The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-11-13


Mills says County and Schmidt are
Well Represented by MessrS Rum
yon, Reed and Quayle. Want Good
Bridge says Pequannoc. Joint Conn
mittee to Meet Again.
There was more or less excitement
at the regular monthly meeting of the
Board Of Freeholders, on Wednesday.
1t was stated on authority that the
weather had something to do with it.
Members Of the Passaic County Board
OF Chosen Freeholders who had come
over into Morris as a COMMITTEES to
arrange for repairing bridges which
were washed away during the recent
flood, said they must be guilty of the
usual activity, but no one felt like
making the charge. 1t had been adj
vertised that separate sealed proposals
would be received by the Joint COM
mittee of the Boards of Chosen Free
holders OF Morris and Passaic at 10 a.
m. and an hour later the committee
met in the grand jury room. The
Director of the Passaic County Board,
Edward M. Kevitt, was elected chair
man of the committee meeting.
Other members from PaSsaic we're,
John Blauvelt, George Colfax, Garret
Berdan, David Wickham and County
Engineer William L. Witmore. Many
bridge agents were present, but after
a discussion involving five points in
law, the committee decided to re-
advertise and meet next Thursday to
receive the bids.
Had it not been that the Morris
Freeholders were anxious to meet,
the committee might have staid in
session all day. AS it was, the Board
was not called to order until nearly
| twelve.
Clerk Bennett read a petition from
Eney Grupelli, an Italian contractor
in this city, asking for the reduction
of bail bond on which he was held
for the appearance of Phillip Fassio,
who had left the State. The petition
says, " The evidence in the trial was
that Fassio was of such character
that had he been sentenced, it !.
probable the court would nCJ have
fined him more than 300, but that a
report was published in the New York
World on the following day, that he
had been sentenced to State Prison
for the term of two years. Your petit
tioner had learned that this erroneous
report was brought to the attention
OF Fassio and he, thereupon left the
State, although it was his intention
when he left the court room on the
day OF his conviction, to appear at the
time fixed for his sentence"
Grupelli says that he tried to find
the man but that he had been unable
to get any trace of his whereabouts.
In view OF the circumstances he felt
that he should not be required to pay
a greater sum than 500, although the
bond was in the sum of $500. A letter
was read in connection with the case
from former Judge Vreeland, endOrs-
ing the petition, and one from Judge
Alfred Elmer Mills, who said he was
satisfied that there was merit in the
application. The reduction was
ordered.
A communication was read from
Mayor Kiel, of Butler calling the at
tention of the Freeholders to the
bridge to be built across the Pequan-
noe river at the junction of Main
street on the Butler and Hamburg
turnpike, crossing from Morris into
Passaic, asking that a substantial
bridge be built there. The matter
was referred to the Pequannoc Bridge
Committee.
Bills were reported as follows: Free
holders, S808.77; officers, salaries,
$463.79; incidentals, S4O9.O7; street
lighting 1853. A bill from former
Governor Werts, of Jersey City, for
services rendered in the matter of the
certiorari granted on the contract the
Board made with Schmidt to furnish
trap rock for the county roads, was
presented. Director Becker asked if
the bill had been approved by the
committee. 1t had not, but soon was,
and then it came up for passage by
the Board. Counsel Runyon was
asked to explain the bill. He did so
by saying, that it had been customary
when legal troubles came, to employ
assistant counsel. Freeholder Cook of
Hanover, wanted to know by whose
authority Governor Werts had been
employed. "By the Road Committee, ("
said Director Becker.
''Did the ecounsel feel that he wanted
any assistance" asked Mr.. Cook. "No
sir" replied Counsel Runyon, Il did
not, but as l am young man and
don't know it all just yet, it was felt
that an older practitioner would be a
help"
"If the road committee had only
been as careful about the advertise
ment for the stone roads as they are
in other things" retorted Mr.. Cook
1--WE would have had no law suit
They were very careful not to get in a
law suit about the Dover and Port
Dram Gas Company.
Fearing that $500 was only starter,
several FreeholderS began to look
serious and asked each other how
much the next legal bill would in all
probability be. Counsel Runyon said
this would be all for the present, and
forever as far as he knew, as Mr..
WertS had told him if the matter had
to be argued in Trenton he would 60
there without extra charge, Free
holder Cook moved the bill be laid
over. This called out the guards.