New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-03
NEWS FROM NEW JERSEY.
JERSEY CITY.
THOSE NOTORIOUS ELECTION FRAUDS.
A POLICEMAN TELLS WHY BALLoT-Box SUFFERS

election conspiracy recorded in the history OF the
State The exposure OF these frauds by Senate III,
vestgating committee led to the unseating Oh
F. Mcdonald who. II had been declared, was eie''eu
Senator from hudson County, and the Ilnulc'''
sixty seven election officers who stuffed the uS" os
boxes to elect Democrats to Office. The oinces hi,S
that year, $780, were Governor, Senator, Assembly
men and Freoholders OF the sixty inoc'cu 'o
twenty-seven have been convicted by struck JuIe''
three are serving ont their sentences OF nine anu
months at the penltentiary twenty-four nave ~"
sentenced to eighteen months at state prison. puO arc
at liberty on bail pending appeal, ana one W.
Doan Is dead In the case Of the first oa'cn Vi ra
ton officers tried the appeal to the Supreme Oour' no
been argued aud decision given which IN every p
ticular afrms the judgment Of the court pelo" AZ
Court Of General Sessions. From this decision y. ~
Supreme Court a further appeal to toe Couro VI ,
and Appeals has been TAKEN A decision VIII D 80.
nv this court In November next. There arc SeU -
indicted men 70 he tried. which means ten trials lor
they are tried In patches Of four for consphaoy' "
all the past trials the men who are the 'io''''' VI
the Vaccinations OF tho ringEeaders OF the ac
the tools Who for a few dollars or Pron''" va, A.,
under the city and county government ooii'iii'VoI
crime have carefully shielded the men who eihpoyeu
them During two Of the trials the name Vi Oma' "
somers president of the Board OF etrecU snu
Commissioners was brought out In an u"pl'''h''0
manner to him, and this lett an 'iPIo9, .
in the minds Of some OF those - sY
in the courtroom that Mr.. Somers Knew soou ~
about the running of the election In the ls' ~
where he lives The name of Robert DAVIS, -, t'
Police Justice and jaoreect during the tria Vi 'o
second batch of baOt-box suffers was a'so "''"eu
ont Of A witness by Prosecutor Winfield hsiue irO"i
these two incidents nothing tending to crimlha'e any
one but the persons trial tTanspreo. :" -,
trial Prosecutor Winfield has declared that thc Odiov
box s,ufng was the result OF general consPaS, 'u
not a number of conspraces, each confneo 10 snsic
denounced
men who induced the election onoers 10 oon,"iV
fraud but the prosecutor has declared VINO ulese
men were He has never far as can De ascer'a"eu'
asked q Grand Jury to indict certain men q" eV "
stigators Of the conspiracy reporter OF lIie iuo
was thinking of these things when he net wei
known man in political circles on me 0onrt HVu'o
veranda. This man was asked why the leaders had
- hoor Indicted for these election frauds, since
the tools were being slowly but surely convicted ana
eontenced IN terms at state Prison, and why the
cuprts so steadfasty refused TO peach on the llhs
leaders.
an Won Will not use my name" he said. I'm con
nection with what l say will give you lily opilon
on the subject and my views are the ones seneranS
accented by all who make the politics oil HUDSON
Comfy and Jersey City study. l believe that the
corspiracy was formed by three perhaps four mem
hers Of the Executive Committee Of the Democratic
County Committee. The Executive Noh'"i''c0
composed Of ten members and the chairman Oh "ic
County Committee ex-ofico. crime such is wis
perpetrated as we know In seventeen precincts a'
least involving sixty seven election omcers' was on
trcly of "a too serious nature to permit all
the members OF the committee TO be In
the secret before it was consnmmateu, anu
when the frauds had been committed the cohsplators
believe feared to let the others in Tie secret hach
polling place has four election officers, and tmhK
that the leaders made each set OF election ohcers De
ueve that they alone we're made conederates and that
| oftt
pended on their fraudulent work. These same repre-
senfotons doubtless were made at each OF the seven
teen polling places OF after the frauds were
committed it was the safety Of all to say nothing
eyes: but after the indictments were found, why
did not some one Of the number tel the story II 1t Is
tueln
1.-THE reason is very apparent. When they were
indicted through the efforts Of DR.. L. j. Gordon, fore
man of the Grand Jury, II was indifference 10 pupho
opnion Every respectable man In the county anu
tbe state demanded It, and the leaders IN the olVc
narticu,arlv the Democratic State General Committee
realized that some effort to show that the crimes "ero
nure,v local and had been committed without the
sanction of the party must be made. Bob Davis was
chairman of the Executive Committee and was also
sheriff ~ the county. lie made u hard fight against
.he finding OF indictments, but stronger pressure was
brought to bear that he could overcome Inc men
were indicted. The leading conspirators were tior
oughly frightened sheriff Davis, and score Oh minor
politicians who owed Office to him. at once began an
actiye search for bail The sheriff received the
canioses for the arrests Of the indicted
men, lie brought into court siNNoho Vi
tbe on:lnls. and had bail ready for each orc
Either he procured the bail or some OF his followers
did H. for him. The Sheriff made a return oil Io'
Found, I'm the case Of the remaining SIX nlch' 'u's
Llpplncott showed that he was dispensed at uhs' anu
he turned the caplascs over to DistrlctAttOrueS WIN
aeM Mr. Winfield did not direct his regular detectives
Cor
himself. but he employed Captain John Graham VINO
nod Leon enpoyed as a detective by the Senate IN
restieating Committee, 10 find the elecuol ooeIe anu
that individual in few days had them ALL not"lth
standing the fact that Sheriff Davis and Ills deputies
could not find Them 81, A.,
AS soon as the men were released on ball theI
ucre all assured so have been told. that they "oulu
49,, h convicted and if they were, they would never
ho nrrisbed They were convinced that pressure
gould be brought TO bear with the Legislature, ana
net an act OF some description would be passed. III
their favor, so that they would escape punishment"
The ballot-bOx suffers were convinced by INC rihh
leaders that their safety depended on their Silence
and they have been made TO believe tlat ''io '''
nrators arc betrayed all hope for the election ocers
= conc Last winter the Ticket of-Leave act was
,sea bv tne LEGISLATURE. by the terms OF TINS act
- l. made uo.slble for every convicted man 10 escape
Imn,isonment / firmly believe that this law was
created solely in the interest OF the baiotboA stuei
should the court Of last resort decide against 'e'
A. all events the convicted men were reloiced when
the act became law" , ,,o.
But this does not explain WHY tle "."'u 'u'i.'
drawn since the election omcerS were luo'cu ""'o
| not indicted the rngleaderS.
.onIy I'm part. without the confession OF one o.!
tbe Gsot boX suffers 1T would DC almost lnposslDo
~, lind an Indictment against them, so thoroughly nave
tSav covered mn their tracks. But the real reason 50
I hive been Informed, is the election OF JOIN &c
hiIIins Gnder sheriff during Davss term Of Ohce, 70
thn niiGco ~, sheriff You remember what a strlsse
na,Is had 10 force his nomination on the conVenlNn'
md boT al the last moment Davis called conference
~ bc leaders of the party in his Office and demanded
that McPhlliips DE nominated The conference was a
st"rn, ono and County Clerk Mclaughlin III rage
IN a. bnt wa, brought back again. IL was sara az
be lime that Davis threatened u defeat the party u
Wcpbiiiins were not nominated. don't know now
irue This is but Davis carried his point, ana &c
Phillips was elected sheriff 1t was said during me
eamnaaIon thai McPhTnps. who is poor man, patl
Eavfs for The Office by allowing Davis to name every
member Of the Grand Juries TO he drawn unul TWO
Il IL ltnine nf limitations connected with The elec-