The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-09-11

DEFEATED BY
MAYOR PAGAN
CONTINUED from First page,

mayor agar out OF Duslness. the
Democratic leaders were not much in
evidence at the polls. but there was a
working agreement between Colonel
Dickinson's lieutenants and the man
ayers of the Democratic headquarters
in Mercer street. This was evidenced
by the fact that whereas in many of
the precincts Democratic election Off
GERS had been the judges of election for
years by right of seniority, and in pre-
vious years a Republican had been
named as clerk where the Democrat
was Judge M vica versa. Yesterday in
each precinct the election officers APP
pointed by Republican Sheriff and
County Committee Chairman John c..
Kaiser, in most cases new and mex
perienced men, were made both judge
and clerk. This was no coincidence, o
was the condition the result of any
observance of law, but was -prearranged
and for a purpose.
The developed soon after the
polls opened. The law contains a pro-
vision that the judge and clerk of any
election board nay issue warrants and
commitments for persons violating the
election law in the polling places. Each
Dickinson judge of elections, and there
" 10 oAl0 IA 0a1A BAOSAhNNt A0N pONA AAN
nished with blank commitment blanks
all filled out for use with the excep-
! ton of the insertion of the name of the
victim. The term Of commitment speci-
fed was three days in the Hudson
County jail, which is presided ove by
County Committee Chairman and
Sheriff John C. Kaiser.
These commitments were documents
similar to the lettre de catchet of the
French Reign of Terror. Many of the
green Dickinson election officers hav-
In received instructions and not know
ing the serious nature Of their offense,
attempted to use the commitments and
two succeeded. Most Of them failed to
accomplish the object sought, however.
They tried to send many Pagan work
ers to jail, but the only ones who went
were President Theodore L. Bierck, of
the Police Board and Policeman Frank
Mcmahon, of the police headquarters
staff.
They remained in the county Jail q
few hours and were denied the privilege
of being visited by counsel or friends
They were denied their freedom when
a writ of habeas corpus was served OF
the sheriff in each case, and only Sc
cured their liberty after Justice ].
Franklin Fort, Of the Supreme Court,
had threatened to come in from his
home in East Orange and take them
out of jail. 1t was Assistant Prosecutor
George T.. Vickers who advised Under
Sheriff John j. Erwin to ignore the
writ of habeas corpus granted by Judge
Blair. His only given excuse for so
advising Erwin was that ut was a
fight" meaning that any means must
be adopted to defeat Mayor Mark M.
Pagan and uphold the hands of Colonel
Dickinson.
1t was only the threat of Justice Fort
to personally take control of the situ-
alton that made Vickers come to his
senses and change his advice to Erwin
and tell him to take cognizance Of the
writ of habeas corpus, which the con
stitution of the State says shall only
be suspended in time of war.
The unwarranted and Unlawful kidnap.
ping of Bierck has aroused the people
throughout the city. Fully 5000 persons
gathered in%ront of the county jail while
he was detained there for nearly fouy
hours. The crowd was getting ugly wher
Robert Carey, after being refused admis-
sion to the jail to see Blerck, his client
addressed ii from In front of the ounty
jail and urged moderation and a suspen-
sion of hostile demonstrations. as mat
ters would be adjusted without further
c~omplicating them by fresh violations Of
the law. For a time 1t looked as If this
1900 men would mob the jail and demand
the release of Bierck.
Sheriff Kaiser and his high-handed Rus
sian methods were denounced on every
hand. 1t was lucky the Sheriff was no
at the Court House, and Under Sheriff
John ]. Erwin kept to his office, where he
was surrounded by deputy sheriffs.
How many deputy sheriffs and consta-
bles Sheriff Kaiser had on the job yes.
terday is not knowa, but there were four
teen at one place ut one time TO arrest
one man. The man was John Graham,
and they didn't arrest him, for he had
done nothing but what the law said he
might do. and that was protect a Repub-
lioan voter in the exercise of his fran
chise.
One of the most interesting fights from
a human interest standpoint was that be
tween George w Mccarthy and his
brother. Police Judge james Mccarthy,
George Mccarthy played the part Of a
bully In his precinct. the second Of the
Seventh Ward, all day long. He chal-
lenged the vote oil every Pagan man save
one. who entered the polling place and
e~ndeavofad to exercise his right OF fran
chise, They all took the affidavit provided
by law In case Of a challenge. and their
votes were put into the ballot boxes. but
not until after n big row between George
Mccarthy on the one hand and James
Mccarthy and city Collector Edward Fry,
whose votes were the first held up.
Marcus HigginbOtham was chief counsel
TO the bulldozing constables. He read law
to the policemen and to Pagan workers all
day long, but as soon as he had by his
advice gotten election officers and con-
stables into deep trouble and Corporation
Attorney Carey and Judge Higgins or
other Pagan lawyers showed up and read
the primary act he sought compromise
and managed, by promising that his eli
ents would be good and not refuse the
votes of any more citizens, get them out
Of Jail and out Of the danger of suit for
false Imprisonment. Every bluff of Hig-
ginbotham and the doubly armed brow
beating constables was called.
After it was all over Mayor Pagan said
that the result showed that the people
were awake TO the iniquities of the boss
system and were bound to put it out OF
business in Jersey City and run their own
business for themselves.
The Pagan leaders received the returns
in the offices of Judge Frank j. Higgins
and George L. Record In the Commercial
Trust building. The offices, which adjoln,
were crowded with New Idea men. They