The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-09-02

VI hduu 6dF1y anu ne GrhClOuSly d1lOWeel
his court constables to use their
discretion as TO how the crowd in
| the building should be managed
On one occasion ne woke up a little and
asked couple OF constabes TO try and
have more people placed in the gallery to
relieve the main room. After that he e.
iapsed into his individual nonentity.
THE HOUR OF DOOM.
The audience waited patiently until
ten minutes before twelve o'clock and
| then the three Judges, serious and solemn
looking, entered thu room. The loud
whispered conversation that had been
going on ceased instantly and hush
that was as oppressive as q grave yard
spread over the room.
The prisoners looked more serious than
they had even looked before, aud ap-
peared relieved to have the stiffness
broken by the screams of child suffer
ing from cholic, which was In the arms
OF woman interested In the verdict IN
the case of her husband. The woman and
child were hustled into an anti-room.
THE LAWS PENALTY.
Then in slow, grave voice JuOge Lip
pincott remarked
'The Court in these election cases has
arrived at conclusion and all sentences
Will be announced this morning. lt
is but fair to say. it is but
proper for the Presiding Judge
to say something in relation
to the matters that entered into the con-
sideration of the sentences. One OF the
first things | should say is that His
Honor. Judge Kenny. feels that all the
circumstances of the cases having come to
him at SO late date, his appointment
being very recent. he is inclined to
believe that miider sentences than those
about to be pronounced should be I'M
posed. The Presiding Judge is bound to
fh0t his pti oDt n this n
just and honorable and do him Justice.
In view Of the many comments of the
press that have sometime ago, but more
recently, been made in reference to the
position of Judge Hoffman in relation to
the sentences already imposed, or
to those now about to be i'm
posed, in the cases of the conviction
of the election officials, the great majority
OF which press comment have done him a
great injustice, l deem it proper to say,
and to make it as prominent as possible,
that during the proceedings and trials in
all these cases. and in the making up
these sentences Judge Hoffman has
been in full accord with myself rs Presid-
ing Judge Of the county. with the
exception of one single instance, where
he differed as matter of principle in the
conditional sentences, the facts of which
are well known, and / ana not now pre-
pared to say, under all the circumstances,
that his convictions upon that subject
were not correct at the time.
'Judge Hoffman did not intend that
this difference should be considered pre-
cedent, but as protest against the adop-
tton of a principle which he deemed
wrong one.
JUDGE HoFFMAN's ATTITUDE.
SIT must be apparent to all those who
are familiar with the laws constituting
the Court of Quarter Sessions that no
one judge could have carried on these
trials and carried out the sentences of the
Court, and Whatever fattering en-
comiums the public or the press has
seen fit i'll their past to sestow upon
me in relation TO these matters Judge
Hoffman is entitlrd to his just share Of
concentrations and praise for the results
of The v1ndication of the law and the pun
ishment of these detestable offenders.
Il deem it proper to say that while it is
true that Judge Hoffman before his de-
parture for Europe, where he was COM
PEELED to go for the benefit of his
health, expressed himself, if the
remaining defendants should at
once, aud before his departure, plead
guilty and submit to the law and the
clemency of the Court, in favor of a
1ighter sentence than that which is about
to be imposed, in order that the cases
could, while he was still here, be disposed
Of, and any unpleasant comments upon
his enforced absence avoided, yet he was
equally free in stating that il such advice
was not taken, he saw no good reason
why these defendants now at the bar
should be entitled to any more considera-
tion than those who are previously Sen-
fenced. The depression of opinion too
was at time when the Court of Review
of the State had not finally determined
the law of these cases.
"This course was not taken. These de-
PENDANTS took no such steps either at
that time nor subsequently. No indica-
tlons that court could place any reliance
upon was given by the defendants that
they intended to plead guilty to the
indictments. On the contrary, a course
of negotiations with the court was
commenced in order to ascertain what
sentence the Court would impose if such
plea was entered until the Court felt it.
self obliged to announce that if plea of
guilty was entered it must be done upon
the distinct understanding that no inti-
nation had been, or would be, held out
as to the sentence to be imposed or as to
the clemency to be exercised.
"The Court was engaged for month
or more In preparing list of
jurors for the cases from
which to strike jurors for the
trial. Two cases were tried. The guilt in
these cases, i'll my opinion, was manifest.
The fraud perhaps was not SO great as in
some Others OF the cases, if mere results
are considered. The duplfcity of intention
seemed to be just as bad.
"In the other four cases the defendants
waited until the iuries were struck and
summoned and only pleaded upon the
very eve of trial. and in one case on the
very day of trial.
"This is no submission to the law and
no proper apreal for clemency.
THE FIRST SENTENCE PRONOUNCED.
Nathaniel Fowler, James H. Jordan,
William Reen," said Judge Lippincott.
turning to the ballot box suffers. The
three men stood up ana the Judge said:-
1.-THE Court is entirely satisfied
with the verdict in your case, Fowler
and Jordan. 1t is evident that you in
tended to commit fraud and did commit
it, and it seems to the Court that il your
proceeding had not been interrupted bv
the drunkenness of some members of
your Board that you would have sue
ceededed in doing great wrong. The
Court has listened to many pleas for Gle
mency IN your case Jordan,
listened to a plea in your behalf on an
other ground which was made in conf
dence to the Court and Of which we can
not speak. 1t is sufficient to say that
no plea for any one made to the Court
In confidence can be accepted with a re-
suit that will benefit the accused. Pleas
must be legal and such as may be made
in open court A story has been
told the Court concerning Won
by your own relatives, but it being in
confidence will obtain you no mercy. The
Court will, however, regard the recon-
mendation to mercy made by the Jury" !"