The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-29
FAGAN USES 4 CHAIR.
Hoboken's Mayor in a Dis
graceful Row at a
Hobuken Primary.
FIGHTS WITH 4 RUNG IN EACH HAND
Edward Stanton Defeats McDon-
ough for the Recorder
Nomination.

Hoboken was the battlefield last night
of one of the most exciting primary cleo
ton contests ever held in the history of
Hudson county The war was in the
Democratic fold, between the Faganites
and the anti-Fagantes. 1t has been
brewing for some months and everybody
familiar with the strained relations be-
tween the two factions anticipated
trouble. Mayor Pagan, who, at present
controls the majority in the Board OF
Common Council and who also Yields a
mighty sword over the Police Depart
ment, was out with his men, keeping a
close watch on everybody who didn't bear
the Pagan banner.
AT the primary polls the police stood in
the doorways and made their presence
known on frequent occasions. Fights and
squabbles were SO thick that it was i'm
possible to keep account of them. Blows
were struck in a number of the districts,
two ballot boxes were smashed and today
the returns of the primaries are mixed
up SO badly that new vote will probably
have to be taken. During some of the
fights the ballots were strewn on the
floors of the polling places. The Anti
Pagan men who have bitter grievances
over the treatment which they allege
they have received at the hands of Fa-
gan, claim that the police interfered at
the polls.
The most disgraceful rumpus of the
night occurred in the First district of
the Second ward, which is represented
by George Bach in the Democratic City
Committee Here the Mayor had sta
toned his private secretary, Louis Rath-
jen, License Inspector Robert Bell and
several others to look after his interests.
1t was rumored that there would be
trouble, so Mayor Pagan went to the
polling place before the voting was over
and remained until it ended. The pri-
mary was held in a room in the rear
of BachS saloon, at No $50 Washington
street. James White, of No. 526 Wash
ington street, who is a strong anti-Fagan
were polled. The Pagan men, evidently
not liking the way things were going,
grew impatient.
Louis Rathjen, the Mayors secretary,
and then the trouble began. Mayor f'a-
gan, who came in later, was watching
the counting of the votes, when, 1t is
said he suddenly accused White of tak-
ing two ballots out of the box. Only 13o
ballots had been counted.
White declared that he had only one
ballot in his hand.
s'Well, L say you have two," retorted
the Mayor, land you'll not count any
more unless it is declared Illegal
White continued to count. He had not
gone far when it is alleged the Mayor
ssBy God, you will STOP and seizing
The ballot box he jerked it from Whites
reach.
A scuffle followed, in which the ballot
box fell on the floor and was broken.
Mayor Pagan was struck by some one,
and to resent the blow he picked up a
chair and made for White with it. In the
mix-up the chair was broken but the
Mayor still held pieces of it in each hand.
Blows were struck right and left, and
bottle of ink on a table was hurled across
the room and struck White in the face.
Pagan then left the room with chair
rung in each hand and called in a ,po-
liceman, who took White to the Willow
avenue station. He was locked up by
the Faganite Sergeant in charge. Later
Pagan called at the station and made
charge of tampering with the ballot box
against White. Whites friends got
Justice of the Peace and went around to
bail out the prisoner. The Sergeant
would not accept bail, but after a con-
ference by telephone with Recorder Nc
Donough White was released on his
promise to appear before the Recorder
this morning.
The broken ballot box, it is said, is now
in possession of the Faganites.
White appeared before Recorder Nc
Donough this morning. and waived ex-
animation. He was held under 5000 bail
to await the action of the Grand Jury.
City Treasurer James Smith became his
surety. Owing to the destruction of the
ballots the candidates in the Second ward
have been unable to learn the complete
returns.
Philip Daab and Bender the anti-Fagan
men for Councilmen, are confident that
they will win when a true vote is taken.
A lively fight also occurred in the Fifth
ward, where another ballot box was
thrown on the floor and smashed. The
ballots, however, were picked up by
Steils and taken to the Sec
ond precinct police station, where they
were counted.
James ]. Fox encountered no opposition
for the Councilmanic nomination in the
Fourth ward.
The result of the primaries was still un-
settled at noon today. The returns re-
ceived at Police Headquarters indicate
that ex-Sheriff Edward R. Stanton de-
feated Recorder Francis M. McDonough
for the nomination of Recorder by 780
majority Stanton polled an enormously
large vote in the p drth ward where he
formerly lived. Recorder McDonough,
however, says he will run as an indepen-
dent candidate.
Water Registrar Henry Lohmann, Jr.,
defeated Postmaster James Curran for
the nomination of Water Registrar by 574
majority Curran claims that he was de-
feated by fraudulent votes and that he
will run as an independent candidate if
the committee does not give him tie
nomination.
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