Gloucester County Democrat., 1902-07-31
REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES.


The first round OF the struggle within the
Republican party against Congressman
Loudenslager's return to Congress for a
sixth term, was fought at the primary
election on Monday last, and resulted in a
fierce clash of the factions in every ward,
township and precinct in the District. The
round was fought under party rules, to be
sure, but rules were cast to the winds, and
the contestants went at each other re-
gardless of rules and consequences In
some of the wards of Camden black
jacks, knives and even pistols played an
important part, while in our own county
high handed methods were employed to
override the calm Judgment of the repu-
table voters of the party. An old citizen of
DeptfOrd remarked that he never saw so
many strange faces around the polls as Oh
Monday night, while in East Greenwich the
Loudenslager election board counted the
votes behind locked doors. Southern
negros are big factor in some townships
and these were voted without regard to
terms of residence. The vote in every
township is away beyond that cast at any
previous election, showing that extraordin.
ary methods were employed to swell the
poll. What these methods were, those
who perpetrated them know, and no
stretch of imagination is required to guess
with unerring accuracy.
IN CAMDEN.
But in Camden the strong hand of the
gang played its old game. Armed with
black jack, knife and revolver, they took
charge of the polling places while good
citizens fled for their lives. A Ledge,
correspondent thus describes scene at the
Fifth precinct poll =
Then it became apparent in the Fifth
precinct that desperate fight was immi-
nent. The Loudenslager forces, led by
Policeman Robert Miller, and the sVansan'
followers, marshalled by Policeman Harry
Miller, crowded about the window where
the ballots were handed in, in such num-
bers as to preclude any one voting. Back
and forth on the pavement they surged a
cursing mob of infuriated men. Many cit
izens in the precinct declined to vote rather
than risk their lives in the bowling mob.
A dozen times in as many minutes il
seemed as though murder would be com
mitted by the wholesale, revolyers being
flashed by the excited partisans at the least
pretext. At each display Of revolvers the
crowd of several hundred onlookers beat q
hasty retreat up alleys and behind steps
only to return when the guns dropped from
sight.
! At o'clock-the hour for closing drew
nigh-the furry of the crowd increased
The Loudenslager forces seemed to out
number their opponents, and the latter,
fearing an epidemic of broken heads in
their ranks, after the voting had ceased
sent word to one of the upper precints fol
assistance 1t came in the persons Of thu
Philadelphia gang. They rushed pell-mel
down Third street, and hit the edge of the
crowd like battering ram.
SHOOTING BEGINS.
The next instant there was a pistol shot
and the crowd of over thousand people
scattered in all directions as four NOR,
shots were fired. For q minute or two i
was not known that any of the shots haG
taken effect, and it was left for a fleeing
newspaper man to stumble over Morrisey'.
| PROSTATE form at the entrance of an alley
directly across from the polling place. He
was carried into the back yard Of Third
street house, where an examination revealed
a bullet wound just below the heart. /
telephone message was sent for the patr0
wagon, and not until its arrival was i
generally known that any one had beel
shot,
Although half dozen or more police
men were in the thickest of the fray, the,
have no positive knowledge as to who di,
the shooting. Assistant Prosecutor Archer
however, is in receipt of information tina
James Bland, colored, aged 80 years, of So
Locust street. was the man who fred tn
shot. Bland's wife, Henrietta, is unde
arrest as witness. George Murray wa
also placed under arrest as q witness, afte
having made statement to the Assistan
Prosecutor. Later, he was released b
order of the Prosecutor.
POLICEMAN MILLER STABBED.
/ Policeman Harry Miller, who had fallel
during the fight with stab wounds Of tn