Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-01-08
ARMED MEN KEEP
OLD BOARD At BAY
Bergen County Court House
Record Room in State
of Siege.
COURT MAY DECIDE WHO'S
WHO EARLY NEXT MONTH
Question Over Title to Mail
Causes Postmaster to Inn
pound Letters.


HACKENSACK, N. j., Jan. S.
While the freeholders' rooms are be-
ing guarded by armed special officers
today to prevent any members of the
old board from entering the place.
counsel for both the old and the new
boards are preparing for a legal bat
tie
I'VE won't pay any attention to the
new board when our next meeting is
called on February 8, declared Ad-
olson Ely. jr., who is assisting his
father as counsel for the old board.
sThe law under which the new MEM
bers are acting is absolutely inap-
plicable.
"There is no need for an armed
guard at the freeholders' rooms" he
continued. 1--WE have finished our
business for the year and have no
need of access to the books which
they are said to be guarding.
Claims Usurpation.
s0rhe new freeholders have no more
right to Office than a man who would
come to me with a deed to my prop
erty and tell me to get out
II think the matter will be de-
eided in court before our meeting is
called on February 3. There are
twenty-four members of the old
board who have qualified and are
acting in this matter. To place the
new freeholders in charge the courts
win have to legalize an illegal cleo
ton, and don't think they will do
that"
Asked about the reported attempt
OF the old freeholders TO gain ac-
cess to certain books in the county
clerks possession, Mr.. Ely said:
IT understand the new freeholders
passed a motion for the payment of
a bin amounting to so. Court action
will have to be taken to decide
whether the old county clerk or the
new one has the power to pay that
bill
Zisgen Says Guard Is Needed.
Mr. Ely declared he had conferred
with counsel for the new board and
told him there was no necessity for
the armed force which is guarding
the county rooms and documents. He
insists that there is no reason why
force should be resorted to. and char
acterizes the action as mistaken
public opinion"
The old Board of Freeholders held a
meeting on Monday, when all BUSH
ness for the year was completed.
Nine guards, armed with magazine
rifles, watched over the new free
holders while the latter were in ses-
sion yesterday. No attempt at vio-
lence was made. In explaining the
presence of the rifles, John W. Zis-
gen, counsel for the new board, said:
well, sir, we feared an attempt
would be made during the night by
members of the old Board of Free
holders to get into this room and take
records from the safe. and as the
commission now considers itself the
custodian of the public's property. we
instructed our special officers here to
use these rifles If it became neces-
sary."
Mail Is Withheld.
At the meeting yesterday afternoon
a resolution was adopted that the
old Board of Freeholders be not per-
mitted to meet in the court house
without permission of Commissioner
John r. Towle, chairman of the pub
lie buildings and grounds commit
tee. Another resolution instructed
Postmaster William Jeffers, of Hack
ensack, to see that all mail adj
dressed to the freeholders be sent to
the new commission. The postmaster
purposes to be on the safe side, and
will not deliver any of the mail until
the courts give a decision as to
which is the legal body. Meanwhile
the special officers, armed with rifles,
will do guard duty in the freehold
ers' meeting room and permit no one
tn enter