The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-18
A
v INFIELD' s
SCALP
Governor Griggs Demands
the Resignation Of the
Hudson Prosec utor
". II. coRBIN HIS EMIssARY
Two Messages So Far, One
Mildly Admonitory Ute
Second Peremptory.
FLAT FOOTED REFUSAL
Allan L. McDermott Called Into
Council by the Assailed
Democratic official.
Special t,thc Jerscu Ctr, Ns,ps.

TRENTON, Feb. 49, 1Sse.-Mr. William
f. Corbin is down here today. There's
nothing strange in that. So is Allan L.
McDermott Well there's nothing
strange in that either. But Charles H.
Winfield, ld,Prosecutor of the Pleas of Hud-
son county, is in Trenton. too, and this
is unusual enough to set the gossips
talking. After a while the talk began
gentlemen on the same day. and then a
very remarkable story came out-one
which is positively vouched for by per-
sons who ought to know.
Governor Griggs, it appears, has made
up his mind to get Mr. Winfield out of
the Hudson County Prosecutors office.
He is not content to wait for the ex-
piration of his term in 1SsS He wants
him out quick. He has already exerted
all the pressure he could, without pub
licity. to accomplish his object: but Mr..
Winfield is not quitter. and. to date,
no appreciable effect has been produced
on his determination to hold on to his
office and the emoluments thereof.
Very soon after his Inauguration. the
Governor began. He chose Mr.. William
H. Corbin as his agent. The first effort
made was in the way of friendly admoni-
tion. Mr. Corbin according to the story,
went to see Mr.. Winfield in a friendly
way, as it were. He brought him the Gov
ernor's best advice. all in a friendly way,
too. of course. The Governor. he said,
was very loath to do anything disagree
able. He was most reluctant to make any
unpleasant move against Mr. Winfield.
And so. would it not be much better for
Mr. Winfield to get violent attack of
gout or rheumatism and find 1t necessary
to go to Bermuda or California. or almost
anywhere to recuperate. Then he might
write Letter to Mr.. Griggs alluding to
his long service and the need he felt for
rest. and step down and out gracefully,
and no mortal man in the State but just
they three Griggs, Corbin and Win
field, would ever be a bit the wiser.
To say that Mr.. Winfield was panied
would be putting it mildly. He was both
hurt and ruffled to an extreme degree
He expressed the utmost surprise and in
what grounds the Governors attack was
based. Mr.. Corbin deprecated unpleas-
ant details and left Mr.. Winfield to
think it over and consult his friends if
he thought fit.
AS they say in the plays, a lapse of
| two weeks is supposed to elapse between
Acts One and Two of this little farce
comedy. During this space of time, Mr..
Winfield my be supposed to have done
great deal of thinking and very little
resigning.
The feature of Act Two is another in
terview between Mr.. Corbin and Mr.
Winfield. This time, the former gentle
man came armed with peremptory de-
mand for Mr.. Winfield's prompt resigna-
tion. Mr.. Corbin broadly intimated that
if it were not forthcoming the Prcsecu-
! tors. ofnfe would at once be subjected
to a raking of the most vigorous kind
and the Governor believed that evidence
of ineff1ciency or perhaps something still
| more serious might form the excuse for
forcibly ousting Mr.. Winfield from the
position which he has SO long held Right
here, it may be said, what the Governor
| is said to have in his mind is the various
gambling scandals pool rooms and poll
icy and the greengoods revelations which
have from time to time cropped up in
various parts of the county. from Har-
rison to West Hoboken. OF course, it can
not be said that Mr.. Corbin bluntly said
this to Mr.. Winfield: but there is reason
Ito believe that Mr.. Winfield was not left
in ignorance of the motives that were af-
| fecting the Governors action.
| At the close bf this conversation, Mr..
| Winfield went to Allan e. McDermott
and laid the whole matter before him
/ Mr.. McDermott treated the whole AFFAIR
as . partisan, office grabbing, campaign
material making raid. He advised Mr..
swindeld 70 defend his place and his
feputation. 4 assailed. and set the Cow