Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-03-14
W|THDRAWS SUIT
AGAINST MAYOR
FOR GEM FRAUD
Attorney Acted With
out Authorization,
Says Plaintiff.
HINT THAT WHOLE AFFAIR
WAS A POLITICAL TRICK
Fight Between Executive and
His Council Behind Trouble,
1t Is Explained.

1.-THE suit brought by me for
C. F. A. Salter against Harwood
z. o. Fish is hereby discontinued,
without costs.
(Signed) an. CASWELL HEINE,
Plaintiffs Attorney.
In a signed statement issued today,
C. F. A. Salter emphatically denies
the charges made in his name by M,
Caswell Heine, local attorney, in
a suit for damages instituted against
Harwood E. o. Fish, mayor of Ro-
selle Park. and the Gem Dredging
Company, on Wednesday. The suit
has been withdrawn without costs
by Attorney Heine.
Salter says he did not authorize the
suit or even know that the action
was to be brought. He says Attor-
ney Heine solicited his certificates
and power of attorney to collect $3.50
he paid for $50 shares of the Gem
stock. but said nothing of a civil
action.
Salter's signed statement, now In
the possession of Mayor Fish, is as
follows:
&C. F. A. salter, of Brooklyn, says
that he is the owner of $50 shares of
the Gem Dredging Company stock.
for which in 1909 he paid $62.50.
"On or about February 20, 1918, !
was approached by NJ. Caswell
Heine. of No Liberty street, New
York. which was the first time l had
met the man.
He asked me if l had any shares
Of the Gem Dredging Company stock.
II told him that 1 had $50. He
then asked me to show the certiti-
cate. l did, and he asked me If
would like to get back the money I
paid for the stock and | said would.
Gives Power of Attorney.
HE told me that he would get the
money If I would give him power OF
attorney. He then wrote out a paper
which / signed, believing it TO he
power of attorney He said he would
also have to have the certificate so
that he could have a righ; , eX-
anime the books of the company.
Il learned later that he never ex-
amined the books, although I gave
him the certificate for that purpose.
After signing said paper never
heard from him again. He never
made me report or asked for in
structions.
Il never authorized the bringing Of
any suit and had no knowledge that
any suit was to be brought ana lid
rot want any suit brought.
II know nothing about the charges
in the suit and do not know or be-
lieve anything wrong about the com
pany or it's officers.
CHARLES F. A. SALTER."
The suit has created big sensation
in Roselle Park and has created fac
Iions there. The villagers claim that
the action was brought by Attorney
Heine on behalf of his friend and
former associate, j. Wallace Hig-
gins, borough engineer and candidate
for school trustee at next Tuesday S
election.
Mayor Refused to Reappoint Higgins
Mayor Fish has refused to reap
point Higgins as engineer, and, is
strenuously opposing his election to
the school board. Friends of the
mayor claim that the suit instituted
Wednesday was brought in an at
tempt to scare Mayor Fish into with
dsawing his opposition to Higgins S
candidacy.
In support of this it is pointed out
that Attorney Heine was formerly
president of the Tennessee Mining
Company, according to the mayor, in
which organization Higgins was Sec
retary and treasurer.
Mayor Fish claims that promi-
nent resident of Roselle Park who
invested $500 in the. Tennessee Mining
Company recently saw Mr.. Heine and
asked him when the annual meeting
of the mining company was to be
held.
According to Mayor Fish, Attorney
Heine then replied that there was
not enough money in the treasury to
send out the notices.
Mayor Fish has instructed Charles
A. Trimble, of Elizabeth, to insti-
ture a suit against five members OF
the old council to compel them to re-
store to the borough $500 they are
charged with spending Illegally for a
set of borough plans. The mayor
claims that the plans were prepared
and paid for without competition or
advertisement, and without the au-
thorization of the people. Mayor
Fish says he is determined to get at
the bottom of the whole affair.
All Roselle Park has taken inter-
est in the matter and the election
next Tuesday promises to be an ex-
citing affair.
Former Mayor Horning last night
said that the money paid for the
borough hall plans was not expended
Illegally. He claimed that the trouble
between the mayor and his councli
was all a personal matter.
1.-The whole fuss started because
the mayor won't name officials favor
able to the council" said the former
mayor HE has made matters worse
by trying to have a bill passed in
the Legislature giving mayors of
boroughs power to appoint officials
without the confirma ton of the coun-
Gil"