The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-03-06
THE CAMDEN FRAUDS
House Committee on E1ec-
tons Began Yesterday
It's Investigation.
BALLOT BOXES PRODUCED
Wanted to Open Them With a
Ch%isel-Captain Jack Ora
ham After Evidence.
Special to the Jersey City Neacs.

Special to the jersey City Neacs.
TRENTON, March 6, 1S94.-The House Com
mittee on Elections started in in earnest yes
terday afternoon to unearth the great frauds,
which, it is claimed, were committed last fall
in William J. Thompson's district, the third
of Camden county. At half-past four the
committee met in the room of the Committee
on Municipal Corporations and organized
with the election of Mr.. Storrs, chairman, and
Mr.. Exton of Mercer, secretary. Ex-Speaker
FLYNN and Mr.. Watson of Camden were
absent. Ex-Judge William R. Rankin of
Jersey City and Thomas P. Curley, a Cam
den Poo-Bah and general Thompson factotum
appeared as counsel for the Duke of Glouces-
ter. and John Wartman said he represented
Jacob c.. Lippincott who is contestlng
Thompson's seat. The committee has not as
yet obtained counsel. 1t is said that the
to act as counsel for them and that Mr..
Griggs will accept-if his engagements will
permit.
BALLOT BOXES PRODUCED.
R. L. Baker, County Clerk of Camden, In
response to a subpoena which had been
served, produced the six ballot boxes, poll
books and registry books and other docu-
ments relative to the election. Among the
papers produced was the registry list and
poll books of the election of 1892. As these
had not been included in the subpoena, the
members of the committee expressed some
surprise at their production, and said that
they did not think that the books would be
needed.
This provoked the righteous Indignation of
Judge Rankin. With win and vigor" he
made one of his characteristic fiery speeches.
He said that his side had directed the Clerk
to produce the poll books and lists OF 1877.
They wished to show that the names on
those of 1913 were On the 92 books, which
would prove that the owners were bona tide
residents of the district. The ex-Judge grew
more eloquent as he proceeded, and insisted
most s~trenuouslv that the books be received.
Mr.. Wartman s~trenuously opposed re-
ceiving the books, n they were rejected.
Mr.. Curley then asked if the custodian of
the keys to the boxes had been s~ubpenaed.
This question occasioned some surprise. as
the members of the committee supposed that,
as in most all the counties, the County Clerk
had the keys and would produce them with
the boxes. Mr.. Curley, however, explained
that the County Clerk did not have the keys,
but the officers of the election did, and they
had not been subponaed. MIR. Curley then
asked how the committee proposed to open
the boxes. He had been informed that MI.
Storrs had said that they would be opened
with a chisel, if necessary.
"Were you SO informed oficiallyp' asked
Mr.. Storrs.
"What dc you mean by oficiallyg' replied
Mr.. Curley, Yankee fashion.
ssBy a member of the committee" replied
Mr.. Storrs.
At that point Daniel F. Lane, Clerk of
Gloucester City, spoke up and said that he
had heard Mr.. Storrs say that the boxes
could be opened in that manner. MI. Storrs
finally admitted that he had made such a
remark
AFTER THE KEYS.
Mr.. Curley then implored Mr.. Storrs to
subpoena the men having the keys, Inc not
to resort to what he termed ssthe disgrace OF
opening the boxes that way 1t was finally
decided to send Captain Graham to Camden
last night to subpoena the custodians OF the
keys.
Then the question arose as to what safe
guard should be thrown around the boxes
Until today. Mr.. Curley wanted a repre-
sentative of Thompson to be among those
who guarded the boxes, and there was more
talk over that, Finally it was decided to
lock them up in the vault of the cellar under
seal of Mr.. Storrs representing the COM
mittee. and Mr.. Curley for Mr.. Thompson.
Then each member of the committee took up
one of the ballot boxes, and in Indian file
proceeded toward the State House vault,
followed by a properly impressed crowd.
When they arrived in the subterranean cham
Der, the scene, in the uncertain light which
came through the heavily barred window,
was spook-like enough. The window was up
to admit air, and Mr.. Exton declared that it
ought to be put down. Some one tried to tell
him that it was impossible for any one to get
through the barred window, but Exton
would not be convinced. He said no one
would think that a man could get out Of
States Prison, but many had. No one could
Withstand such logic as that, and the window
came down,
The boxes were carefully placed within
the vault, where just five years ago the Hud-
son ballot boxes, which produced the worse
frauds ever unearthed in this State, rested.
Then, with much %solemnity, Mr.. Storrs and
Mr.. Curley wrote their names on large sheets
of paper, which were placed across the door
and plentifully bedaubed with sealing wax.
In fact, so lavish was MI. Storrs with the
red wax that he almost set his piece of paper
on fire. In order to give the affair more
solemnity, Barney Ford was called in to
paste another piece Of paper over the door,
with his name and plenty of sealing a
upon it.
L HUDSoN STORY.
Captain John Graham, the ~Sergeant-at-
Arms of the committee, who has been in
Gloucester City several days gathering evil
dence for the contest, says that it is the old
Hudson story over again, only more SO, He
says that 25G persons were registered from
the thirteen Stables upon Tue gloucester race
tracks. From ono stable known as the ice
house stable thirty-seven were registered,
and on the lists the first five or six names
under each letter are all registered from
stable No. IL. In many cases the same name
was used several times, as, for example,
Daniel Murphy, Dan Murphy and D. Muir
ply: In the one precinct in which the race
track is located eleven hundred and eleven
votes were polled. According to the COM
mittee's calculation. which deductS the noon
moor recess and the four in~terrnissions Of