The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-11-12
Ra11nt Rox Onened

The Toms River Courier gives this &C
count of a contest in Ocean County:
Under an order of Justice VanSyckel
the ballot box of Tuckerton borough was
opened on Saturday week and its contents
sealed up by County Clerk Ravens who
holds them as in the custody of the court,
This was done at the application of DR..
J. L. Lane, who was declared by the
election board to be elected Freebooter
last March, and who was refused the seat
by the Board of Freeholders. He is now
to have Judge Otis ousted, and this move
was made to have the ballots kept intact
as the ballot box was needed on Tuesday.
The order specified that the ballot box
should be opened by the borough clerk in
the presence of the County Clerk and re-
presenta tives of both DR.. Lane and Judge
Otis Judge Otis was represeted by Mr..
Carmichael and DR.. Lane by Assembly
man John G. Horner, of Burlington
county
1t will be remembered that there were
three candidates for Freebooter in Little
Egg Harbor last spring. In the borough
of Tuckerton Lane received plurality OF
40 over Otis. In the township, Otis receiv-
ed plurality of 66 over Lane, giving him
a plurality of Is on the total vote. The
election boards Of the borough and town
ship when they met to canvass the vote
| for Freeholder, however, threw out the
township vote as illegal because the town
ship polling place was held in the borough,
and gave a certificate of election to DR..
Lane Dr. Lane also held that under the
law which required majority of all votes
cast to elect Freebooter, Judge Otis was
not elected, as even with the township
vote included he had no majority, but only
plurality. In that event, there was nc
election and the township committee
would appoint until next town meeting
OF course the township committee would
have appointed Judge Otis.
Otis, however, in his answer filed with
court, held that the election board haC
illegally rejected eight ballots cast fol
him, which if counted would have giver
an actual majority of one in the total vote
of borough and township. With this con
tention in mind, there was considerable
at stake in the opening of the ballot box.
The first paper removed by Wilmer
Speck, the borough clerk, was the tally
sheet. Here it was discovered that Lane
had been credited with 1865 votes, wher
the tally showed only 161; Otis had beer
credited with III, when the tally gave
only l12 This does not change the result
The tally gave the total vote cast as 1913
Giving Lane 161, Otis 112, and adding thu
IA for Cowperthwaite and rejected, tn
total vote is reached.
Interest now centered on the rejected
ballots which were six in number, They
were opened by the two lawyers and ex
amined.
The first had the bottom of the tickle
including the name of the Freebooter
irregularly torn off.
The second was an Otis vote, but had
light reddish brown mark drawn through
the name of w. Otis Jones, the candidaU
for Assessor.
The third was an Otis ticket, but it wa
Little Egg Harbor township ticket in a
official township envelope.
The fourth was also in a township OF
: fetal envelope 1t was an Otis ballot, bu
the bottom of the ticket was torn irregu
, larly and piece of manila tissue pape
l had been pasted on it
. The fifth was an Otis ballot with til
e name of John W. Webb written on wit
blue pencil.
The sixth was township ticket wit
the name "Jas. OTIS written on in pencil
The counted ballots were not remove
a from the string. The whole contents
s the box were placed in a wooden box, mai
=. ed, tied and sealed by the County Clerk.
4 Mr.. Horner, DR.. Lanes counsel, SCENE
e well pleased with the result He insis
n that the court will seat DR.. Lane and eve
S if the township vote is declared lega
. Judge Otis will be ousted and the seat d.
f clared vacant Judge Otis himself decla
e ed that he wanted an entire recount OF Il
e vote before he would be satisfied; and b
r counsel limited that fit resulted in anoth
d election next spring, he was willing to Il
r another fight at the polls.
o 1t is understood that the case will be
$ for trial at the December term befo
Judge VanSyckel.