Perth Amboy evening news., 1924-04-12
INDICTMENTS
BY GRAND JURY
Compiled / D
Prosecutor Stricken Now in
Position to Carry on Pros
ecution by County
NEGLIGENCE is ALLEGED
5 Witnesses Called Yesterday
IS More True Bills Re-
turned | for Each Death
NEGLIGENCE is ALLEGED

NEW BRUNSWICK, April IL.
The finding of fifteen indictments b;
the April term grand jury yesterda
is generally looked on as the fina
move of the criminal authorities II
their investigation of the Ammonits
company blast at Nixon. on March !
With the investigation complete
and indictments returned. Prosecu-
tor Stricken will now be in posi-
ton to carry on prosecution for Grim
inal negligence responsible for the
fifteen deaths. At a previous session
of the grand jury. indictments were
returned against the storage OF pic
rie acid on the Nixon meadows. Tbs
authorities are now prepared to pa
ceed with the criminal action on tse
basis that the explosive y a nuisance.
Four other deaths doubtiess1y wert
caused by the blast, but as the
bodies were not found, no action
could be taken by the investigators.
Pleas will be taken next week. and
il not guilty pleas are made, arr
rangements will be made to proceed
with the trials.
II.
ecutor's detectives, experts of the
state department of labor and inves-
tigators of the board of freeholders
have been kept busy accommodating
evidence in the case. Only five Wit
nesses were called yesterday, this
freeholders's investigator, State Fac
tory Representative Fred B. Rear
win and three people known to have
been in the vicinity of the plant al
the time of the explosion. DIR. Mar-
tin Szanatolski, the explosive expert
of the state department, was not IN
attendance yesterday, having given
his testimony at the previous meet
ing.
The governing authorities of flit
county, assisting in the investigates
are desirous of ridding the county OF
explosives. The action of the state
department in cancelling the permit
of the Butterworth-Juds company
and William Bradford. for the stor-
age of the picric acid in this coun
", is helping the movement along
and action has been started in tbs
chancery court to obtain a decree fot
the acid removal.
Starting next Tuesday afternoor
plants of the county where 1t is be-
lGNtu tADlOSlNtS are SlOIEQs Will lie
made by the state factory represen-
tative, Dr. Szanatolslxi and the Free
holders. They will go to the Dupont
plant at Parlin on the first day. ana
visits will also be made to Raritan
Arsenal. Hercules at ParIin United
States Cartridge at Perth Anboy. Al
cohol Products company at Mon.
mouth Junction, and the Unexcelled
Fireworks company. of North Bruins
wick township. The investigators
are desirous of seeing the way the
explosives are being handled The
freeholders are also investigating a
report that dynamite is being shipp
ed from the South Amboy docks
In the course of their Investigation
the Freeholders have found that the
picric acid stored at Nixon meadows.
is worth fifteen cents a pound and
not cent a pound. There are about
$500, 900 pounds stored at the place
County Solicitor Richardson has
found it difficult to have service
made Of the papers in the cianeerv
court action and If the attorneys
continue to refuse to accept same.
application will be made to the court
10 have service made by publica
tion.