Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-29
JURY ASKS CHANGE.
IN POLL METHODS
After Indicting c. o. P. Lead
ers, Hudson Body Recon-
mends Ballot Safeguards.
Especial to the Newark star

Especial to the Newark Star.I
JERSEY CITY, Oct. 29.-The Hud-
son county grand jury yesterday aft
ernoon handed up to Supreme Court
Justice Francis ]. iSwayze a batch
of indictments found since Fri
day., which included, it is said, those
found against Leon c. Hart and
Ernest F. ErXmeyer, the two Hoboken
Republican county committeeman i'm
plicated in the confession made by
Arthur Reich, the indicted judge of
election of the Third district of the
First Ward. Hoboken, who charged
them with having been a party to the
frauds perpetrated in the district on
the night of primary day.
Both men were brought to court
and gave bail in the sum of $4,000.
Erxmeyer waived examination, but
. Hart asked for hearing, which was
put down for this afternoon. His in
dictment, however, will make the
hearing unnecessary. Alexander Il.
kittredge, the Hoboken Democratic
county committeeman already indict-
ed twice, it is said, was again in
dicied yesterday along with Hart ana
Erxmeyer for aiding and abetting
violations of the election laws.
Reads Presentment.
After handing the indictments to
Supreme Court Clerk George Kelly,
Foreman John II. Ward of the Grand
Jury read the following presentment
TO the court:
Your honor. we have statement
we would like to make. Our investi-
cation of the ballot boxes throughout
4l,a county cboXUc crrpGe
in counting and tabulating the cleo
sion returns. and that it was the ex-
cention to find q box which showed
the board was sufficiently acquainted
with it's duties to make proper re-
port.
"Our. investigation revealed much
more than our reports and indict-
ments would Indicate, and we are i'm
pressed with the thought that the
very foundation of our government is
assailed by these careless and un-
scrupulous election officers. Had your
honor taken part with us in our in
designations. you, likewise, would
have been impressed with the enor-
nifty of these offenses, committed
either by ignorance or with criminal
intent, against the ballots of the vot-
/ ers.
Believing these conditions should
be brought to your notice and to the
voters of this county. whose votes are
nullified and their wishes, expressed
through the ballot, made to conform
to the desires of those controlling the
counting of the ballots.
"To the end that existing conditions
may be changed, we make the follow
ing suggestions:
40 meet the present condition of
inefficiency of the election officers,
= we recommend that they be appointed
only from the civil service eligible
list, and that the civil service COM
missioners make personal recommen-
dations a count in their examinations.
Further, that all election returns
be canvassed and recounted as an
audit Immediately following each
election by a commission appointed
I by the court for that purpose; the
present method of the County Board
of Election is not a check on fraud.
Furthermore ballot boxes to be so
constructed that they cannot be Open
ed except by keys, unless destroyed
in opening; present boxes may be
opened by removing the bottom with
out DETACHMENT or showing any signs
of having been tempered with.