The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-07-21

Reform Association. said that Stumpf's
reputation for honesty was very good
class. Hugh II. ADernethy. VINO was
Henry Byrne,s opponent for the assem-
bly, In the fall election Of 1859, gave
similar testimony.
ASKING FOR FURTHER DELAY.
Two Of Mr.. Dixon's witnesses were not
in Court, and he fought hard for further
delay, but the Court would not listen to
him on that point and directed that the
case proceed. Mr.. Dixon then began his
summing up. lie called upon the jury to
consider the case Of Stumpf apart from
that of the others. The only evidence,
he claimed, that there was against Stumpf
was the fact that he had signed two re-
turns. and there was no evidence to con-
meet him with any one outside Of
the election booth. He insisted that
Stumpf twas in no way responsible
for the false names on the poll and regis
try books and the Irregularities In the
two books because he did not have pos
session OF the entry book. He ridiculed
the idea of Stumpf's being engaged in
conspiracy TO defraud the Republican
party when he was seat there to protect
the interests OF that party, and said that
iflsuch a thing were possible. such well
known Repu blicans as those VIII had
testified In Stumpf's behalf would never
have done so.
JUSTICE ASKED FOR, mot MERCY
Mr. Dixon urged the absurdity OF
Stumpf's being able to discover the diff
ference between marks on the bogus and
genuine ballots at five O'Clock in the
morning when II was said the joker bal
lots were found. Mr.. Dixon spoke elo-
quently for some time, and closed with
n appeal to the jury. not for mercy, but
for justice.
Mr.. Winfield followed. He said that
the position of the defendants embar-
rassed him. One was dead, two had prac-
tically abandoned efense, and one alone
contested the indie tment. StumDf's only
defense against these charges was that
he didn't know that anything was wrong.
There was not one OF the defendants in
all these cases who took the stand in his
own behalf who did not make that same
statement. Even one. whose character Is
so odious that bis name stands for every
thing that Is dishonest in politics, made
the same statement
Men who engage in practical politics
said Mr.. Winfield, may be honest in
th AZ they will not break into houses or
steal goods, but they think 1t we'll to
cheat at the ballot box. Mr.. Winfield
asked IL there were not many men OF
high reputation who would not hesitate
to smugRle a box of cigars or diamond
into the country, and yet. he SAID, plenty
OF good. re - utable citizens would come
forward and testify to their character for
honesty aud integrity.
Mr.. Winfield went into details and
pointed out the glaring frauds on the
tally sheets. He showed how three and
four votes were Often counted as five, and
that votes were taken from the Repu bli-
can and handed over to the Democratic
candidates. His allusIons to the peculiar
arithmetic of the bath House Precinct"
csused every one to smile, and even
McGrsth and Eagan could not
that II Stumpf had been honest, as he
claims, he never would have signed the
returns. IL he had been an honest man
and seen the indications of fraud which
he now swears he did he would have said,
mo, gentlemen. cannot sign those re-
turns"
MIR. Winfield referred to the case of
Van Horne, who, seeing frauds aud evil
dences OF fraud during election day, re-
fused to sign the returns and the Grand
Jury failed to indiot him, while his COM
panions were convicted.
JUDGE LIPPINCoTT's BRIEF COMMENTS.
In charging the jury. Judge Lippincott
said that II it was not for the fact that the
law required the Court to charge the jury
it fels sure it could safely leave the case
with them But it was the duty OF
the Court to instruct them some
what in the law of conspiracy,
to guide them in arriving at their deci-
sion. The Judge then en- tered fully into
the various phases of the law of conspir-
acy along the same line he has Durused
IN Lue OIucI cases. ne COiuI1cnbcu QpOu
the evidence but slightly, saying that 1t
was too recently given to need any re-
hearsing by him.
In speaking of Stumpf's case Judge
Lippincott said that the remarks of the
Court upon conspiracy applied to him as
well as to the other defendants. Bnt IL
the jury found that his acts were the re-
suit of ignorance and mistake he was not
answerable for conspiring to hold an IL
legal election. he must have had the
evil intent, and. if the jury were con-
vinced that he omitted his duties through
ignorance, they must acquit him. But
they must inquire very closely why he
neglected such important duties
The Judge consumed fifty minutes in
his charge, and the jury went out pre-
cisely at one O'Clock.
ALL THREE CONVICTED.
At just 2:05 O'Clock the jury returned
and announced that they had agreed
upon verdict. 1t was that all three de-
feudarts were guilty as charged in the
indictment. The jury, however, recon-
mended Stumpf to mercy.
Murray Et Al To be Sentenced Friday.
Judge Lippincott this morning an
n nounced that he would not pronounce
sentence on Murray, Stringham and
Flynn, the sixth batch of elective officers,
who were convicted last week, until
Friduy. The men were to be sentenced
tomorrow.