The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-05-15
QUO VARRANTO.
Notice of Contest Served on
Mayor Cleveland
Today.
PERKINS CRIES FRAUD.
Affidayits 10 Bolster Up Charges
Of Ballot Box stufing, Repeat
ing and Colonization.


old dfasnioned "quo warranto'' form. The
notice was conveyed in the following
document:--
SIR;-Please to take notice that on
Saturday, May seventeenth, eighteen
forenoon, at the Court House in, the city
OF Jersey City, shall apply to
Justice Dixon. Justice OF said
court. or such other Justice as may
now be sitting. at snid place, for a rule
to show by what warrant or authority
you claim to have, use and en-
Joy the office, liberties. privileges
and franchises Of Mayor Of Jersey
City, and why yon should not appear and
plead thereto at a short day to be named
by said court, and such further order
made as will expedite the hearing and de-
termination of said cause.
Annexed hereto are copies of the affida-
Wits to be used on the hearing of said ap-
plication.
Dated May Is, 1890
Yours respectfully,
GEO. j.. RECORD,
Attorney of Relator.
To OREsTEs CLEVELAND, ESQ.
JAMES A. GORDON.
OTTO GROUSE, of Counsel.
PERKINS AFFIDAVIT.
Then comes this affidavit:--
Mr.. Perkins, on oath, says that he is a
citizen of this the United States and of
New Jersey for twenty-three years past;
that at the election for. Mayor held on
April s. 1890, he was candidate for the
office Of Mayor. the regular nominee Of
the Republican party; that the other
regular candidates were Orestes Cleve-
land and Daniel Black.
The total number of votes cast for all
persons for said office was ..230l0; that
the Board of Canvassers canyassed said
vote and declared Orestes Cleveland had
received 12,499 votes; that he had re-
ceivcd 10, ,475 votes; that Daniel Black re-
ceived 81 votes.
The defendant alleges on information
and belief that Orestes Cleveland did not
receive the largest number of votes legal
iy cast, but Oh the contrary he himself
received the largest number and
was duly elected and is en-
titled to the Office. Defendant
further alleges on information and belief
that elections held in Jersey City in
former years have been characterized by
gross and palpable frauds on the part OF
the election officers of said city These
frauds have consisted in the false and
fraudulent entry and carrying on the re-
gistrY lists q large number of fictitious
names, and names of dead persons or nom
residents in said precincts or city;in fraud
u1ently spermitting the practice of re-
peating, that is to say, the cast
ing OF many votes by the same per-
sons under different names: in refusing
to allow legal voters to vote; in fraudu-
lently depositing in the ballot boxes bal
lots which had not been cast by voters,
and in abstracting therefrom and destroy
ing ballots which had been legally cast; in
falsely and fraudnlently entering upon
the poll books names of persons
who had not voted; In taliying and count
been cast for and which bore the names
OF other candidates; and in falsifing the
returns. and in fraudulently and falsely
announcing the results of elections.
That in September, 1889, the Board of
Aldermen appointed a Board and Clerk
who served at the following November
election, from the Cleveland party;
that in the November election,
Aoo9, the illegalities, mal-conduct
and fraud on the part Of the
election officers of said precinct were so
gross and notorious as to create a public
scandal, and a committee was appointed
by the Senate OF the State to investigate
the same; that the Investigation disclosed
glaring, gross and palpable frauds in the
conduct Of said election of the charac
ter, above set forth; that the
ssaa vet coneInasd has already nGy
disclosed that over 8 1000 votes were fraud
ulently cast and counted in the said city
at said election; that twelve of said cleo
ton officers are now and We're at time of
and before said election for Mayor, under
frauds; that the Board of Aid
ermen had given assurance that the
Spring election should be honestly
condncred. The Board had violated faith
in the conference with the Perkins Com
mittee, and appointed all Cleveland
favorites to the Office of clerks and in
A VOTERS EXPERIENCE.
Ar pg the affidavits Is one bearing the
namk If Thos. Jones. He went to the polls
polling place at ten o'clock on morning of
election. Found ballot box in First pre-
cinct, Of First District, placed i've feet
from the window; the ballot box was fre-
quently hid from view; and representa-
lives and visitors or said Cleveland men
allowed within polls; all persons not in
interest of Cleveland were excluded. A
book upon which he had kept memor-
andum had been asked for, and certain
page torn therefronl by the Inspectors;
that the route to the City Clerks office
would take ten minutes; one hour was
consumed In reaching the City Clerks
office with ballot boxes.
ALL DEMOCRATS.
Charles w. Pierson, Of the Fourth pre-
cinct Of the First district, swears the
Election Board were all Democrats The
ballot box did not register the number OF
ballots cast; adjourned at dinner and
S'd ballot n0i box put according PIN OSok e LAW IN
but left some unprotected; board went to
neighboring saloon, leaving both un-
protected. The poll book disappeared;
clerk refused to let him see poll book
afterward; refused vote of S. S. Long,
duly registered; G. B. Ryder, a legal
voter, was also refused; Frank Whit
ledge voted Illegally; the judge forcibly
absfracted ballot from the hands Of
voter, aud tried to force him to vote for
Cleveland. He kept an accurate list Of
votes cast all day-263- there were $50
cast
ALL ALIKE
Philip H. Fries, of the Fifth precinct of
fheeHirst district, says the members OF
the Board were all Democratic. Five
men Voted from No 81 York street. He
knewsthe address, and knew that none of
the men lived at said address. Mahoney, an
electbn officer lives there, Some fifteen
" twenty men voted at said polling place