Camden Courier-Post – June 21, 1933
Judge Shay Enjoys Verbal Tilt Between Gotshalk and Walter Keown, But it Fails to Enter Into Evidence
A mysterious piece of paper yesterday precipitated a verbal battle between Assistant Prosecutor William C. Gotshalk and Defense Attorney Walter S. Keown upon opening of the trial of Joseph and Fred Klosterman on charges of number writing. They were placed on trial before Judge Samuel M. Shay and a criminal court jury.
Acting Lieutenant Louis Shaw, of the city detective bureau, testified of a raid on the Klosterman saloon at Mechanic and Green streets and an adjacent house at 1312 Green street. The witness identified a brief-case containing numbers slips and also a postal card addressed to “F. Klosterman.”
When Shaw was turned over to Keown for cross-examination, the defense counsel reached into the case, pulled out a piece of paper and asked how it had gotten into the bar. When Shaw said he had put it there, Keown declared:
“Well, put it into your pocket. It has nothing to do with this case.”
Shaw refused, whereupon Keown rolled it up into a ball and put it in his own pocket. at this, Gotshalk angrily demanded to see the paper, but Keown declared that “you can’t see this until after the jury has gone out.” When Gotshalk insisted, Keown said he would give it to Judge Shay. He threw it on the judge’s desk, but Judge Shay, who was smiling broadly, made no move to take it. Gotshalk then reached out to get the paper, but Keown was quicker retrieving it and placing it in his pocket again.
“What right have you to take a state exhibit and place it in your pocket?” Gotshalk queried heatedly.” I want that paper.”
“I’ll show it to Judge Shay,” parried Keown.
“I don’t want to see it,” laughed Judge Shay, as Keown paced around the courtroom, followed by Gotshalk.
“It has nothing to do with this case,” repeated Keown.
And there the matter stood.
Shaw testified that he, Detective Clarence Arthur and Patrolman John Kaighn entered the saloon December 10, and went out the back door. They followed a path to the Green street house, broke down the door and found Henry Pogrozewski, 17, and his mother burning numbers slips in a stove. Shaw said he recovered a half basket of slips.
Shaw and Arthur also declared that they found a bell in the house and that it was connected to a push button in the saloon, allegedly for an alarm.
Mary King, deputy city clerk, testified that at the time of the raid the license for the saloon was in Joseph Klosterman ‘s name.
Shaw’s testimony was corroborated by Arthur and Kaighn. Shaw was then recalled to the stand and related that as the three detectives went from the saloon to the other house, the Klosterman brothers followed them and demanded to know “why the dicks are always picking on us.”
The case will be resumed this morning.
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