Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-03
WAS It APLOT
OR JUST MERE
COINCIDENCE?
Thrilling Tale Concerning a Pc
tition in the interest of
Independents.
FREEHOLDER CANDIDATES
FILE THE DOCUMENT
They Are Running as Anti
Boss, RepubIicans"-A
Lawyer After Them.

Lawyer After Them.
An interesting tale may be un-
folded concerning the petition or pc
titions bearing the names of Alexan-
der f. Cashin, of the Sixteenth ward,
| Newark; Elbert e. Hitchcock, of the
Fourth ward, Newark, and Joseph
| w. Hanley, of West Orange, as in
| dependent Republican candidates for
| freeholder.
The story deals with plot, or an
alleged plot, by the hostiles to get
possession of the petitions and spirit
| them away SO that they could not
| possibly be recovered by their right
| full owners before the time limit for
| fling such documents had expired.
This limit is Monday night, but
with the petitions "lost, strayed or
stolen" it might be reasoned that
the prospective candidates could not
| prepare new papers and have them
| circulated for signatures between
| this afternoon and Monday night.
It would be "a difficult job at the best,
| and the candidates, becoming dis
| couraged at the loss of the documents
| that required so much time and la
Dor to work up, could be counted
! upon to throw up their hands.
| And yet it may be only coinci-
dence this disappearance of the petit
tions and the overzealousness of
supposed friend of the candidates to
| help them along by his advice and
guidance. and the benefit of his ma
| ture experience as a campaigner OF
the personally conducted" kinda
mere coincidence
But there is a lurking suspicion in
| the minds of some, and in the mental
+ dome of Cashin, in particular. that
a foxy game" was being manipu-
/ lated.
| At all events, Cashin and Hitchcock
| were chaperoned all day yesterday by
q man who would see that there
would be no slip-up in the manner
and form of their petition.
'.This law business Is mighty
/ queer said this guide and COUNSEL
or, "a technicality might throw you
and your petition out as irregular.
| But leave it to me. l know just
what to do and how to do it. These
| fly guys and smart aleck skates
| can't put it over me-
! ADnmmy Petition.
And so the candidates apparently
| placed their trust in thei 'griend."
/ Cashin had been suspicious, Cor some.
time and had taken precautions
against trickery what Ii someone
/ should cop our petition, ?'' reasoned
Cashin. Thus reasoning, he managed
| to place petition already sufficiently
| filled with signatures where not even
the dogs could bite. He carried a
dummy petition in his inside pocket.
| The party stopped in a Market street
| cafe to get drink. and the friend
called for the round. Suddenly the
friend" said:
"Cashin, let's have that petition ana
your fountain pen. There are two
! good citizens here who want to sign"
| Cashin handed over the pen and
the petition. minute or two later
he asked for the paper. 1t had be-
come lost in the shuttle.
What paper?" he was asked. "You
didn't give me any paper or any pc
tition. You just loaned me your
fountain pen. Here's your old pen.'
"All right" replied Cashin as he re-
ceived his pen back. There's no
use in quarreling about the matter. |
see it all now. I'm through"
Cashin on the Watch.
Cashin and several OF his friends,
whom he met in the cafe, then left
the place. They watched, however,
and their vigil was rewarded by see
ing the wise "friend," with another
interested party, emerge from the
cafe and walk direct to an office
building that they had under sur
veillance. where another interested
person was in waiting.
There was an exchange of some
kind but if a petition was delivered
to the last referred to "interested'
person ii was not the petition so
ardently coveted. as that was filed
in the office of County Clerk Joseph
McDonough shortly after noon to-
day.
Lawyer In Pursuit.
whether or not the following letter
has anything to do with the lost,
strayed or stolen petition or not is
another story, but this is missive
received by Mr. Cashin this after
noon:
Alexander r. Cashin.
727 South Eighteenth street.
Dear Sir-I have been retained by
Mr.. John g, Donegan to institute ac-
ton against you for unlawfully talk
ing and keeping a certain petition for
the election of three independent Re-
publican candidates for the Board of
Freeholders on the afternoon OF Octo-
ber 2, 1914. and please take notice that
unless you produce the petition in
this office by Monday noon next, the
fifth inst, will be obliged to pro-
ceed without further notice toSyou.
(Signed)
WILLIAM ]. McFADDEN,
National Bank Building.
The ''plot thickens," as the dramatic
critic would put it.
Mr.. Cashing, in company With two
men, whose names We're not given,
presented the petition to Mr.. Mahr
and asked that he look it over in their
presence. They were told that they
would have to wait until he finished
some business he was attending to.
They waited and watched as he
scanned the petition and did not leave
until Mr. Mahr told them that it
seemed to be all right and put the
stamp on 1t. When the petition was
70. tlas..r nrrlrlf