The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-13
REMARKABLE CURIOSITY
Why John Prigge, Jr., Made
Use of Joker
Ballots.
HIS VERY STRANGE STORY.
Didn't Know Where They We're
Printed, Nor fer What Rea-
son-Evidence of the
Officers.
HIS VERY STRANGE STORY.

Senator Michael T. Barrett of Essex
was among the spectators this morning
at the trial of Siemons. Holderer, Boul-
ger and Wenckler, the election officers
who are accused of conspiracy to pervert
the election laws of this State in the Sec
ond precinct of the Fourth district. There
was some delay in getting under way this
morning owing to the absence OF the
eighth juror. He finally came in at
half past ten, and Judge Lippin-
colt Immediately proceeded with the trial.
n Judge DAILY opened the case for the de-
PENDANTS He said the defendants were
charged with conspiracy. and in order
to find them guilty it was necessary to
prove that two or more of them conspired
to commit the overt acts charged. He
read the Indictment, and took some time
to impress upon the jury that one of the
defendants could not be convicted under
the indictment. He claimed that the
fact that men were registered by initials
could not convict these men under the
Indictment He knew that affairs OF tnat
kind jeopardized the principles OF popular
government and menaced our free 1nsti-
tutions, and that the popular mind be-
comes prejudiced against anyone charged
with those offences. He then appealed to
the jury to dismiss all such prejudice
from their minds. IN which case he was
assured the Jury would acquit the prison.
ers He claimed that he could show that
when the Prosecutor said that sixteen
n ames appeared checked as voting on the
poll book which did not appear on the
egistry, he made at least fourteen mis-
takes. They would insist that John b.
Beck appears on the registry as living at
Ynrk On the doll
book it appears Joseph Beck. No. 14S19
New York avenue. 1t was within The
range of possibility that the clerk, or
Judge, through misunderstanding, had
made mistake.
TWO MISTAKES ALLEGED.
"Do you mean that as mistake OF
miner" asked Mr.. Winfield.
''Yes, sir, in insisting that there was
fraud in that transaction" replied Mr..
DAILY.
He pointed out the same discrepancy
between the poll book and registry. where
in one the name WAS August Beck, No.
14S15 New York avenue, and In the other
Hugo Beck, No. 14S>S New York avenue.
He argued that these discrepancies were
mistakes. made in the hurry and
busle of taking down the names
of the voters The Judge heard the name
only iudistinctly and put it down as ne
caught it, Fhis, Mr.. Daly claimed, was
not criminal. In the same manner he
took the others and explained the dis
crepencies between the poll book aud
registry list. He showed where the name
Dean on the poll book appeared Deim on
the registry with the same address
opposite each. This he claimed
was an honest mistake of the
Prosecutor aud he did not intend TO mis-
lead the jury when he said the pameS
were not on both books, and in the same
manner the election officers have made
similar mistake.
Mr.. Daily also declared that it was al
most impossible for the recording officer
to get down correctly the names of the
German residents in that district by
simply hearing them pronounced.
He claimed that in this way
the defense had accounted for fourteen of
the names alleged to have been entered
on one book aud not on the other. He
said that the object of the Legislature in
providing for the house registry feature
Of the new election law was to do away
with the registry OF fraudulent voters,
and the false impersonation OF voters.
1t was known that election officers were
deceived and imposed upon. The defense
would prove that the Joker" ballots
were at the polls all day, whether they
were stamped or not, did not effect their
legality. They were worked in every pre-
cinct in the county, and were voted by
legal voters all over the county.
AfCnur u. hOWls mo. IL hdSOh StlSCb,
Brooklyn, lithogre pher, the employer OF
Winckler, swore that Wlnckler had been
in his employ fifteen years and his repu-
tation was excellent. 10 Prosecutor
Winfield the witness said he knew moth
ing about Winckler's character as an
election officer.
Edward SpelIner of Webster avenue
gave all the accused an excellent reputa-
ton for honesty. Ex-Freeholder Emile
Stieger of 49% Jefferson avenue also
vouched for their honesty. John Prigge,
Sr., gave similar testimony.
NOT OUT WEST.
David Duncan testified that at the
fall election of 1889 he lived at No. 10
Webster avenue. He is the man that
witnesses for the State claimwas out West
on election day. He testified he went to
Minnesota in March, 1889, and returned
in June. He voted at the election at the
Secoud precinct of the Fourth district.
When he voted the judges asked him
II he lived in the same place. and he said
YES, On cross-examination he said the
man who asked him II he lived in the
same place was a stranger. Mr.. Winfield
asked him if that wasn't strange. Then
the witness said he had misunderstood
the Question-lt was boulger VINO spoke
TO hlm.
He was asked if he registered himself
and SAID ne did. Then why did you reg
lister at No. SO Webster avenue This
confused the witness and he said he did
not know. When he went West he took
his family with him intending to live
there He did know that that took from
him the right TO vote here.
JOKER BALLOTS.
Joseph Donahue swore that on election
day he voted ticket about the size of
''joker." in fact it was II joker, whicn
he got from John PrIgge, Jr. He gave
his son one and the sou voted it. Cross
examined he said he didn't notice any
marks on the back. He saw that there
was no Republican" on it and then he
went it blind
Joseph Eugelman also voted one of the
small tickets. He was there when the
votes were counted, but he saw nothing
wrong. On cross-examination, he said
Holderer had the tally sheet and Seimons
took the tickets out OF the box and read
them off, He did not see any marks on
the ticket he voted. He was sure that If
it had had any MARKS on 1t he would have
seen them.
JOHN PRIGGE, JR. IS CURIOSITY.
John Prig1e. Jr.. had some knowledge
of the election of 1889 and was Democra-
tic Committeeman from this precinct
He first saw the joker ballot at the Geu-
eral Committees room on Grove street.
He got some and took them TO his pre-
cinct and they were distributed among
the workers. Witness gave some to
voters and saw them voted.
To Judge Lippiucott he said he could
not tell whether the committee had them
printed or not. He saw no marks on them.
The Judge directed him to az zA1aghk, ebe
lorya riclr.ta and the ia IA, Md see IF fht1