The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-01-04
CLOSE SHAVE
Clerk Robban'a Head Sliced
OF Right Behind
Ears.
ONE HOUR IN THE CHAIR
He Was Assistant Finance
Clerk, But He Wasn't
Sharp Enough.
HE'S A DEMOCRAT NOW
And So Are His Friends In
Spite of Commissioners
Abernethy's Great
Educational
Effort.

A strange political incident occurred
yesterday afternoon when John Robhan.
a barber, was bounced from office by the
Board Of Finance, By unanimous resoiu-
lion. after having served that body for
just one hour in the capacity Of assistant
clerk. Mr. Rebhan Is e7re; ne is sore on
the Fagan administration; he IS sore on
the Mayor on the Board of Finance and
on everybody in office generally In fact
he is sore on the Republican party in gen
eral and now he is a Democrat. so ne
says and he further says that all ms
il ends will be Democrats hereafter NO
where in town has there been such
howl, though there has been little but
howl anywhere since the list of appoint
ments was announced.
Mr.. Robhan wac appointed assistant
clerk, at a meeting of the Board of FL
nance on Wednesday. TO succeed George
3. Riley. On Thursday he did not appear
at the Office. Yesterday morning he ap-
peared and asked Clerk Michael Kalaher
what the duties OF the assistant clerk
were. When told he remarked that he
guessed he could fill them and at two
f'elock yesterday he appeared for duty.
lie Board met and went into executive
session and afterwards read resolution
in which the resolution appointing Mr..
Rubhan was rescinded. Mr.. Robhan was
shocked and he remarked to the Board
that they would hear from him.
Then Mr. Robhan bade good bye to Mr..
Kalaher and left the City Hall. He went
back to Marion whence he had come and
resumed shaving next But he was
busy thinking He expressed his thoughts
to a reporter OF 'eThe News as follows
81 was assistant clerk of the Board Of
Finance for one hour. Then I was
bounced. I worked hard for Mark Pagan
and the Republican ticket. ] got all my
friends to vote ash did Leader Calhun
Of the ward was very thankful to me
and said I would get job. When the
slate was fixed M l was to be the clerk
to the Finance Board. I won't say any
thing about anything else.
Yesterday I went to the office of the
Board and Clerk Kalaher told me the
duties I could do them. and then the
Board bounced me-
But why did the Board bounce you?"
lsked the reporter.
"Well, they must have put up the JOB
Thursday Thursday night / went to the
Union League Club at the request of
the DUTIES would be very hard in the
place I had been appointed to. He said
ssNl8 you know the assistant clerk will
havI to ASSIST the Board in making up
ths tax budget And in order to do that
you win have to know all about geometry
and physics I told him 1 didn't know
anything about these things, and I said
that I did not think man had TO be q
~
the Board Of Finance. Then / thought
they were going TO give me the double
cross, but I went 10 the office Yesterday
morning. ana when Clerk Falaher told Eie
tne duties they seemed simple enough
but the Board bounced me all right.
'The people in this section are very
sore Wien the Republicans want votes
again they had better not come here.
Maybe Mr. Davis would be glad to have
Us support the Democratic ticket here
after No more Republicans fer me-
Thea Commissioners who bounced ROB
han refused to say anything about the
mister.
The politics behind the case IS that the
Republican party had intended to bounce
both Kelaher and Riley and place in the
Board either Frank Lockwood or Martin
F1ncK. late OF a uOzcu sood JopS. 40
clerk, with Robhan as assistant The
idea was to have the clerk do the work
and aave Robhan in the Office as a dunn
my. drawing a salary for doing nothing.
This would give Roohan a reward for his
services in carrying Marion for Mayor
Pagan. But at the last moment Com
missioner Ringle made stand for Clerk
Kalaher. and the clerk won. with the
assistance of the two Democratic mem
bers The election Of Kalaher killed the
head Of the proposed slate made UP Of
Lockwood or Finck and RoDhan. and the
Republican members Of the Board did not
recover their senses sufficiently to sub
stifute capable man for Robhan, SO he
was appointed. Seeing their mistake later
the Board dropped Robhan.
The gossips say that the arrangement
81 the Republican bosses now IS to have
Martin Finel< or Frank Lockwood ap-
pointed to Robhan's place. They will hold
11at job for year when Kalaher win