Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-04-18
ELECTION FULL
Of FRAUDS


eral public, against the protest of can
didates and challengers. =,
Challengers in various precincts hau
their books stolen by persons who
were assisted to escape amid the con
fusion purposely brought about, Po-
licemen supposed to be on duty APP
parentIy made no proper efforts to pre-
vent the escape OF the offender or the
repetition of the offense,
Considerable evidence was submitted
of the purchase of votes, some wit
nesses personally testifying that they
had sold their own votes and exn,alh-
ing the system by which the vote.buy3,
voters We're handed a ballot and upon
emerging from the polls were given o
slip of paper which was cashed by some
person or persons stationed at n place
not far distant from the polls. Testi-
mony wa offered to show that nun
dreds OF votes were purchased IN n
single, district, The mas TUT
nished all the evidence of this traffic
in votes to the grand jury Of Atlantic
county in order that the guilty parties
may be punished.
GERS, who was employed by the electric
light company holding the contract for
the lighting of Atlantic City, was called
from his h1me about 3 o'clock on the
morning of election day by a man in
charge of the department in which this
officer worked. and through false rep
RESERVATIONS concerning the condition
of arc lights at a distant place, was
induced to enter an automobile driven
by the superintendent of the electric
light company and was carried eigh-
teen miles from the city, where he made
his escape and walked a considerable
distance to a railroad, boarded a train
and returned to Atlantic City an hour
after the polls had opened, many votes
having been cast before his arrival.
This election officer later testified that
he had been discharged by the super
intendent OF the electric light company
the day after he had sworn to the fore
going facts before this committee.
False Registration.
The false registration was obtained by
placing on the lists numbers Of men who
had no existence at all, and names OF
men from houses in which they did not
live, and from vacant lots aud stores.
Evidence in this connection was secured
by calling before the committee as wit
nesses the persons who kept the lodging
houses or resided at the private dwelling
houses where the persons Illegally regis
tered were supposed to have lived. In
some instances the m found that
some confusion might have existed because
of a discrepancy and Inconsistency i'll the
numbering of houses on certain streets,
but such instances were not any appre-
ciable proportion Of the total number of
| cases brought before the committee.
| Names of persons who did not live within
the State were frequently found on the
registry lists. The committee is satisfied
registered weIe prevented from voting on
election day because of the publication OF
their names IN the local newspapers prior
to election day, together with a notice
that persons attempting to vote illegally
would be arrested and punished. The
committee had considerable difficulty in
proving illegal registration In many cases
because or the destruction Of the hotel
registers and account books by the pro-
prietors OF the several hotels from which
such persons were registered. the said
proprietors being able to recall upon the
| witness stand but few of the persons
| registered from their places.
Police and Firemen Assessed.
The testimony showed that members of
police and fire departments and other city
to the Republican campaign fund upon
the basis of a given percentage of the
salary received, and hat although this
money was paid In the form Of a contribu-
ton 1t was in fact an assessment fol
political purposes by those in political
control upon those whose positions were
more or less dependent upon the good will
| of those in control Of the city government.
! One policeman testified toward the close
Of the hearings that he was suspended
| from the force ostensibly on minor charges,
but actually because he was supposed 10
have given aid or information to the in.
yestigation committee during the progress
of the hearings.
disclose numerous incidents of a nature
1 similar TO those to which reference hrs
| been made herein. but a recitation Of witch
in detail is omitted in this report IN tiae
interest of breylty and tho avoidance of
| mere repetition. The evidence received
| publication at considerable length IN the
| newspapers as 1t was taken from day 10
day.
Holds Leaders Responsible.
The committee is satisfied that the mis-
conduct and corruption herelnie fore set
forth, whether or not 1t was In obedience
to the Instructions Of the leaders VI the