The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-11-13
A QUEER TALLY Sheet.
How We're the Votes in the
Fourth Precinct of the
Seventh District
Counted ?
ERAsUREs SHOWN WITH A GLASS.
Interviews With Election officers
and With the Candidates.

The tally-sheets filed at the County
Clerks office show the following vote
for Freeholders in the Fourth precinct
OF the Seventh district:-John Kelley 49T,
William H. Ellis one, Charles w. Cleri-
hew one, James F. Moran six, Arthur F..
Egan two, and Michael j. Cannon 0. In
looking over the tally sheets yesterday
afternoon startling discovery was made.
The original figures had been scratched
out and others put in their place. A
powerful magnlfying glass was brought
into requisitlon and under its influence
the figures underwent some. queer
changes.
Nothing positive could be elucidated,
however, but the changing of the first
figure in Kelly's vote from 3 to a 4. This
was so plain, and had been done in such
a clumsy manner that it was wondered
why no one had noticed it before.
TALKS WITH ELECTION OFFICERS.
The Fourth precinct of the Seventh
district was located at No. 6 Truck
House on Henderson. street. The men in
the box on Election Day were Michael
Hughes, judge; Michael Cassidy, clerk;
and Theodore Schultz and James Scan
Ian, inspectors.
l waited on Mr.. Hughes at his no me on
Henderson street last night. When asked
of the number of ballots cast, he said
81 was in the box all day and up to the
last minute, and did not take my eyes off
the tally. If there had been any crooked
work going on | would certainly have
noticed it.o
but said, ''the figures have GER
tainly been altered in the election box.
''Weu, if they were," he said, II did
not see anything of it, and don't think
it could be done without my knowledge.
Michael Cassidy, the Clerk of the
Board was next visited. He was sick
abed, and could scarcely speak above a
whisper. He denied all knowledge of the
change in the figures, and was sure that
McKellv's vote was 497.
Theodore Schultz, the Republican in
spector Is a barber, doing business on
Grove street.
When saw him last night he said that
he had been on duty in the polling place
all day Tuesday and until the following
morning at nine O'Clock. He had seen
nothing wrong going on. About twelve
O'Clock, however, he said he got drowsy
and didn't know much of what trans
pired after that.
WHAT THE CANDIDATES SAY.
The different candidates were next
visited. James f. Moran, the labor can
didate, was found at the Building Trades
| Societies meeting at st. Michaeis Hall.
| He said:-"In 1886 l ran in this district
| for Freeholder and received 1,507 votes.
| Last year ran against John p. Feeney,
! for Assembly, who was the strongest
| man in the district, and received 1910
votes. This time 1 received the mag
nificen vote OF 271. | am credited with
| Seventh district. Now / have the names
of twenty-five citizens who are willing to
make affidavitS that they voted for me
and saw their votes go into the box"
George w. Clerihew, the Republican
| candidate, made some very damaging
| statements. He said:-I detailed my son
| to watch the count in the Fourth precinct
as / anticipated some crooked work.
received ten of the first hundred votes
| counted and twenty-four of the second
| hundred The counting of the ballots
| was then stopped, the room cleared and
| the ballot box brought to room up
stairs. 1t was fully two hours before the
box was brought down stairs"
Arthur Il. Egan was found at his
| saloon on Pavonia avenue. He said that
| he was positive he received more votes
| than he got credit for in the Fourth pre-
| cinct, and he could name at least ten Of
his followers who had voted for him and
| could produce their names, together with
| an affidavit to that effect.
MR. KELLY THINKS HE WAS CHEATED. +
John Kelly said:-''I do not know any
| thing about the changing of the figures
in the vote. The men in the box | have
every reason to believe, were honest men
who would not attempt any such work
! l am satisfied, however, that l was
cheated out of at least one hundred vote.
in the First precinct of the Fourth Ware
in Hoboken. They were taken from N,
and credited to Ellis"
What authority have you got for this
statement?" Mr.. Kelly was asked.
"A friend of mine told me that Alder
| man O'Rourke, who was keeping tall,
for Gallagher for Assembly, had figured
my vote at 116, whereas | only receive.
sixteen. / intend to see Mr.. O'Rourk
today, and if such is the case l will hay
the boxes reopened and a recount de
manded,"
William E. Ellis, the regular Demo
cratic candidate, could not be found las
night, but one of his lieutenants told M
that Mr.. Ellis had the names of at leas
ten men who had voted for him in tn
Fourth precinct, and that should a re
count be ordered it would be found tina
Ellis majority, instead of being meagr
fifty-three in the whole district, would b
| about 500