New-York tribune., 1890-06-06
NEWS FROM NEW-JERSEY.
JERSEY CITY.
rAypERING WITH THE BALLOTS.
BASE ATTEMPT To DESTROY EVIDENCE IN
TENDED TO CONVICT THE INDICTED
ELECTION OFFICERS.


ELECTION OFFICERS.
Some excitement was created In jersey wy Ses,.
day afternoon by the circulation OF r'no' '''aO
the election ballots used last fall, upon which nuch
oenendence has been placed to convict the indicted
election officers have been tampcrcd with ana thcir
vo,ue as evidence seriously impaired. When the
n. Hot boxes we're taken to Trenton for use IN tho
stuhr Mcdonald contest the ballots. poll BOOKS anu
other contents Of the boxes placed in the cusody
OF W. s. sharp. sergeant at Arms OF the Schatc VIII
instructions that ballots not to be allowed ont
of his personal possession, nor examined nor handeo
except in his presence, and then only by PERSONS
authorized BY a court Of competent jurisdiction.
Recently when Mr.. Sharp was Witness Dc'o'o
Supreme Court Commissioner NuRent III the IocNo
Errgemann contest for Director at Large OF the Bo'i"
OF Frecholders in which the same ballots were miro
duced as evidence. many OF them were found 10 ha'o
been mutilaed Mr.. sharp explained to Commis
sioner Nuaent that the ballots had been ont OF MS
possesson several times but he could not account LOT
their mutilation. Neither could he account ior
number that missing. lie said that when inc
Hudson County Grand Jury was investigating tho
frauds with view of ndictng the election oihca'S
he took the ballots of prorncS into the jury
room I'm compiance with subpoena and left them
there on being requested by the foreman to retire from
the room for short time.
Dr. l.. !. Gordon. foreman OF the Grand jury Is
indignant that the jury should be charged even
by innuendo with wrong doing. Mr. sharp lie
said "was absent from the jury room only once
while the ballots were there. and then only for a
moment two. on that occasion thc baI'olS n 0i
one entire district We're IN large muslin bag winch
was open but the ballots Themselves we're sealed up
In paper bags by precincts, and these bag, were no'
opcnet or even touched during Mr.. Sharps absence
II i. not tulc that he left the ballots nnsuaded in the
Jury room more than once"
The indicted election officers and their friends % werS
taking comfort last night ont OF Mt sharps alleged
declaration tna' he would be unable. II called A. u
witness 10 ident the ballots In their present CON
diton They believe that II this important evidence
eliminated from the case their chance OF aCqutta
is vastly improved The prosecution Is not alarmed
however, as ample testimony can be procured to
prove the fraudulent contents Of the boxes.
The Mayoralty contest was to have been contnnoh
Yesterday, but after consultation between counsel
it was adjourned until Monday. Mr.. PcTinss LAWYERS
have decided not 10 count any more boxes, but VIII
continue 10 take oral testimony. J. T. AlicmuS has
been making a comparison OF the poll and registry
books and says he has discovered that i,20O irandn
lent votes were cast.
The fine weather Yesterday brought ont the sunday
school children in jersey city in unusually large NUN
berS II was anniversary day in lower Jcr~y NV
and there were two parndcs. There we're about 4v"o
children in line Before beginning the march uHl,l
services were held I'm several II the churches. N'H'l
all the houses along the line of march were he'"r