New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-13
MIR. MCDONALD MAY RESIGN
CUFFS AND UFF-BUTTONS FOUND In A
JERSEY CITY BALLOT BOX.
GREAT NUMBERS OF SMALL TICKETS WHICH
SHERIFF DAVIS CANNOT ACCOUNT FOR
THE INDICATIONS OF FRAUD
UNOUESTIONED.
IsY TELEGRAPH TO THE TnIBUSE.y

Trenton, Feb 12.-Whether or not senator Nc
Donald of Hudson County will resign his seat is the
question adtating the politicians tonight. lie has
declared that if his title shall be found tainted with
fraud at the polls he will give up his place in the
New-Jcrsey senate. His friends, and he has many
who regard him as highly honorable man. seem TO
think that his resignation is necessary to preserve
his reputation. lie feels like rcsgnlng, but 1t is
difficult to predict what course Lo viii pursue.
Whether the small ballots cast honestly or stuffed
into the boxes IS question to be settled and until
if is made plain that the stuihns process was IL
sorted TO- he will probably retain his seat Tie
Investigating Committee worked diligently all day.
The revelations were of worse character than those
on Tuesday The first ballot box examined was that
which had been used in the Fourth Precinct Of the
Ist Assembly District certificate was iouho IN
the poll-bool which stated that the book contained
be names Of 3a4 voters but an actual count showed
that only o6G voters were recorded. In the list Of
name, there were sklps from 55 10 SO, from = N
%, from 1O7 to 1Is, from 137 70 l42 IRON Io7 %
ia and from 182 to 1872. According to the tally
sheet 322 votes had been cast altogether Inc III
spcctIOn bv the committee showed that McDonald's
vote in this precinct 247, there being among his
ballots a total OF 14s "iokcrs.7 stuhr'' vote was
7G When the box Of the Fifth Precinct was opened
the first things hshcd out were a pair OF Guns ana
cnff buttons An election onlccr standing by claimed
them but voucllsafed no information as
to how the articles got INTO Inc
box. IN thi, precinct stulr received lV-
votes ard Mcdonald I6l, Of which twenty five were
jokcrs.' ono lone Prohibition ballot was on Ihs
string.
When the inspection OF the box over sheriff
Robert : Davis OF Hudson County, was called TO the
witness stand. A. chairman Of the Democratic county
Committee Of Hudson he swOrc That the committee
issued only the large regular ticket lie attended
to the printing Of the ticket, but ordered none 81
shape or STYLE resembling the iokcr,7 lie saw the
4, m
before election but they done up in packages,
he thought they were pa,ters lie saw Joker
ballots in tlc hand, Of workers on election day and
he thought that they had been printed by the candl
dates themselves for private circulation. lie named
some workers, including eN-A,scmblyman Patrick H.
O'Ncll His attention being called u ballot on the
back Of which a note was written over his signature,
stating that the bearer was al r!-ht' lie Identified
the writing a, his and explained that the ballot vas
given 10 a colorcd to be handed 10 eXRevenue
Collector Thomas Kelly, Of Jersey city. who had charge
OK the workers the precinct IN which the colored man
voted
Patrick II. O'NeIn testified under oath that he saw
the Joker ballots in the County Committee rooms
the night before election. lie took a bach Of them
with patches Of all other ballot, there 70 be used in
his precinct, the sixth. ONein did not know who
supplied the Joker ballot, and had kro~iedgs
II ;hcr preparation printing. lie supposed they
got there IN the regular way and were al right some
no put on the polling booth stands and some he dis
tributcd among the workers In the sixth Precinct
the ballot boxes recorded 81 votes and the poboo&
showed that number Of names. There 3l6 ballots
on the string. Five Of them were punched together
and rejected The books tally sheet, etc, were IA
good condition. stuhr received Ia votes and Nc
Donald 1877, including four ioaers.7
After opening the box from tie next precinct, IN,
committee adjourned until tomorrow In tic
boxes far examined there have been
at least xix different kinds Of ballots found. bat
only two Of them have any particular interest IN this
uvestiyation-that is the kind known regular
AID those called iOkcr>.' Tie mechanism OF tho
patent ballot boxes stamps upon each ballot regularly
deposited the name Of the city and number of tie
ia passing through the aperture 60 uc uOA. lherO
were f." Of the regular Democratic and Republican
ballots that showed the ink marks and milling family.
Al the Others were plainly ana cCUly marked but
40 tie cas-" ~ the " lohrrs there was IN many
Instances an absence Of the priutu-. az. the milling
faint 70 De hardly ierceptbe. This Is
~t41l- evidence ia support OF TIE claim Of the con-
te-taut. the marks being - faint 10 lead 10 mo
belief that they made while ihe small ballot
folded inside one Of the larger ones. In some cases
the milling upon on, corner. DO others AZ the top
bottom. Tie regular ballot is stamped upon the back
with large gothic type and between the words Jersey
CITY" B, perfect oval within which punctuce =
made hy the mechanism Of the box. The lOhcrs Ara
prutcd IN antique OK old style Is pc about two sizes
smaller. between thc words jersey city, l. at
elip-e resembling extended letter q. 40 puncture
B, found within the cllp,c. There is also d diferenos
in the shade Of the INK.