The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-07-02
OUR BAD UPS.
Fourteen Out of One Hun
dred and Sixty-Seven
Have Been Indicted.
AN UNNECESSARY EVIL
Facts That the Constitutional Com
mission Should Study-Sys-
tematic Extortion.

The proposition to abolish the office OF
justice of the peace, which the Constitutional
| Commission will consider at length, is one of
more than ordinary interest to first, the JUS
tees, and second, the people. For many
years, justices of the peace have as a body
been considered by the public as SO many
parasites. They have frequently been de-
nounced as ulcers on the administration of
| the law, and so general has thai opinion be-
come that it would be a very rare thing to
hear any one advocate their cause and allege
reasons for their existence, particularly in
| cities or towns where Police and District
Courts exist.
When several years ago the Legislature
established District Courts, it did much to
stamp out the abuses Of justices of the peace,
and since then the business of the justices
has been greatly diminished; and very prop
erly, too, for with rare exceptions a justice
of the peace in one of the larger counties is
an ignorant and illiterate person. wholly in
capable of interpreting law, whose sole de-
sire is to make all the money possible out of
his office. He goes on the principle OF the
old Quaker. who advised his son to make
money honestly if he could, and if he could
not, to make money any way.
The present Grand Jury in this county has
indicted fourteen of these Magistrates, eight
of whom nave either admitted that they
were guilty of extortion or have been con-
victed. Only one of those indicted has been
| acquitted. Six ave not yet been tried.
HOW THEY r ELECTED.
In this county there are about 1W justices
of the peace, or about one to every 100 in
habitants, counting men, women and child
| rem. They are elected in wards or districts,
according to population, and each alder
manic district in this city and each ward in
Hoboken and Bayonne is entitled to five
justices. Only one justice is elected in a dis
trict each year, unless a vacancy is created
by death or other cause, and then a success
sor is elected to fill the ~unexpired term, in
addition to the election of the candidate to
succeed the justice whose term of office has
expired. A justice of the peace may be
elected just as often as the people choose to
give him a plurality or majority of votes.
There Is no law to prevent him from sue
ceeding himself for a lifetime.
The election of a justice of the peace is
different from the election of any other
official. Th Secretary OF State determines
| how many justices shall be elected and di-
reefs the County or City Clerk, as the case
may be to print the names on the official
ballots. When the election is over the vote
is not canvassed for justices as it is for other
candidates. The city OF county Board OF
| Canvassers had nothing at all to do with it.
The election returns are forwarded to the
| Secretary of State and he canvasses the vote
at Trenton. There appears to- be no good
| reason why justices should be elected differ
| entity from other officials. but the law re-
| quires it and must be followed.
In this county justices of the peace have
| pracribed aSystem of extortion with impun-
ity until the present term of court. Nearly
everyone Of them charges q complainant Sl.S0
for drawing a complaint and issuing a war
rant. lie has no right to make such a charge,
for the county pays him for his services.
HITI.x s,,+;oo frr,,n, ~ run ,.ro For o,.ract
| he enters that fact on his docket. If the
Grand Jury indicts the accused, District At
torney c~ertifies to that fact and the County
Collector pays the bill. If the complainant
in such a case has paid the justice $1.S0 then
His Honor is paid twice. Tn present Grand
Jury became aware OF this condition of af-
fairs and as before said found fourteen in
dictmentS.
A LIST.
The justices who have been brought to
court to answer to the indictments of the
Grand Jury were:-
Winfield S. Weed, who pleaded non Uult
to two indictments.
William f. Rusch of Hobsken who
pleaded non ruIt to one Indictment, and on
one trial was acquitted on two. He would
not nave been acquitted If Constable
Wright had not sworn the $3.50 in each case
was paid to him, and that he did not divide
with Rusch.
- llGI1Y NldIuluDL III UAlo Guy Wdo u
guilty on one indictment n pleaded non
cult to three others.
William r. Wilson, whose office is near
the Court House, was found guilty on four
indictments for extortion, and one for EN-
bezZlement.
Carl Isaisch of this city also, pleaded non
cult to one Indictment.
Peter Beck of West Hoboken made the
same plea to two indictments.
William Allen. in years the Oldest justice
in the county perhaps, was acquitted Oh an
indictment for extortion.
Justice Douglass was tried twice on one in
dictment for a similar offense, and each
time the jury, for reasons best known to
| themselves, disagreed. The six justices who
| have not been brought into court will prob
ably be arraigned early this week.
In view of the proposition before the Con
stitutional Commission to abolish the office
| of Justice of the Peace OF to restrict its
| powers SO as to render justices perfectly
| harmless, it might be well for the Commits
sioners to carefully Famine the records of
the General Sessions of the term. The
Court has not imposed any sentences in the
cases of the justices yet. aid may not do so
until all cases have been heard. There is a
general belief that eighty per cent. of the
l Justices of the peace in the county have
been guilty of extorting money from persons
who lave applied for warrants, but except
in the cases mentioned, tho facts nave not
! been brought to the notice OF the Grand
Jury.
1t is a well known fact that Prosecutor
Winfield has no sympathy for justices, and
evil. The Criminal Court Judges also
view the acts of the justices of the peace
with considerable suspicion. This county
could well get along without them.
HOBOKEN MINOR EVENTS.