Perth Amboy evening news., 1916-12-12
Mentions No Names, but South
River is Taken as His Object
Today-Sacred Duty to Find
Indictments Under Such
Charges.
Special to the EVENING NEWS.

Special to the EVENING NEWS.
New Brunswick, Dec. 12-When the
new December term grand jury was
sworn in at the opening of the term
here today Supreme Court Justice
James ]. Bergen charged it upon the
Importance of investigation of alleged
election frauds In this county While
he mentioned no names 1T was taken
for granted by court officials and at
taches generally that he had direct
reference to the discrepancy of con-
gressional count in the second district
of South River. He told the jurors 1t
was their sacred duty to find indict-
ments under such charges and also in
cases where liquor law violations were
concerned. He said If the election Of
flcers concerned had defense they
would be given opportunity to present
II at their trial.
Oliver W. Ramsay, Of Perth Am
boy is the foreman of the new grand
Jury. The other members are: Jo-
seph Lee, New Brunswick: John H.
Snedeker, Dunellen; Ellison H. Hawk,
Dunellen, Andrew Christiansen,
Roosevelt; Samuel Dimond. Perth
Amboy; James F. O'Hara, New
Brunswick; William H. Mansfield,
New Brunswick; Rev. Paul Haynes.
New Brunswick; Alfred Mundy, South
Plainfield; Frank Jennings. Sr.,
Jamesburg; Philip Darmstadt. New
boy; William A. Silence, Railway;
Robert Harkins, Milltown; Fred w.
McCIung, Perth Amboy; A. M. Met
zendorf, Perth Amboy; Rush Barton,
New Brunswick; w. H. War;, Perth
Amboy; Elmer Patten, Jamesburg;
Joseph M. Perrine, Jamesburg; Alex
ander Gold, New Brunswick.
Justice Bergen in addressing the
Jurors after they had been sworn for
duty said there were no matters for
him to charge upon save one. He
asked the members. to pay careful
attention to excise violations and ad-
vised them to indict whenever there
was evidence of violation, -.
The important subject fhvolved
the recent election. He said facts
had been conveyed to him, not under
oath. that may or may not be cor
rect, regarding the conduct of cleo
ton officers in a certain district at
the last general election. He de-
clared that the information indicated
that in certain district the tally on
the congressional result had involved
q great error. He understood that
one candidate had been given twen-
ty-four votes that did not belong to
him and that the other had been
him, making a considerable differ
ence that involved forty-two votes.
The justice reminded the jurors that
1t was the solemn duty of election Of
ficers to fairly judge and count the
ballots and to return the correct
count. That was the foundation for
this independent government he said,
and if it was broken down by acts
of fraud a revolution would become
inevitable. He said the result of any
count should be of no Importance to
the election officers involved in max
Ing such count.
Justice Bergen read the late cleo
tion laws concerning fraud. He told
the jurors that if they found that
returns the election board was guilty
under the law and should be pun
ished.
At this juncture the justice told
the Jury the accused election officers
could offer defense at their trial if
they chose He said he did not sup
pose it was necessary for him to tell
the jurors that politics should not
play a part in their deliberations,
whether the election officers con-
cerned be all Republicans or all
Democrats He said they were sworn
for administration of the law for the
preservation of the liberties which
the laws give to the extent that cleo
tions should not be controlled by
false returns. In conclusion he said
If the grand jury did not indict un-
der such conditions. violations would
become general and the government
would be upset, and emphasized that
the question of any political standing
in the matter should have absolutely
no bearing with the grand jury, as
they should take steps to prevent the
destruction of the government.
One Indictment was given by the
December Grand Jury at it's session
this morning. The jury adjourned to
meet again on Jan. 9.