Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-09-01
JAGGERS, NAMED
| IN GRAFT RUMORs, .
SUES For $4,000
West Orange Street Comnis-
siOner Brings Slander Action
Against Councilman.
MAX BRODESSER DEFENDANT
In PRESENT LITIGATION
Said to Have Told of Comnis-
siOner Having "To Get
His Out of It."

Charging that Max Brodesser. a
member of the council of the town of
West Orange. has slandered him to
the extent of $4,000, Edward Jaggers.
former street commissioner of the town.
today filed papers in damage suit for
that amount through his attorneys.
McDermit & McDermit
The slander suit follows charges
made against Jaggers by Brodesser
last July, when, according to the dec
laration, Brodesser is alleged to have
said that following the discovery that
the town was being given short weight
on stone used for crosswalks, Brodes-
ser is said to have made the statement
that a contractor doing part of tho
work said to him: "Well, we can't do
any better; you see, the street COM
missioner has got to get his out of it."
Tnat Is one statement of several
said to have been made by Brodesser
tnat Jaggers objects to and which he
claims has injured him in the eyes
of the West Orange community.
In his declaration Jaggers claims in
part: THAT he has always borne a
good reputation and credit in the town
OF West Orange, and that the utter
ances of Brodesser caused him to be
looked upon with suspicion by mis- fell
low townsmen."
Under n Cloud, He Says.
Jaggers also declares that Brodesser
caused him to be suspected of con-
spiracy. larceny and bribery, all of
which charges are untrue, he claims.
In reference to the direct charges the
declaration says:
On or about the 18th day of July. A.
d. 1910, the said defendant, Max Bro
desser, spoke of and concerning the said
plaintiff the following false, scandalous
and malicious words:
Il understood that some parties
We're giving the town short weight OF
stone. 1 wanted to find out about it
and VINO 1t was When this happened
the stone was being bought through
Mr.. ORourke. Before l asked him any
thing about it. though, l went UP and
asked the contractor that was doing
the street work. and he said Well, we
can't do any better; you see, the street
commissioner has got to get his out of
it, and, besides the short weight of
stone that the street commissioner
knew about Is the crosswalk on
Meeker street that the town was
charged and paid $14O for, which can
be laid at the most for 500, and paid a
laberer, Mr.. Cosgrove, 81 per day for
doing the work in a little less than
three days, or something like that,
and there amt been shown no
bills. nor can't be shown any
that will come up to more than
half the money paid for the work.
mean for stone and material, outside
of laborer's work. meaning thereby
that the said plaintiff, as street COM
missioner of the township of West Or
ange, N. j.. had entered into collusion
with a street employee to collect GER
tain moneys for laying a crosswall1,
and that the said plaintiff was posing
as an ostensible contractor and that
said contractor was only day laborer;
that said plaintiff was in colusion
with the contractor furnishing stone
for the purpose of defrauding the
township of West Orange by giving
short weight thereof, and that for SO
doing the said plaintiff was to get part
of the profits so obtained, showing
thereby that the said plaintiff. as street
commissioner of the aforesaid town
ship of West Orange, was corrupt In
the administration of the affairs of his
office, which said charges were uttered
by the defendant at the town of West
Orange aforesaid in the presence and
hearing of divers good and worthy
citizens of this State.
Notice of the suit was filed in the
sheriff's Office just before noon. At
torney Frank M. McDermit, who rep
resents Jaggers, says the suit will be
pushed to a finish, as Jaggers is salts
fed that he has a real claim for SIAN
der damages against Brodesser.