Taking a man’s wife first and beating him up after was some of the evidence brought to light Monday morning in the police court. Brigerman was found guilty and fined $25 and costs.
But that was only the beginning of his trouble, for he was placed under a $200 bond for living as man and wife with Mrs. Ernest Cerny, wife of the man whom he assaulted. Mrs. Cerny was placed under a $50 bond.
The spider began to weave his web six months ago when Brigerman, a former employee of the Hayman meat market on Tryon street, entered the home of Ernest Cerny as a boarder. Cerny ran a tailoring shop on West Trade street at the time. Four months later Cerny caught his wife in the embrace of Brigerman, according to the evidence.
“I will go,” said Cerny to his wife. “You will come to your senses before long and regret this. Then I will come back to you.”
His departure was hastened by Brigerman, who is alleged to have chased him out of the house. Cerny went to Winston-Salem. Sunday, he returned. Walking along the street he beheld his wife and Brigerman promenading. Brigerman beheld him also. The family reunion was not pleasant. Cerny was badly beat up by Brigerman, who then strolled off with Mrs. Cerny, the spoils of the battle. So went the evidence.
D.B. Paul and J.F. Newell assisted the solicitor in his prosecution of Brigerman and brought out the charge that Brigerman and Mrs. Cerny had been living as man and wife since the real husband was chased off the premises.
Mrs. Cerny and Brigerman sat side by side at the trial. The new charges against them will be taken up in the court Tuesday morning.
From the Charlotte News, Monday, June 27, 1921
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Brigerman Case Is Before Judge. . . Former Market Man Pronounced “Scoundrel” by Recorder at Hearing
Charged with living together as man and wife, Fritz Brigerman, former employe of Felix Hayman’s meat market, and Mrs. Ernest Cerney were required to renew their bonds of $200 and $25 respectively, while decision in the case is being held over until Wednesday morning by Judge Laurence Jones in the police court. The case was declared to be “serious” by Judge Jones.
According to the evidence, Brigerman entered the home of Mr. Cerny as a boarder last September. A few weeks later Cerny beheld Brigerman with his arm around his wife. With suspicions aroused, Cerny kept his eyes opened. One one occasion he caught Brigerman kissing his wife, and observed numerous incidents tending to show affection between the two.
“I got so I could hardly restrain myself,” said Cerny on the witness stand. “I would almost go insane at times. Finally they admitted outright that they intended to get married, and things go so bad that I was forced to leave the house.” Several witnesses testified that Brigerman had spoked of Mrs. Cerny as “his wife.” When asked why he talked of a married woman that way, it is alleged he replied:
“Well, I don’t care whether she gets a divorce or not—we’re going to be married in two weeks.”
The case grew interesting when Col. T.L. Kirkpatrick began to sharply question the witnesses, and many personal back-bites sprang up. In attempting to show that a man’s arm around another man’s wife meant nothing, Col. Kirkpatrick asked one witness the following:
“Put your arm around a girl occasionally, don’t you?”
“No, sir,” emphatically replied the witness.
“Well, you have done it, haven’t you?”
“I never had my arm around a girl in my life,” declared the witness, as the court broke into an uproar.
“Come down,” commanded Col. Kirkpatrick, as he made a sweeping bow to the floor.
Several character witnesses for Cerny were put on the stand, all of whom testified that his character was good.
One of these witnesses, however, told of an incident that he had seen in the Cerny home. He declared that he was there once when Mrs. Cerny got mad at something her husband had said and deliberately spit into his face.
Mrs. Cerny’s two grown sons were present at the trial, but did not take the stand. On one occasion one of the boys shouted in derision at his father on the witness stand and had to be called down.
“They are being paid to do it,” said his father.
As soon as the evidence was in, Col. Kirkpatrick told the judge that when it was all boiled down he had absolutely nothing.
“I’ve got one of the biggest scoundrels that ever came into this court,” replied Judge Jones, “and if there is any possible way I can convict him, I am going to do it.”
Judgment will be rendered in the case Wednesday morning, according to the announcement.
From The Charlotte News, Tuesday, June 28, 1921
Brigerman Turned Loose On Charge
Final judgment in the case of Fritz Brigerman, former employe of the Felix Hayman Meat Market, charged with Mrs. Ernest Cerny, with living together as man and wife, pronounced them not guilty. The decision in the case was held over from Tuesday’s trial at the police court by Judge Jones, who stated that he desired to hunt up possible grounds on which to convict the duo.
Although cases were cited by prosecuting attorneys similar to the one in question in which convictions were brought one, Judge Jones held that there was not enough evidence to find the defendants guilty. He expressed is regret at the result, however, as he declared he had seldom seen cases where he wanted to see a conviction more than in the one before him. “When such conditions like this begin to exist among upright citizens of the community, it is time something should be done,” he said.
Brigerman is alleged to have entered the home of the Cerny’s as a boarder, later winning the affections of Mrs. Cerny and driving the husband, Ernest Cerny, a former local tailor, out of the house.
From The Charlotte News, June 29, 1921
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