The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-24
FreehOlder Declared Insane.
Leaves Twelfth Ward
Unrepresented.
COUNCIL TO FILL PLACE
Successor Will Be Chosen BY
AIdermen-Complicated Gen.
ditiens Caused by AT.
lection of Official.

Freeholder John Cusack, of the
Twelfth Ward is now under care Of
physicians in the County Hospital for
the Insane in South Orange avenue,
having been taken there on last Thurs
day a seemingly hopeless victim OF
acute melancholy. superinduced by
serious mental and physical break
down, which had previously neces-
STATED his removal to the sanitorium
of DIR. G. B. Gale, in Lakeside avenue,
Verona, on June 20.
DR.. E. l.. Hinckley and DR.. G. B.
Griffith signed the commitment for the
Freeholders' incarceration in the asy-
ium after they had examined the con-
dition of Mr.. Cusack and had become
convinced that his was a practically
hopeless case. The Freeholder is now
in a private room in the institution
under the personal observation of DR..
Dill, superintendent of the hospital.
The official commitment of the Free
holder as insane will affect him as
Freeh older the same as il he had died,
and thus, according to the law, leaves
the Twelfth Ward without Representa-
ton in the Board of F'reeholders. As
in the case of Thomas MCGOWAN, who
died in Bloomfield, the Common Coun-
Gil of the municipality affected in this
case. Of Newark, will elect his successor.
AS the Council is Democratic, Demo
cratic successor will probably be
chosen. Who this may be Is a matter
not yet settled. Because of the almost
even split in the Board OF Freehoiders
the removal of the Twelfth Ward rep
resentative will lose the Democrats the
control of the county body unless the
Common Council elects the successor
to Mr.. Cusack, as the Bloomfield Com
mon Council did after the death OF
Freehoider Thomas McGowan
County Counsel Elvin w. Crane to-
day stated that he had no official knowl-
edge of the freeholder's removal to the
asylum and expressed the opinion that
the Common Council had the power to
appoint successor, but II that body
desired they could let the choice of Mr..
Cusacks successor be made at the fall
election. Mr.. Cusack's term does not
expire until next year. II there were
an election in the fell to fill the va
cancy. 1t would be special election for
the freeholdership. The Democratic
majority of the Common Council will
probably not take any chances at an
election and will probably name Mr..
Cusack's successor be made at the fall
malities necessary are compiled with.
Even If Mr.. Cusack's place is not
SLED Immediately 1t will have no effect
on the important committees of the
board, as there are four Democrats and
two Republicans on each of the COM
mittees, but owing to the fact that
Freeholder Hooper. of the Sixth Ward,
is also sick, there has been some trouble
lately in getting quorums of the public
buildings committee. of which Mr.. Gu
sack was chairman and which Is one OF
the most important and the one which
conducted the Overbrook investigation
with County Engineer Drum.
The other Democratic members OF the
committee are Edward c. Eaton and
Emmett j. Quinn. while the two Repub-
licans are Messrs. Gallagher and Nc
Bride. Mr.. Gallagher has been In Hu-
rope. Mr.. Cusack's Illness precluded
his attendance at the committee meet
ing at which the Overlook investiga~
ton was taken up, and Freenoider
Eaton presided and will doubtless con-
tinue as the chairman of the commit
tee. Mr.. Cusaek was on the following
committees: Jail discharge, Newark
free bridges, BelleviIle free bridges and
Nutley free bridges.
This is Mr. Cusack's second term IA
the Board Of Freeholders, he being tia
only Democrat elected to the board in
1904, Roosevelt year" After his elec-
Democrat in the board. After his cleo
tion last fall his friends doomed him
aggressiyely for director of the county
board.
Mr.. Cusack has not been enjoying
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