
been shaken down" by two police
men in Perth Amboy, but they de-
clare they are not the ones. The
defense is endeavoring to prove that
the drawing of Marmon and Hansen
into the case is a result of mistaken
Identity
Assistant Prosecutor John E.
Toolan completed the states case
late yesterday afternoon and former
State Senator Thomas Brown, repre-
senting the two accused policemen,
at once asked for a directed verdict
of acquittal, maintaining that no
violation of the law had been proven.
Brown argued that the constitution
declares the court has no right TO
amend an indictment that charges
no crime and in the indictment the
accused men are charged with vlo-
Ia ting Chapter 225, which was en-
acted in 1922 and has to do with the
making of certain appropriations.
Toolan admitted that the number
of the chapter was a clerical error
but pointed out that although the
specific chapter was mentioned py
number the description of the
charge showed that it was for a vio-
lation of the prohibition enforce
,oen+ act. The court ordered the
defense TO proceed with its case.
The defense, as outlined by Brown,
;s that neither Hansen nor Marmon
was at the scene of the alleged
shake down" in Roth's cafe on the
night of November 8 and that II
ANYTHING took place between Perth
An,bov policemen and bootleggers
that night il was done by oinceIs
other than Marmon and Hansen.
Msrmon was the first witness
called by the defense. he dehteu
nat he was at Roths saloon on the
,,irh+ in question. He testified that
he did traffic duty at Smith anu
Prospect streets, walked to the Cen
tral Railroad tracks where ne niaue
the 7:1O ring and returned to smith
and Prospect streets. At 9:SO, ne
said he was relieved by Hansen
and rang the box F, Prospect ana
Fayet.e street at 7:4o. Between
the hours of and on the night
of November 8, the witness said, ne
was not off Prospect or Smith
streets. On December 6, Marmon
said, Langfeld app. cached him on
Watson avenue and accused him of
being one of two officers who had
shaken him down.
An admission that he had gone TO
Langfeld's home in South River at
a later date was made by Marmon,
he explaining that he had done so
when he heard his name connected
with the case. He said he went TO
Langfeld for the purpose of telling
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Sponge Cake served at our Demonstra-
tion Tuesday; get recipe. Kelly q McAiln-