The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-01-16
Grand Inquest Calls For
mer Under Sherifi'S
Methods Outrageous
ACTIVITY AT ELECTION
IS STRONGLY REPROBATED
County Forced to Pay Unneces-
sary Sums to Justice of the
Peace Henry Bosset.
HANDKERCHIEF INDUSTRY
AT CALDWELL RAPED
And insufficient Lighting Of
Streets in Suburban Towns
Is Criticised.

seathinE denuncfatfon Of Charles
NJ. Mason, formerly under-sherfn of
Essex county and his methods was
handed up today I'm a ringing present.
ment of Sheriff Harrigap's hrst grand
Jury.
Sharp criticism was made of Masor's
last official act In swearing out hum
dreds of warrants for the arrest of I'm
nocent citizens and the campaign of In
timidation which he is alleged to have
led last fall to force the election of can
didates of his choice upon the citizens
of this county.
Nearly 600 warrants, especially
printed and drawn in vague, indefi-
mite and Illegal manner" the grand
jury finds, were sworn out by Charles
M. Mason, then under-sheriff, before
Henry Bosset, justice of the peace, and
numerous deputy sheriffs were espe-
cially hired and given these warrants
for tie sole purpose of intimidating the
citizens of this county from voting
against certain candidates, for the
grand jury can find no other reason or
motive"
Bosset's Boast.
An interesting light is shed upon the
operation of Bosset's Office by the
declaration that he openly boasts that
ic issued every warrant for the last
two years of Mason's regime.
This is the presentment as turned in
by Foreman Isaac Shoenthal mayor
Of Orange, who headed Sheriff Harri-
gan's first grand inquest, and who, at
the same time, returned a big batch
Of indictments.
The grand jury calls the attention
Of the court to the outrages on citizen
ship committed under the guise of off,
clal authority by the sherlff's office Of
It's county at the last general election,
related at length in the Newark Eve
ming News and THE EVENING STAR
uf November last, and the sequel
thereto. the unwarranted expenditure
of the money of the county in carrying
out these outrages
.Nearly 600 warrants especially
printed, and drawn in vague, indefi-
mite and iIIegal manner, were sworn
ous by Charles vi. Mason. the under
sheriff, before Henry Bosset, justice of
the peace, and numerous deputy y-sher-
IFS were especially hired and given
4hese warrants fer the sole purpose Of
tntim;dnting citizens of this county
from voting against certain candidates,
reason motive.
''The mistake of careless canvasser
or the removal of a citizen from one dis
trict to another was taken as sufficient
ground for criminal warrant. Inno-
cent men were dragged from their
homes the night before election and
locked in the county Jail without be-
ing arraigned before court Of proper
Jurisdiction. On election day citizens
were allowed or refused their votes on
the mere say-so of the under sheriff of
this county, and the fact that some citi-
zens against whom warrants were is
sued did not vote was because of their
fear of being incarcerated in Jail with
out hearing and without an opportu-
nifty to give bail.
The Results.
"The net result of this large number
of warrants and of this unwarranted
expenditure of a large sum of money
resulted in fifteen arrests. On Novem-
Der 3, 1903, the accused appeared before
Judge Freeland, in the First Criminal
Court of the city of Newark. Under
Sheriff Mason, the complainant of rec
ora, HOt appearing, Judge Freeland re-
quested him to come to the court and
press his complaints; his answer was
4 don't care what you do with them
Whereupon Judge Freeland adjourned
the cases until November z, when
again. Judge, Freeland requested him to
appear, Under-Sheriff Mason positively
refused in language unfit for publica-
ton, whereupon the court discharged
the accused.
An Outrageous Abuse.
'sThe grand jury respectfully presents
to the court that the action of the sher-
fff's office In the late election, ms
above stated, was the most outrageous
Continued on Second Page.)