Milford chronicle., 1954-05-07
SChnOll Is Found
Guilty By Court

A jury in Superior Court, George
town, has convicted Sol SchnOll,
secretary-treasurer of the bank
rupt Snow Hill Poultry Company,
on a charge of procuring proper
ty on faith and false statements"
joseph Trenk, who was president
Of the concern and who was in
dicted on the same charge in Feb
ruary, was acquitted on a directed
verdict by Judge Charles L. Terry.
SchnOll was convicted of false
statements as to the financial con-
dition of the Snow Hill Poultry
Company to the State Board of
Agriculture in Delaware, to obtain
a license to purchase and process
poultry.
The Snow Hill Poultry Company
filed a petition in bankruptcy in
Worcester. County Circuit Court in
September, 1852. In October, the
same year, an injunction was filed
in the same court on complaints of
creditors and the company was
given time to file reasons why re-
Ceivers should not be named. The
complaint listed "a creditors with
claims totaling $34O,O0O.
The majority were among feed
dealers and chicken producers in
Maryland and Delaware.
Held On 10 Counts
On Oct 8, 1862, Schnoll, Trenk.
and Samuel S. Lerner, tax consul
tant and accountant for the Snow
Hill Poultry Company, were arrest
ed and arraigned before Magistrate
Oscar B. King in Georgetown and
held in bail of $2,5OO on 19 counts.
a total of $57,5OO for Schnoll and
Trenk and $47,50O for Lerner.
The bail was lowered in Superior
Court the next day upon petition of
attorneys for the men and a cash
bond of S24,500 posted.
IN August of 1853, indie 'ments
returned by the Sussex County
Grand Jury were quashed on all
three men. In the February term
Of court this year, Trenk and
SchnOll were again indicted.
Deputy. Atty. Gen. John ) Nc
Neilley charged that 33,7G0 chick
ems valued at $41,112.93 were pur-
! chased from Chester V. Townsend.
Jr.. on September 8, 1852, for
which Mr.. Townsend was not paid.
Townsend subsequently collected
33 1/S per cent of the amount
through bankruptcy proceedings.
The state charged that false
statements as to the financial con-
ditiOn of the Snow Hill Poultry
Company. were made to the State
Board of Agriculture in applying
for the license to purchase and
! process poultry and to obtain a
credit license"
Mr. McNeilley pointed out that
the financial statement claimed as
sets of $211,000 but that subsequent
investigation by the state showed
the company had a deficit; that the
statement claimed about $4,000
in the bank when there was only
approximately $1,000; and thai
claims of around 100000 in rea
estate were not substantiated
Mr.. McNeilley told the jury thai
SchnOll was secretary-treasurer OF
the company and owned approx
mately so per cent Of the stock.
President I'm N. j.
The directed verdict of acquittal
for Trenk resulted because it was
shown, that although president oi
the company. he was not in Della.
ware but in New Jersey at the time
the Townsend chickens were pur
chased
David Coke, Jr,, of Wilmington
was the attorney for the defen
dants. Schnoll contended that tn,
statements submitted to the Stat,
Board of Agriculture had been pre-
pared by Samuel Lerner and claim
ed he did not know the statement
were false.
The jury spent about three-uuar
ters of an hour in deliberation. MI
Coke moved for an arrest of iudg
ment in order to file petition for
new triOd. The customary five day
was granted by Judge Terry for fl
ing of the reasons for a new trial