The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-11-22
GROSS CARELESSNESS EVERYWHERE
Democratic Gains Make Allan
MeDermott Cheerful-Ho-
boken's Good Showing.
Judge Lippincott Pressing the Re-
count Rapidly-Tom McEwan
Pledges His Honor.

Assembly votes in Hudson County. At
the close of the first days work forty
one boxes, or half the number in Jersey
City, had been counted. and to the JOY
of the Democrats the result showed a
marked Democratic gain, which, accord
ing to General w. c.. Hepenheimer, If
kept up today, may elect nine Demo-
Gratis out of the eleven. and perhaps
elect Col E. A. Stevens.
These gains occurred in the Fourth
precinct of the Third district, where 10
votes were credited to the Democrats In
the Fourth precinct of the Fifth dis
trict, where a gain was made of votes;
again in five precincts of the Fifth dis
trict there was a gain of u; in seven
precincts of the Second there was gain
of u, and in four boxes of the Sixth II
more were found, and in a large num-
Der of instances a few scattered votes to
add to very marked increase.
There was one case where the Republic
cans tried to euchre the Democrats out
of 1877 votes and that was in the box of
the Fifth precinct of the First district.
That number of Democratic ballots were
found in the box without official envel-
opes. and the Commissioner was asked
.
entire vote: bat Justice Lippincott was
appealed to- and he reserved his de-
cisfon.
The ballot act says that the ballot must
be enclosed in the official envelope or
the vote is void; but in this case Justice
Lippincott said
1.-The suposition is that when the cleo
tion officers were counting these votes
they threw the official envelopes aside,
and perhaps there were not official en-
yelopes enough; but that is a matter
which I will decide later"
4 curious thing about these ballots is
that besides the 1917 without envelopes in
the box were IS with. and the counsel
induiged in a, thousand supposittons to
account for the sixteen. In all there
were 213 votes, of which III are Demo
cratic and the remainder Republican.
Another point on which Justice Lippin-
colt will be asked to rule is where a
ballot had two votes for the same can
Gidate. It was Democratic ticket,
aud some genius had used a paster,
voting twice for the same man. Then
again there were many rejected votes
included in the count. and some not
counted and not ruled upon. All these
matters viii be determined by the Court
at the close of the recount, when oppos-
ing counsel will be heard.
SANGUINE DEMOCRATS.
Long after the actual work of recount
ing had finished at eleven o'clock, Demo-
cratic leaders were figuring up gains. AS
fast as sheet was finished they COM
pared the count with the result of the
Board of Canvassers. Mr.. McDermott
and Mr. R. Davis bent their heads over
pages of figures, and from the pleased
expression of their faces, the result must
have been gratifying.
What do you think of the result so
far?'s asked News reporter of Mr..
MeDermott.
'Why, if this gain continues in the
same proportion" he replied, 81 believe
The whole county ticket will be elected.
Anyhow, so far we are satisfied
General Hepenheimer, who all night
long sat at Commissioner Potts table
with Mr.. T. McEwan, Jr., was the most
sanguine Democrat in the room. The
nver-genial ex-Comptroller firmly believes
that his friend. Col Stevens. will be
elected, and the Colonel himself, as he
went lodging about backwards and for
words in the crowd, looked as if things
would ultimately turn his way.
TODAY'S PROCEEDINGS.
ST can't wait any longer for the keys"
laid Justice Lippincott at half-past eight
Jclock, eyeing the unopened ballot boxes
containing the Hoboken vote, land I
l1ink can open them with chisel."
you can't open them with chisef,"
remarked Mr.. Davis.
"Oh, can't 1? could easily pry them
ppen, and will rather than wait. There
IS hammer and chisel in my room"
and His Honor was about to go for the
.ools when County Clerk Mclaughlin
came in and the boxes were quickly
opened.
To expedite the recount Justice Lippin-
ott appointed Mr.. Herbert Stout COM
missioner to examine the boxes of Union
Township, and Mr. Stout began his work
Immediately with the assistance of Philip
W. Fleming, Rector B. Fish, tally
clerks; James McGirr, folder and Henry
Bird, stringer, in the small room adj
loining the Sheriffs Office.
At nine o'clock Commissioner Potts be-
gan with the Hoboken boxes. and the
work is proceeding rapidly with few
Democratic gains as starter.
INDICATIONS OF FRAUD.
The first evidence of funny business
came to light this morning when the
box from the Seventh precinct of the
Fourth district was opened. The string
If ballots numbered 486, but three of
:fese hadn't the slightest impression of
he regular mill mark which al
ways stamps the ballots dropped into
he box. Clearly the pieces of paper
ooked as if they had got into the box
not the usual way and had been
strung on later They were straight
Republican ballots.
The presiding commissioner called the
.ttention of Justice Lippincott to the
uspicious trio and ne minutely inspected
hem, but couldn't detect the slightest
IMPRESS of the mill.
IT viii not rule on these now" he said
lffer a pause" but later I will look at
hem more carefully and give de-
;ision.y
The discovery caused no little sensa-s