Criminal libel trial, Toms River, 1918
NEW JERSEY COURIER 20 SEP 1918:
One of the results of the Toms River fight against booze in the local option election last May showed itself on Monday of this week when George W. Hallock, owner and editor of the New Jersey Tribune of Toms River, appeared in court before Judge Frank Davis of Gloucester county to answer to an indictment for criminal libel against Judge Wm. Howard Jefrey of the Ocean County Courts. In the fight that attempted to drive legalized booze from both Dover and Berkeley townships, the Tribune was the organ of the liquor interests, and printed their arguments. Anyone who had the rashness to oppose the liquor men, could look to receive a flaying in its columns.
While Judge Jeffrey made no secret of the fact that personally he was opposed to the liquor trade, as a judge of the court who had to sit in license cases, he held aloof from the combat. That, however was not enough to satisfy the liquor element, whose motto was 'All that are not with us are against us'. And accordingly, the judge, along with various other citizens of the two townships, came in for a scoring more than once in this booze-supporting newspaper.
The particular publication on which the indictment is based appeared after the Berkeley election, and in it the assertion was made that Judge Jeffrey had, in granting a transfer from Dover Township to Berkeley in the case of Benjamin F. Johnson, Jr., been guilty, along with Johnson, of a state prison offense. It is understood that the Judge asked a correction of that false statement, or a retraction of the charge, but so far no correction has been made. The indictment followed. Judge Davis held Hallock in $800 bail to appear for trial on November 11.
One of the results of the Toms River fight against booze in the local option election last May showed itself on Monday of this week when George W. Hallock, owner and editor of the New Jersey Tribune of Toms River, appeared in court before Judge Frank Davis of Gloucester county to answer to an indictment for criminal libel against Judge Wm. Howard Jefrey of the Ocean County Courts. In the fight that attempted to drive legalized booze from both Dover and Berkeley townships, the Tribune was the organ of the liquor interests, and printed their arguments. Anyone who had the rashness to oppose the liquor men, could look to receive a flaying in its columns.
While Judge Jeffrey made no secret of the fact that personally he was opposed to the liquor trade, as a judge of the court who had to sit in license cases, he held aloof from the combat. That, however was not enough to satisfy the liquor element, whose motto was 'All that are not with us are against us'. And accordingly, the judge, along with various other citizens of the two townships, came in for a scoring more than once in this booze-supporting newspaper.
The particular publication on which the indictment is based appeared after the Berkeley election, and in it the assertion was made that Judge Jeffrey had, in granting a transfer from Dover Township to Berkeley in the case of Benjamin F. Johnson, Jr., been guilty, along with Johnson, of a state prison offense. It is understood that the Judge asked a correction of that false statement, or a retraction of the charge, but so far no correction has been made. The indictment followed. Judge Davis held Hallock in $800 bail to appear for trial on November 11.
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