The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-01-11
THE CORPSE EJECTMENT
Why the BuCkmaster Heirs
Think They Ought to Have
a Cemetery Of Their
Own.

The announcements in THE JERSEY City
News of Thursday that the heirs of the
Buckmaster estate have commenced eject
ment proceedings against about 9, 100
corpses inferred in New York Bay Gene
terry has revived interest in the oft told
story of the contest for the control of that
great place of interment.
Thomas BuckmaSter was the owner OF
the greater bulk of all the lots in the
cemetery before 1853" said Mr.. Meyer, of
Talcott and Meyer, the attorneys for the
Buck,nasters; ''having acquired it from
the Vreeiands. Subsequently, he became
the owner of every lot, by deed, from the
cemetery corporation. The corporation
amounting to q going out of business, be-
ing financially embarrassed. At the time,
along in the sixties, a $4,000 mortgage
was resting on the property, and this, with
the running expenses, caused the corpora
tion's embarrassment.
'.Out of his own pocket Mr.. Buckmaster
kept it going, believing that it would ul-
timately be successful undertaking.
The company continued to carry on the
business. however, giving deeds for lots
sold, and at stated intervals Mr.. Buck
master gave releases to the company on
all the lots sold, receiving payment for
the same Through his efforts the mort
was carried on in this way until the death
of Mr.. Buckmaster In 1875. Even then
things went on smoothly until 1878, when
a new board. known as the 'anti-Buck-
| master management was elected. The
eldest son was at the time sort of an in
valid and allowed the new board to do
about as it pleased. The trouble really
began then and has continued ever
since"
THEY WANT THE MONEY, NOT THE LOT.
III you are successful in your present
suit will you make any trouble for recent
lot purchasersp
No" responded the attorney 1.-THE
people who have bought lots in good
| faith will receive all due consideration. /"
| How many lots do the heirs claim
ownership to?'
II don't know exactly, but it comprises
very large section of the cemetery. AT
! our last suit the Court of Errors and
| Appeals noted which were ours, giving q
| fee in The same, but we were instructed
to abide by the cemetery regulations"
What will you do with the property II
| you are successful?"
'Sell it for cemetery purposes. You
| see it is not the lots we are after, but we
want the money. The property would be
\ put on the market and the proceeds
| divided between the heirs"
rs there any truth in the statement
! that you tried to compromise with the
company2" asked the reporter
1T is true that we tried to settle the
! matter out of the courts, for we didn't
care to continue the litigation. Last
| spring we wrote to the cemetery people
\ to ask for an adjustment. We expected
a settlement at the time, but they took
no action in the matter other than refer
ring it to committee, and we are tired
of waiting, hence our taking the matter
inta Lhe SupTeme Court. "
WON'T FIGHT AT THE ELECTIoN.
"Does the stand you are taking mean
that you will make a fight for control at
| the election next Tuesday morning?''
| was then asked.
Mr.. Meyer knit his brow and said:-
| "The Buckmasters will pay no attention
to any election. We have taken the mat
ter to the courts and will abide by their
decision. At any rate we are not allowed
to vote as called for by the charter, for If
we were we would have enough votes to
carry the election. The charter declares
that lot owner has one vote for every
| lot he owns, but the cemetery people now
in control have succeeded in having laws
| passed providing that no one man can
vote ON more than twenty-five lots.
The result of this is that fifty men
| owning one lot each count fifty votes,
| while the BackmasterS, representing e
about one thousand lots, can only cast
| twenty-five ballots. We hold such laws
are unconstitutional.
Gan l know about the matter" said
Superintendent Kelly, at the Cemetery
office, lis what l read in the papers.
| don't believe it will amount to anything,
1 for it will end in the same way as then
previous futile attempt to regain control
of the cemetery. / think, however, that
| they will show fight at Tuesdays elec.
tion, but we are ready for them. Proxies
are coming in in large numbers. and we
will easily beat them at the polls"