The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-06-28
Golf CLUI
SUM
President Drayton
in Court How the
bers Play b
BIC TIME ANTI(v
One Hundred and |
May Be Called !
Testify.


Tho story in 'The News ye
| that the Golf Club members wou
| summoned to court to answer the d
of violating city ordinance by "pl
ball in the streets" was greeted
amazement. Some thought it all Il
These said the complaining resid
| would not dare carry the case to co
But the truth of the story was dem
| trated when Mrs. Pauline Scharff, of
369 Mallory avenue, who sent the coz
plant. together with fourteen other resi-
dents. to Captain McKaig of the Mont
/ gomery street station. a few days ago, IN
which she stated that the members Of the
Jersey City Golf Club were running her
property and endangering the lives OF
| pedestrians, appeared before Police jus
4 tice Potts in the Oakland avenue court,
this morning, and registered second
complaint. On the strength of the report
of Detective Gallagher, published ex-
clusively in 1.-THE News" of yesterday,
1 Justice Potts issued summons for AL
bert 1. Drayton, President of the club.
1 Mr. Drayton is to appear tomorrow to
answer the charges of Mrs. Scharff This
action on the part Of Mrs. Scharn was
| taken on the ADVICE Oh the poifSS-
Mr. Albert l. Drayton is one of the
clubs most prominent members He was
seen this morning and asked if he had
heard of any complaints being registered
against the club. Mr.. Drayton said he
had not heard of any such action being
taken by the residents of that section.
'sYou may say, however, he said, that
I should be the last fellow in the world
| to stand by and see the residents harmed.
| The club will certainly investigate the
! matter, and if it is in the wrong justice
will be done.
1.-THE residents are perfectly right in
complaining if they have cause. should
| do the same myself if resided there and
was in danger of having my property in
jured. But as long as I have played on
that course. and that's almost two years,
have seen but one person injured, and
he was one of our caddies.
II remember Mrs Scharff complaining
about a window being broken some time
ago. This matter 1 attended to myself
and saw that she was paid for the dams
age. She appeared to be perfectly satis-
fed when matters were adjusted Since
| then matters have drifted along quietly
and as far as I know no complaints were
made"
He was asked if the club would cease
playing because of the stand taken by the
| residents.
I "If the law can prohibit us, we WILL"
he answered 81 should be the last ona
| to go back on the rulings of the Court"
He added that it might be good idea
to summon the whole club.
'1t appears strange to me- said Mrs
| Drayton, that the people are just be<
ginning to find fault For almost two
| years the club has been using those
| grounds without a murmur being raiseds
| The club has gone to great expense im~
| proving that property, which is privates
This, some people will not see that ways
The grounds have been improved by uss
and strangers have no right on them. A
number of signs have been put up all
over the property, ordering people to keep
| off, which is perfectly proper. We also
| take the greatest care to warn people
whom we think are in danger of being
struck and if they are hit, it is not our
| fault. They have no business on the
grounds, but at the same time we use
every precaution to avoid hurting any-
one. So far as 1 know, but one person
was hit, caddie.
1.-The majority of the officers of oun
club are property owners and know that
they are anxious to protect the property
of others. They are desrous of enhanc-
ing the value of property in this city, and
I think that the improvement of those
grounds went long way toward bene~
fitting property in that section.
'Of course, we cannot fence in the
grounds. This would cost a vast amount
of money. We hope to move into our
new club house early in the fall, and then
the new grounds further west will be
used.
"At present Mrs. Scharffs house and a
vacant one are the only two near the
grounds. The club, 1 am sure, is willing
to do the right thing, because we all be-
1ieve in defending the rights of individu-
ais"
1t was after the above interview that
the summons was issued. A news res
porter then called again to see Mr.. Dray<
ton. He had left the city.
The story in "The News last night
caused considerable comment. The very
idea of the game being stopped was too
much for some of the members.
'sWhatl Restrain US from playing the
game we have been so long building up
in this city!' exclaimed one last evening
in Clifford place. 'They shan't do it.''
At present it is impossible to play the
game properly without driving across
Malolry avenue. Usually the first drive
from the tee lands the ball to within
about fifty yards of Mrs. Scharff's house.
Some players on the second drive lift the
bal lacross the street. while others, Mrs
Scharff says, either bang the balls against
her house or drive them in the roadway.
Detective Gallagher. whom Captain Me-
Kaig detailed to get evidence against the
players, reported last night that he had
watched the players for some time in the
afternoon, and he mad recognized Colonel
Robert G. Smith. The Colonel, he said.
drove one of the balls in the roadway in
front of Mrs. Scharff's house.
Captain McKaig said last evening to q
reporter of 'sThe News" that if any OF
the signers of the complaint. sent to him
a few days ago, would so to court and
complain against the players he would
furnish the evidence against them gath
cred by Detective Gallagher.
This has since been done. The deter-
mined action of Mrs. Scharff caused a
great deal of surprise. Interesting de-
velopments are looked for when the court
end of the matter becomes public. Should
Mrs Scharff follow the advice of Mr.