The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-11-13
BARMARKs OF FRAUD.
Results of Yesterdays Election Prob
ing Before VAR. Nugent.


Even Republicans were compelled to
admit yesterday, at the hearing before
Supreme Court Commissioner Nugent
for the purpose of amending the ineom-
plete certificates of election officers,
that a number of these individuals
ought to go to prison for their careless
ness.
1t was perfectly evident from dozen
instances at least that more incom-
petent stupid, idiotic set of officials
never assumed charge. of election re-
turns They signed blank returns, which
they sent in to the County Clerk, as re-
auired by law. left the boxes unlocked,
neglected to send back the keys of the
boxes, and in one or two instances didn't
even send the ballot box itself back
until half-past six % clock on the morn
ing after election, piece of negligence
which may be all right SO far as the
custody of the box is concerned, but it
opens the door to ugly suspicion and
rumor.
AS for the keys, a peculiar thing hap
pened yesterday afternoon. While County
Clerk Mclaughlin was busy hunting up
keys to open the boxes for the testimony,
a man sneaked up to his desk and
quietly slipped in front of Mr. Nc
Laughiin the key for the box of the
First precinct of the Third Aldermanic
district, and made his escape before any
one could ask him question.
There are still three keys missing
from boxes of the Sixth district.
When Commissioner Nugent came to
the district yesterday, in the course of
the Investigation, City Clerk Scott
found that two boxes from the Seventh
and Fourteenth precincts were not in the
room. They had been left at the City
Hall.
Il insist that they shall be sent for"
said Mr. Frambach. to which Senator
Edwards repIed:-"We will consent to
the issuing of mandamus by the Court
and stop this tomfoolery."
I'VE propose TO have the evidence con-
tanned in these boxes" SAID Mr.. Fran
bach.
FISHING FOR EVIDENCE.
'But if we consent to mandamus,"
said Mr. Edwards. that surely is the
very best evidence you can haye?"
Mr. Frambach, however. insisted on
the production of the boxes. which pro-
voked from Mr.. Edwards the retort, 81
suppose you are doing this to fish for
the evidence you have not been able
to obtain so far"
Commissioner Nugent, however, sent
for the boxes, and in the meantime Clerk
Gritten was sworn, and he said that
In many cases the election officers had
not furnished the Board of Canvassers
with any returns. Notwithstanding the
explicit injunction of the law on this
point these idiotic officials had in this
case as in every other pertaining to the
duty which the county pays for, simply
said, 1.-THE people of Hudson county be
d-d.''
As a sample of the superlative stupid
ity of these curious creatures, Mr. Crit
ten says one of them sent his returns
to the Secretary of State, who, although
accustomed to official ignorance. was in
tensely surprised when he received the
blank return with its scrawly sigma
lures. From the Fourth ward of Bay
onne no proper returns, Mr.. Gritten said.
had been received, and those that had
been sent in We're not signed by the off
for Register and County Clerk were
omitted
Mr.. Edwards repaired this defect by
ofTer1ng the county Nierh return III
evidence.
Then the missing boxes from the
Sixth district arrived and We're exam
ined. with gain of five for Fielder and
a loss of ten to F'rambach. On these
boxes, as on nearly every box exam
ined the dial was out of order. In some
cases also there were discrepancies be-
tween them and the vote as registered
on the tally sheet Senator Edwards
repeatedly tried TO have the ballots
counted, to rectify these errors. but the
Republicans objected, and Commissioner
Nugent sustained them, saying that JUS
tice Lippincott's order was only for
an inspection of the tally sheet and be-
yond that he, the Commissioner, refused
TO proceed.
At last the work was finished and the
result in shape to be presented to the
1@ard Of Canyassers. The correct re-