The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-04-04
PUBLICAN
FRAUD.
Registry List Of West New
York Padded Most
Scandalously.
NAMES ADDED BY WHOLESALE
A Strict Investigation Gould
Not Find Over 70
Alleged Voters

Charges of wholesale padding Of the
registry lists in West New York in the
interests of the Republican ticket were
made before the County Board of Elec-
tIons yesterday afternoon BY Oscar Auf
i der Heide. Democratic candidate for
Councilman in the Second ward of the
town.
Mr.. Auf der Heides charges were not
\ based on mere hearsay. He had made
personal house to house canvass at the
alleged homes of a number of the sup
posed voters registered by his opponents
and presented his evidence to the County
! Board in such a convincing manner that
no other course remained for that body
but to summon the members of the ae-
cused board to appear on Saturday next
and answer the charges.
The Second ward candidate was ac
! companied to the Court House by Mayor
Otis and number of supporting citizens,
two of whom made affidavits to charges
of gross irregularity, if nothing worse,
in the conduct of the registration in the
Second ward. The charges are Of such a
nature that unless disproved by the ac-
cused officers. will render them liable to
indictment and severe punishment
1
/ Republican workers were registered BY
wholesale without the afidavits presented
by law while every effort possible was
resorted to in order 20 prevent the regis
Il tration of friends of the Democratic can
j didate for Councilman in the Second
ward 1t was also charged that names
presented by Republican County Commit
teeman Alex Ackerman were added to the
list without affidavit after nine o'clock
on the night of the day of registration.
All the members of the County Board
of Elections-President A. A. Rich, M J.
Il Coyle, Joseph j. Guisto and Thomas NJ
Coughlin-were present when Mr.. Auf der
Heide made mis- startling charges. He
said that about seventy names had been
registered in the Second ward from diff
ferent addresses. Accompanied by an
I Italian interpreter Mr. Auf der Helde
said that he had made house to house
canvass on two of the streets In which
the alleged voters were supposed to reside
but could find no trace of them. Four
Italian names registered from Tower Hill
avenue and five from Fourth street had
been selected, but the most thorough
search failed to reveal any one Of the all
legged voters on either of the thorough
fares named Mr. Auf der Heide said he
had not had the time to canvass the en-
tire vote registered in the town in this
manner. but had gathered what he con-
sidered sufficient evidence to prove that
gross fraud had been practiced. He said
that he was satisfied if he made COM
plete canvass he would find at least fifty
similar cases.
Mr.. Auf der Heide continued by stating
that on Tuesday last he had been inform
ed that Republican Committeeman Acker-
man had handed a list of - ri IS names
to the election board of thf eond ward
lust before nine o'clock on Tuesday night,
These were copied afterwards by the cleo
t;on oicers without any affidavit being
made. When demonstrated with one Of
the election officers declared the proceed
ings were all right and the work of add
; ing the names to the registry list CON
tinued.
! Henry Auf der Heide. brother OF the
candidate. told how his effort to register
Henry Lippmann. a legal voter IN the
| Second ward. had been fought by the
election officers for time and finally the
name placed on the list without the for-
mality of an affidavit
Charles Woringer stated that he had
) man hand in the list of twenty-five names
/: shortly before nine o'clock on Tuesday
night and they were afterwards added
10 the registry list without affidavit being
made by anyone.
There was some discussion among the
members of the County Board as to the
hest method to pursue in order to erase
from the registry list the names of the
fraudulent Italian voters. which Mr. Auf
. der Heide's story showed had been placed
: there by his opponents.
{ Commissioner Guisto thought the best
course to pursue was to serve notices at
the alleged residences of the registered
: nersons. but President Rich pointed out
that to comply with Section 25 of the cleo
: tion law in this particular, by reason OF
tbe houses having no numbers, il would
ne necessary to leave summons for eacn
alleged fraudulent vcter at every house
lin the street he was credited with resid-
! ing on.
The scandal will be Thoroughly probed
nv the County Board on Saturday and
every Indication points to the proper
nunishment of the offenders, the
i charges are sustained.
!, Through the ignorance or csrelessness
! of the election officers in some Of the
towns of North Hudson in making OUT
afldavats for the registration Of voters
MANY citizens entitled to vote might have
been deprived of their franchise at next
Tuesdays election
The errors were discovered by clerk
Frank T. Lockwood at yesterday ateeF-
moons meeting of the County board OF
Elections at their office, adjoining the
1Saurt House. and the Board at once or
dered 70 return for correction Of the al
,apsa affidavits to the judges Of the sew
aral local election boards by whom they
| were issued.
over 100 from West Honoken were un-
, aated. unsigned BY the maker and no
aasaress Of the person to be registered was
given. Eighteen made out IN Union fiili
were similarly defective. In fact the only
tsgallv correct afffsavit received from