Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-08-28
VICE CRUSADERS
/ TRYING TO |ND|CT
C|TY'S OFFICIALS
Will Invoke Grand
Jury if Governor
Is Ignored.
If THIS FAILS LEAGUE
WILL TAKE OTHER COURSE
Claims to Have Sufficient Data
to Proceed Against Mayor
and Others.

the off1cials of the New Jersey Anti
Saloon League threaten to attempt
to indict Mayor Jacob Haussling. his
entire cabinet and other city officials.
This move. they claim, is natural
sequence to their conference with
Governor Wilson in Trenton yester-
day afternoon.
The Governor has agreed to notify
the local authorities of the charges
made against them and to demand
an immediate investigation.
If this demand should be ignored
for ten days, the league asserts that
1t has the right, under an act Of the
Legislature, to move the indictment
Of the city officials before the grand
jury.
The Governor, while unable to set
aside any officials who refuse to act,
is able, by virtue.of his office to assist
the league materially in bringing
about indictments Until the Cover
nor serves his notice, however. the
league officials claim to be powerless
to act.
Governor Says He Is Powerless.
When the petition of the league was
submitted to the Governor yesterday
he declared that he was powerless
to act. except to bring the matter
TO the attention of the city officials
In question in the most emphatic
way that he could. This he prom
ised to do. 1t Is on this point that
the officers of the league claim vic
tory. claiming that it opens the way
for wholesale indictments unless pres
ent conditions are remedfed
Under the act of 1901 the league
officials claim that the Governor has
the power to initiate proceedings
against persons accused of crime,
simply notifying them that such con-
ditfons are said to exist, and calling
upon them to bring about a remedy.
Within ten days after this notice Is
served a private citizen has the right,
so it is claimed, to demand of the
grand jury that presentments be
found. This, -of course Is providing
that sufficient evidence to indict is
found. The league claims to have
more than enough evidence to indict
all of the city officials in question.
Samuel Wilson, of the law and en-
forcement committee of the league,
when seen today was nom -commital
as to the next step to be taken by
the league. He intimated that the
action of the league in appearing be-
fore the governor yesterday was to
pave the way to bring about indict-
ments against the mayor and other
city officials, and also to show him
conditions as they exist here. Asked
point blank if the real reason for the
interview was to bring about the
grand jury indictments, he admitted
that 1t was.
Says Governor Promised Aid.
The Governor assured us that he
would do all in his power to bring
about remedy for the conditions in
this city," continued Mr.. Wilson, "and
this is all we sought-his coopera-
ton. Under the act of 1901 the Gov
ernor has the power to notify the
mayor and other city officials we have
named to take some action tending
to show that he wishes to remedy
vice conditions as we have shown
them to exist in Newark Coming
from the Governor local officials are
compelled by law to take action with
in ten days afterathe receipt of the
notice. under penalty of being in
dicted. ~
I'VE have been two weeKs in get
ting our appointment with the gov
ernor and yesterday we made the best
of our opportunities. We have gone
about this matter systematically, first
appealing to the police to remedy
conditions, then to the mayor, and SO
on up until we reached the highest
authority in the State. If nothing
comes of this then we are prepared
to take still further step, but just
what this will be. will not say at
this time"
What will be the next step by the
league il the Governor fails to act
as he has promised?" he was asked
DO you known
Certainly / know. We have worked
that matter out thoroughly, but just
what it will be am not prepared to
give out at this time-not for publi-
cation. Our investigations will con-
tinue on just the same as before we
saw the Governor. so that we will
have additional data to present to the
grand jury should this step prove
necessary. Do / think we have suffi-
cient evidence to bring about indict-
ments? We certainly have-more
than enough"