The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-11-01
DESERTER M'CAFFERY.
Shameful Record of the Jeffer-
sonian Assembly Candidate
in the Fourth.

in the Fourth.
A deserter from the army, who has
masqueraded as brave soldier, now
wants to make laws for the brave men
who saved the country he abandoned.
This man. this deserter, this would-be
lawmaker, is EDWARD j. McCAFFERY Of
No so Mercer street. collector for the
National Express Company and the
nominee for Member OF Assembly of the
Jeffersonian Labor Party in the Fourth
district.
Here is this fellows record:-
ABSTRACT OF THE MILITARY RECORD OF
EDWARD j. MCCAFFERY AS TAKEN
FROM THE FILES IN THE WAR DEPART
MENT AT WASHINGTON
Edward J. McCaffery was enrolled in
Company H. Fourteenth Connecticut Vol
unteers, August 90, 1862. at New London,
Conn. On April 10. 1868. he went to the
hospital ar City Point, Va, whence he
was transferred to the hospital at Phila-
delphia, Pa. He DESERTED from there
August 26 1858. He was ARRESTED in the
Southern division OF New York as DE-
sERTER September %. 1864, and was sent
to Governors Island, N. Y. He was
never mustered out aud therefore is
STILL DEsERTER from the United States
Army. The sum OF $50 was paid for his
ARREST for DEsERTIoN. His application
for removal of the charge of DISCRETION
has never been granted.
(Signed) LEWIS MCDONALD.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this
Goth day Of October, 1891.
CUvIER GREEN,
[sEAL] Notary Public.
u. u.
TRAITOR AGAIN.
When McCaffery sought to be candi-
date for the Legislature he looked about
to see the prospects. He had claimed to
be Democrat, but that party did not
want him. He might have become a
Republican. but bad as that corrupt band
is, it had no room for the man who de-
serted the battle field. He was in de-
spair. He was too bad for honorable
help to aid his political ambition. He
looked down into the innermost recesses
of his heart and there found his ignominy
written IN burning letters. He was a
traitor. He knew that his life in the
future must be with those OF his kind.
sonian Democrats. He reasoned:-"I de.
serted the flag of my country on the
bloody field OF battle. the Jeffersonians
deserted the flag of Democracy on the
field of political strife. We are:-
Two souls with but a single thought,
Two souls that beat as one.
The addition of another traitor to the
Jeffersonian ranks was well received by
Stuhr, Rankin and the other deserters
from the Democratic flag, and he was
nominated for member of Assembly bl
| them at once, on the Jeffersonian prfnci
pie OF the Rreatersthe traitor, the greater
the reward. When McCaffrey thus placed
himself before the public. and asked hon
est men to vote to give him one of the
highest offices in the gift of the people,
they began to inquire into his history as
they had right to do, to learn whether
he was fit for their suffrages. The result
of the inquiries was the affidavit that has
been mentioned exposing his desertion
from the army.
HE TURNED PALE.
Such serious charge as this, although
it is under oath, required corroboration
before it could be printed, and on the pre-.
sumption that Edward j. McCaffrey
knew as much about the charge as any
one. a reporter for THE JERSEY CITY
NEWS was sent to interview him. The atfi-
davit was read to McCaHrey, and at Its
conclusion he said:-
1.-THE affidavit is true" His voice fal.
tered ami his face paled. YES" he con-
tinued, cit is true. got furlough to 20
home, and whom got there | staid home.
My regiment was mustered cut while
was home."
"why did you not return to the army
when your furlough exp1redW he was
asked.
Because, when home ! found it SO
comfortable that / simply did not &c
back. had no other reason for not re-
turning. was not the only man who
did this; there were Thousand Of them"
The thought that he was not the only
his low spirits. for he said
in a brisk tone: ST have
no more to say about this matter. am
candidate and il the people want to
send me to the Assembly | will go. 1t Is
not true that am a candidate simply to
help Medole the Republican. want the
office; have a right to be candidate
and ] want to be elected. have moth
ing TO say against P. H. O'Neill, the
Democratic candidate. He is good fel-
low socially. but / do not like his poll
tics"
WHAT MR.. o'NEILL SAYS.
Candidate p. II. O'Neill. when asked
McCaffery, said:-"I did not want to ex-
pose him, but he is looking for a public
office and be invites criticism. A public
man should be known by his acts and
deeds. This man claims to be Demo
crat, but 1t is not Democratic politics fol
one Democrat to run for Office against
another. do not desire to say any more.
l feel sorry for McCaffery. Why
he had at least ten illegal names
to his petition for nomination
and could have prevented him from be-
ing candidate, but l did not insist or
my rights. l think it is subject fol
charity, and as charity to him will not
say what old soldiers think of man will
his record"
Murder will out" McCaffery's secret
after being locked up in his breast fol-
twenty-eight long years has been dragged
to light by his second act of treachery-
that of deserving the Democratic party to
aid the Republicans to elect their candi-
date.