The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-03-07
ONE BOX OPENED.
Investigation Into the Al
legged Camden Frauds
Continued.
GRAHAM AND THE OATH.
Witness Jagard Furnishes Much
Amusement-First Box Opened
Found All Right.
Special to the jersey CITY Neaus.

sons district last Iall began It's lnVeSulSduon
yesterday afternoon. The proceedings be-
gan as soon as the afternoon session of the
House had settled down to business. Mr..
Storrs, chairman of the committee. arose,
and, with manual in hand, solemnly an
nounced what everyone connected with the
Legislature knew-that no committee could
sit to transact business while the House was
in session without the special permission of
the Assembly. Then he paused dramati-
cally, and when he thought those who had
heard him had had time to become thorough
ly impressed with the stupendousness of his
statement he impresSively asked that the
Committee on Elections be given permission
to sit and pursue its investigations during
the sessions of the House, which was, of
course, Immediately granted. Then the in
~vestigators solemnly filed up to one of the
committee rooms on the gallery floor. They
were followed by a crowd which soon filed
the small room to such an uncomfortable
degree that it was found necessary to in
vite all those to leave who were not connect
ed with the case. When the place was cleared
Mr.. Storrs took his seat at the head of the
table and Mr.. Flynn seated himself opposite.
Messrs. Salinger, Exton, Lewis, Watson and
Olvaney, the other members of the commit
tee, crowded around them. Mr.. Thompson
took a chair between ex-Judge Rankin and
Thomas P. Curley, his counsel, and John w.
Wartman, counsel for Jacob G. Lippincott,
the contestant, sat beside Mr.. Storrs. Captain
John Graham 1ugged in two ballot boxes
and placed them under the table.
THE PROCEEDINGS OPENED
Mr.. Storrs opened the proceedings by
reading the formal notice of protest which
Mr.. Lippincott filed against Mr.. Thompson's
admission on the day the Assembly organ
IA 4a-o+lar with n.onf IF a,vio Of +l,o
protest upon Thompson by leaving it with
his daughter-in-law at his residence. The
protest is merely a technical one and was
printed in the NEWS at the time it was
offered. Mr.. Curley asked if the contestant
appeared and Mr.. Wartman replied that
he was represented by himself as counsel.
Mr.. Flynn proposed that the officers who
have had charge of the ballot boxes since
election day be called to show that no frauds
had been committed since they had been in
their possession. Mr.. Storrs did not agree
with this, and thought that it would be bet
ter to go on and count the ballots. This
aroused all the Indignation Judge Rankin
possessed, and jumping to his feet he strenu-
ously protested. He said that the lawyers
on the committee would appreciate the ne
cessity of conducting the investigation &C.
cording to the provisions of the statute, and
keeping it within the "pervue" of the law.
He claimed that the boxes should be identi-
ned ana Ule ItdLtlCI LII DldCG Ill WHICH Ul6y
had been kept since election fully establish
ed. The Judges unique eloquence prevailed,
and Robert W. Jagard, the Clerk of Glouces-
ter Township, was called to the stand. Then
it was discovered that there was no Bible in
the room to swear the witnesses upon, and
Captain Graham was sent on a voyage of
discovery for one.
While he was gone Max Salinger
asked Mr.. Storrs if he was a Master
in Chancery. Mr.. Storrs replied that he was
not. but ne understood that any member of
the committee could administer the oath.
Nevertheless, Max could swear the witnesses
if he wanted to-. Max Immediately declared
that Storrs was chairman, and he had better
administer the oath. Storrs replied by in
sisting that Max should do the swearing,
and then ensued one of those scenes two
women create in a horse car, when tine both
insist upon paying each others fare, while
they inwardly pray the conductor will col
lect from the other.
THE OATH ADMINISTERED.
Graham returned with the Bible and Sal
niger administered the oath. He got woe
fully mixed up and went fioundering around
calling Lippincott, Williams and Thompson
Thomas. Finally he got the oath
Strengthened out and Mr.. Jagard told who
and what he was. He Unidentified the boxes
and said that he had received the boxes
within twenty-four hours after election and
had been in his custody ever since until Mon
day, when he delivered them to the COM
mittee. Mr.. Salinger questioned the witness
at length but brought out nothing new. In
answer to Mr.. Wartman's questions the wit
ness said that the box of the Second precinct
was delivered to him about 10 o'clock the
night of election by the judge, while that of
First precinct was brought to him by a
fifteen year-old son of the judge the mex
afternoon. There was no wax or tape OF
anything upon the boxes to show that they
had been sealed up. The township had no
hall or other secure place in which he could
keep the boxes, SO he put them in the closet
of his bed room.
Judge Rankin there took the witness in
hand and created considerable amusement
by the manner in which he asked his ques-
tions. He went all over the direct examina-
ton step by step.
this closet in which the boxes were, except
the members OF his family. Judge Rankin
asked how many he had in his family and
the witness replied eight
MR.. JAGARD's FAMILY.
NOW, sir, will you kindly let me know the
ages of your chiIdrenq' asked Judge Rankin.
The witness hesitated a moment, and then
mentioned the ages, which ranged from
twenty-four to eight years.
s'Qnite a respectable family, sir" re-
marked Judge Rankin.
YOU'D think so it you had to support
them" Sa1u Gno WluneSS.
Judge Rankin then questioned Mr.. Jagard
about his trip from his home to Trenton with
the boxes, and made him describe infinitely
each step of the journey. He told how he
left the boxes in the Sergeant-at-Arms' Office,
but he could not swear positively that it was
the -Sergeant-at Arms office.
Ibid you not know it was improper for
you to leave the boxes in that wayT asked
the Judge.
Don't a-nswer~that question:" said Mr..
Storrs, quickly, and the witness didn't.
Judge Rankin protested, but the committee
insisted that it wasn't a proper question.
When the witness saw what a storm was
in progress he said:-
II would have sat on them boxes in the
hall until I gave them to the C COMMITTEES il |
had known there was going to be all this
fuss over them"
"You might have Matched something if
you had remarked Judge Rankiv.
mo out of them boxes" exclaimed the
witness. "You can't hatch anything out of
them they're straight,
May / ask what your politics are, sirg'
asked the Judge.
II vote the Republican ticket. replied the
witness.
Sergeant-at-ArmsWat of the House
testified that the boxes were left with him
and he had kept them SO hat 40 one could
get at them. Mr.. Storrs then directed the
boxes to be opened and Judge Rankin adj
dressed the committee. He. started off by
setting forth now anxious Mr.. Thompson
was to have a full free and thorough investi-
cation and had no desire to throw obstacles
of any kim in the committees way. But