The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-03-08
mot MISS CHESLEY. "A RACE TRACK BOX
Sensational Discovery at
the Camden Frauds
Hearing Today.
STRING OF BALLOTS CHANGED
Election officer Admits This, But
Denies It Was Done for Thomp-
sons Sake.
spsctul to the JERSEY CITY Nesrs.

TRENTON March 8, 1894.-The examlna-
tion into the election of William j. Thomp-
son was characterized this morning by an
unusual outburst of temper on the part OF
Thompson. John Wartman, the counsel for
Lippincott, the contestant, passed where
Thompson was sitting on his way to the
counsel table, when Thompson, without any
provocation, cried out to Mr.. Wartman:-
81 don't take any stock In you at All, nor
does any other decent man. L Will take care
of you physically and mentally at any
timen =
Mr.. Wartman simply smiled and went to
his seat, while Judge Rankin and Lawyer
Curly quieted down their client. There mas
been blood between Thompson and Wart-
man for some time.
The investigation was held in the Speak
er's room back of the Assembly Chamber:
Mr. Sal;nger was the only member OF
the committee absent. The regis
try book of the Second precinct
of Gloucester Township was examined
first. Then Frank Anderson, the judge OF
election of the First ward of Gloucester City
was examined. He identified the box OF the
district which was on the table before him,
and produced key to it. Other witnesses
were examined to show where the box had
been since election, and what care had been
taken. of itJ The glass on one side OF the
box was broken. and George C. Cubbler, one
of the election officers, could not tell whether
it was broken on Election Day or not.
Neither could he swear positively that it was
the same box used on Election Day.
SENSATION.
Mr.. Storrs created a sensation by his next
move. He took the box and easily removed
one of tine fasts which held the glass sides to-
gether where they meet, that left an aper-
ture between two of the glass sides of about
an inch. Mr.. Storrs asked the witness If he
thought any ballots could be extracted or IN
serted through the opening.
The witness, who was much confused,
said he didn't know. He didn't think that
it could unless the whole string of ballots
was taken out, and that could not be done
through the opening. Mr.. Storrs then deftly
slid out the entire glass side OF the box, and
asked the witness if the whole contents
Of the box could not have been taken out
there and new string OF balIots anu Toll
book inserted. =,
The witness, whose confusion increased, said
he guessed it could.
Mr.. Storrs took the box to pieces without
breaking the seal or disturbing the locks:
This box came from the Race Track Pre-
cinct and is the one in which eleven hundred
votes, or one for every thirty seconds were
cast during the day.
Most of the voters were registered from
the stables on Thompsons race track.
While this was going on Thompsons face
was study. He leaned back IN his chair
and looked straight ahead, while the color in
his usual flushed face deepened.
ADMITS THE CHANGE.
A member Of the Investigating Committee
said that the original contents of this box
were taken out on election night and a new
string put in, which was fixed up to over
come the great Republican majority in the
other parts of the county 1t was not
Thompson the Democrats wanted to save as
much as it was the Sheriff and the Senator.
The Republican and ant1-race track major
ity, however, was so large against them that
even their manipulations in this district
could not save them.