Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-15
CITY ELECTION
PETITION LOOKS
DOWN AND OUT
At Least Fifty Per Cent. of Sig
natures Appear TO Be
Invalid.
SlGNERS PLAYED HAVOC
WITH THE PROMOTERS
Fictitious Names, Faxed
Names and Names of Mythical
Things Jotted Down in Jest.

Results obtained from the exam
iDation of half the names on the com
mission, government petitions indicate
that, the present movement for an
election is lost. The figures show an
overwhelming defeat for the hackers
of commission rule. About fifty per
cent of the names so far examined
have been thrown out completely, ten
per cent. yet doubtful and the remain
der approved.
When this became known today
there was a prevalent rumor that fhe
Commission Government League
would ask City Clerk James II. Con-
nelly to withdraw the petitions, as
they have not been formally filed with
she city clerk.
Saturdays work shows that eighty
eight names were thrown out, twenty
six approved and six remained doubt
full City Clerk Connolly will not give
out the actual figures disclosed by the
vestigation of his clerks and the
bank clerks who have been at work
or the doubtful list.
Another ono of the excellent meth
ods used by tho Commission Govern
ment League TO secure signatures be-
II was stated that at a certain cigar
and paper store in BelleVille avenue
two petitions weer tackled on the Wali.
Every one who came in and outof the
store was asked to affix his signature
TO the documents. In this manner
any one, a voter or one not even cit
izen. could sign the paper.
Such names as Johnny Poor J.
NJ. Rich and 80. Kid We're placed
~ he, league petitions. W hetneI
~ = names found access TO inc CITY
clerks investigation room coulo nov
he learned today 1t is probable that
the league caught them anu eraseo
them from the petition -
one man we'll known in Newark re-
marked today: why | see tilal the
dictator of Mexico, Nivtor 1uerta'
6siyned for commission. Government
for Newark" 1t is known that the
name of Huerta did appear on one OF
the petitions.
The name of Wallace Iehff, one OF
the leaders of the Repuht ican party
in the Eighth ward signed tne petl-
ton. When this became known sew
eral influential Republicans sought
Zeliff and asked IL he had signed the
Sure | signed the petitions, said
Zeliff, why shouldn't IL?
The duestioners then asked for
further information and the reply
made by the Republican leader was:
"Why, yes | signed, SO d1d num-
Der OF my friends We did 1t SO that
an election could be called and we
could beat the thing now and keep
the 'kickers' quiet for at last another
two years. 1t was the easiest way
to get out of the mess.
MANY more "jhony" names have
been found on the petitions. Petit
lions circulated in sthe Eighth and
sixteenth wards bear marks as If
many of the names appearing We're
written in the same hand. These will
be Investigated tonight by the bank
clerks.
Most of the Italian names affixed
to the documents have been either
cast out as mo good" or as doubtful
Many signed the petition who did not
reside in Newark but did SO just Tor
the fun of the game.
Henry Schultz, one of the hackers
Of commission government, and one
of the men most dubious of the re
suit. was asked to look over one OF
the petitions handed in by him.
why sure, | will investigate every
name on my petition" said Mr.
Schultz. On one of his petitions there
were yifteen names. After seferal
minutes work it was discovered that
eleven of the fifteen were names OF
men whose addresses could not be
found on the poll books.
Whom the petitions We're handed to
City Clerk Connolly, the leaguers
stated that they had fifteen per cent
more signatures than the required
number Now that the investigation
is half over, the figures show that
they are about thirty-five per cent.
shy of the number as required by
law