The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-04-02
CAPELLI TRIUMPHS.
Hoboken's City Committee
Awards Him the
Nomination.
QUEER GROUNDS OFFRAUD
Accident to Electric Light Plant
Causes a Precinct 10 Be
Thrown Out.
QUEER GROUNDS OEFRAUD

The Hoboken Democratic CITY COnlmll-
tee decided last night to give Anthony
Capelli the nomination for Councilman in
the Third ward. 1t was the hottest fight
for a nomination in the political history
Of Hoboken. Councilman Joseph j. Nc
Govern who represents the Fourth ward
in the committee. left the meeting after
throwing his admission card in Chairman
Michael j. Coyle's face. He declared that
he never witnessed such outrageous pro-
ceedings, as he termed it, and avowed
that he would resign from the committee.
AT .. meeting Of the committee held
Wednesday %evening, it was decided to
hold new primaries in the Second, Third
and Fourth precincts OF the Third ward,
owing to alleged fraud. Fitzpatrick had
secured a majority of the votes counted,
but Capelli claimed that he was com
PEELED to stop the primary in his precinct
owing to, police interference.
The committee decided to appoint a
member Of the County Executive Com
nittee togact as Judge of the primary in
each precinct. The rival candidates were
each allowed to select one membe of
the Primary Board in each precinct
The primaries We're held yesterday be-
tween four and nine O'clock. A. F. Bahr
of the Twelfth ward, Jersey City, acted
as judge in the Second. or ~Fitzpatrick's
precinct. Emil Wagner acted as clerk and
Peter Murray as inspector. James Kelly
of the Tenth ward, Jersey City, OBLIGATED
as judge in the Third, or L~ondrigan's pre-
cinct. Daniel Connors acted as clerk and
sBlack jack Lavazzo was inspector. Mi
chael ]. Fagen acted as judge in the
Fourth, or Capelli's precinct, with James
Fitzpatrick as clerk and Cornelius Ford
as inspector.
A large vote was polled as the rival
candidates worked like beavers to Sc
cure the nomination. The voting was
quietly conducted and no complaints of
fraud were heard. The candidates seem
ed satisfied to abide by the result. The
registry books used last fall were ac-
cepted as official lists of the votes in
zach precinct. The names of many Re-
publicans were included in the list, but
whenever a question was raised against
the voter upon the grounds that ne was
not . Democrat and therefore not en-
titled to vote, he was sworn before his
ballot WAS accepted.
The primary in the Tnird precinct of the
Third ward was held in the rear of
Tahen's saloon at Fifth and Grand strets.
James Kelly acted as judge. No at
tempt was made to interfere with him.
About seven o'clock the electric lights in
the saloon went out owing TO an accident
to the machinery in the power house. In
an instant all was confusion in the GTim-
airy booth. Judge Kelly thought that it
was a schem perpetrated by the gang to
stuff the primary box. Detective Vein
thai also thought so, end jumped into the
booth to prevent any tampering with the
box.
When Judge Kelly saw him he thought
that Weinthal, who was in citizens dress,
was going to steal the box, and, pulling
a blackjack from his hip pocket, warned
him thSt if HI attempted to interfere he
would kill him.
Weinthal explained that he was a de-
tective and that he merely wanted to
guard the ballot box, to prevent fraud.
The crowd which filed the saloon saw
Kelly pull the blackjack and thought
that he was tampering with the box and
that the electric current was cut off to
enable him to carry out his design. They
began to jeer at him when Councilman
Londrigan came to Kelly's rescue with
a lamp and the voting had to be tenn
porarily suspended.
Explanations followed, and Judge KEEL
" afterwards apologized for having
drawn a blackjack. He said that when
the lights went out he thought it was
a part of a scheme to stuff the box. Coun-
Gilman Londrigan assured them that it
was an accident.
For a time it looked as if a riot would
take place as the Fitzpatrick supporters
and Capelli's friends were accusing each
other of tampering with the electric light
wires. Subsequent investigation showed
| that the machinery in the power house
broke down and lights in all parts Of the
city were out about five minutes, during
which the voting ceased.
The result of the primaries were as fol-
lows
Fitzpatrick. Capelli.
First district .....-.-.-. b g
Second district .............. 239 q
Third district .......-.... III ~
Fourth district ............. 122 S44