The Jersey City news., 1891-12-11
WAR ON THE BENCH.
Judge Albert Hoffman
Fires a Little Shot at !
Judge Lippincott.
And Judge Lippincott An
sWers with a Dyna-
mite Bomb.
GREAT EXCITEMENT In COURT.
The Lay Judge Protests Against
Bargains With Conviets as
a Reflection on the
Court Of Errors.
Judge Lippincott Coolly Dissects
His Colleagues Record,
And Hopes His Sensation May Sat
isfy Himself and the
Public.
GREAT EXCITEMENT IN COURT.
Judge Lippincott Coolly Dissects
His Colleagues Record,
And Hopes His Sensation May Sat
isfy Himself and the
Public.

The battle of the Judges of the Court
of Common Pleas and General Sessions
was fought today before the public Just
as THE JERSEY CITY NEWS said yester-
day would be done. The
hot shot was exchanged by Lay
Judge Hoffman, and Law
Judge Lippincott. Although each
shot was carefully aimed and well calcu
lated, the Court Constables were not re-
quired to send for ambulances when the
hostile forces suspended operations for
time.
The first gun was fired after the oppos-
ing forces had been In consultation for
more than an hour in the Judges private
chambers. At tLis conference ex-Judge
Garretson and District Attorney Winfield
were for time present, and when they
left the secret closet for the open court
room they looked wise and uncommuni-
cative, Soon after Judges Lippincott. Pax
ton and Hoffman occupied their chairs
on the bench The crowd in the court
room gazed at them with expectancy.
Within the sacred precincts OF the bar
devoted exclusively to lawyers and re-
porters a larger number of lawyers was
gathered than has for many years been
seen at the Court House, except
on the first day OF the term. They had
all'read in The NEWS the account Of the
duel to be fought and they wanted to be
witnesses
WHAT CAUSED THE TROUBLE.
a ~
cott who looked pale, stern and firm.
When he opened the engage ment with
his heavy artillery, not a muscle mo we'd
and not sign of fer for the result could
be discovered about him.
He told William +. Taylor, John T.
Walsh, Thomas German and Michael
Fallon, convicted election officers of the
First Precinct OF the Fifth District, to
stand and receive their sentence.
THE SENTENCE.
Judge Lippincott said:-"In this case
there were about two hundred and ninety
ballots found in the box. There were
only 226 names on the poll book and on
the registry list 1858 names all of
which were checked as voting. sixty
seven names were checked on the registry
as vssting whose names were not entered
on EIe poll book. The registry list was
falsely checked. The poll book was
falsely kept. The returns were false
Even the ballots In the box We're falsif1ed
in the canvass of them. The tally sheet
was falsely made up The formal returns
were false. but were signed by all
of the Board, and thev did
not agree with the number of ballots on
the tally sheet.
Everything relating to the conduct Of
this election was false. If there was
single true and honest act In it's conduct
the Court has been unable to discover it.
THE excuse is ignorance, stupidity and
drunkenness, and likely the excuse in
part Is true The Court thinks it was in
tended criminal conduct, put the igno-
rance, stupidity and drunkenness was the
cause of its palpability. Upon your
sentence I have voted for eighteen
months in State Prison. My associates
have outvoted me and have decided on
nine months at the PeniSentiary. There
fore the sentence Is that each CT you three
be sent TO that institution for that period
of time"
Judge Lippincott then addressed his
remarks TO Taylor. He said:-'Taylor.
the jnry recommend you to the mercy of
the Court believing that your guilty
work was the result OF stupidity aud
drunkenness. Some of the members
of the Court have known you for
twenty years and they nave never heard
anyone accuse you of dishonesty. Your
past history is free from suspicion SO far
as the Court Is informed
Judge Lippincott then sentenced Tay-
Ior to pay a fine of $3.50 and costs, which
will amount to 500 more.
HoFFAAN's BoMBSHELL
When the Judge linisned his remarks
and the prisoners returned to the pen,
Lay Judge HOFFMAN called the attention
of those present to his part in the warfare
by making the following remarks:
Before proceeding with any further
business this morning, l am reluctantly
compelled TO depart from time honored
custom of this Court, that is TO say, to
delegate to the Presiding Judge the priv |
ilege TO speak for the entire Court.
''While this custom has grown in this
Court, to the extent of almost being ac- |
cepted by the public rs beiug the law, l |
fail to find among the statutes of New |
Jersey any act relating to the Court of |
Common Pleas. that enforces silence up |
ON the lay members OF the same, and |
when by any act of the Presiding Judge, be |
itintentional or otherwise, am placed in |
a wrongful position,I owe TO myself their |
friends and to the public, to set myself |
right.
1.-THE Office of Lay Judge OF the Court of |
Common Pleas is as old as the constltu-
ton of the State. and while that of the
Law Judge of that Court is comparatively |
q modern Improvements.
'sAll the statutes bearing upon this |
Court confer equal powers upon the men,
bers Of the same. and while 1t is true that |
the Lay Judges can hold no Court with
out the presence of the Lay Judge. il is
equally true that the Law Judge cannot
hold Court without the pres
ence of at least one Of the |
Law Judges So it will be seen that the |
responsibility is equally divided. and
whatever acts OF the Court are 10 be COM
meuded or disapproved must be the ac |
OF The majority of the Court. and not
those alone of the Presiding Judge.
It is hardly fair treatment TO the Lay |
members of the Court on the part OF the
press to credit the Presiding Judge with |
aHarYthing. which in their Judgment is |