The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-08-23
THE KICKERS WERE FEW
Billy Kern's New Committee Meets
in Kessler's Hall.


That first gun of exBoss Billy Kern,
which was to smash Assemblymau Hep
penheimer's reelection into smithereens,
and the report Of which, heard around the
county, was to gather the Democratic
cohorts under the folds of the new kick
ing committees banner, was fred last
evening in Kessler's Hall, on Central
avenue. If any one who was more than
six feet from the hall heard the report he
must have been blessed with unusually
good hearing.
The hall was brilliantly lighted at eight
o'clock, but no one put ins an appearance
except three reporters, who looked lost IN
the large room. BY haIf-past eight half
dozen oyergrown boys were lettering
about the rear of the room when the ex
boss of the Public Works stuck his head
in at the doorway, cast q hurried look
around, and then disappeared.
Hes gone fer de gun, hooray," said
one youngster in his enthusiasm, and
then, frightened at the echo of his own
voice in the vast, empty hall. he sub
sided. Sure enough Billy had gone tor
t'de gun," and in few minutes he re-
turned with it. But instead OF the
elegant new ten-inch ritied piece which
everyone expected to see, he dragged in
miserable little brass howitzer.
THE FAITHFUL ARE FEW.
His faithful henchmen followed as
sheep follow man with a handful of
salt and a few minutes afterward, when
Peter j. Merseles called the meeting to
order, the room contained the ex-boss OF
the Board of Public Works, Wharfinger
Harry Powell and thirty-two lesser lights,
by actual count
Then they began to load the howitZer.
Mr.. Merseles swabbed it out by working
off the best part of the kickers' manifesto
as revised and abridged by the Advisory
Committee.
He said that there was great dissatisfac-
tion among the democrats of the county,
which dissatisfaction, he delared, arose
from few men taking charge of all the
offices and dividing them among them
selves. Lest this statement might be q
little too strong he hedged by saying:-
cat least, so we think"
eve voted against the new charter" he
continued, whether we are Kernites or
independent voters, because we were
against one man power; against placing
all the offices at the disposal of Mayor. !"
CHAIRMAN MINIHAN.
Then the powder was put in, in the
shape of motion to make John j. Mini
han temporary chairman. The powder
objected on the ground that he had never
occupied such position before, and didn't
know anything about the duties of the
Office.
"You'll never be any younger, my son,
said Mr.. Merseles, and thus encouraged
Mr.. AIinihan took the chair.
Then Mr.. Merseles, who seemed to be
acting as chief gunner, had Mr.. John j.
O'Hara elected as secretary.
The chief gunner then proceeded to ram
in hunk of wadding in the shape
of a suggestion that a committee
of one from each precinct be ap-
pointed to complete the organization.
Mr.. Minihan left the chair and held a
brief consultation with Mr.. Merseles, and
then, without waiting for Mr.. Merseles'
suggestions to be put as u motion, he de-
clared the question carried, and appointed
these gentlemen on the committee First
precinct, J. Bastion; Second precinct,
David Weiss Third precinct, M. McNeill;
Fourth precinct, William Rhode; Fifth
precinct, Harry Powell; Sixth precinct,
William Kemp; Seventh precinct, L.
Woods; Eighth precinct, James Duane.
Chief Gunner Merseles prepared to fire
the gun, with the invitation for any one
present who might feel so disposed to
come forward and make some remarks.
But something was the matter with the
powder or the process of loading the gun.
It hung fire. A breathless stiffness fell
upon the place, which, after a few
minutes, was broken by Boss Kern, who,
in melancholy voice, moved that the
meeting adjourn. The motion was car
ried and Kern went away. dragging out
the little gun which had consumed fif
teen minutes in it's failure to explode.