The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-15
9S SOLDIERS FREED
IN JERSEY ELECTION
Four Detectives Who Hired
Them as "Watchers" Are
Held for Grand Jury.
MAYOR GRIFFIN WINNER
Alleged Violation Of Corrupt
Practice Act Affects Next
Contest for GOvernorship.

Supreme Court Justice Francis ].
Swayse. sitting in Jersey City yesterday.
discharged from custody ninety three
soldiers, sailors and others arrested
Tuesday at the high links commission
government. election in Hoboken at the
instance of Mayor Patrick r. Griffin.
The court held four other men-walter
A. Grihiths, Frederick Leon Hunter,
Daniel Fraser and Clifford Brown-in
800 each to await the action of the
Grand Jury on a charge of conspiring
to violate the corrupt practices act re-
lating to elections The quartet, II is al
legged. hired the discharged ninety.three
from the O'Brien Detective Agency OF
Newark at the direction of County Judge
Richard Doherty to act as poll watchers
and special deputies to serve TAG war
rants for persons whose names appeared
Illegally on the Hoboken registry lists.
The wholesale arrests were made be-
cause Griffin suspected the boys were in
town to vote early and often for the Re-
publican ticket headed by William p.
Verdon. the organization leader. Verdon
didn't hesitate to declare that the
''pinches" were brought about to prevent
the serving of the warrants. which were
sworn out by Verdon followers for men
who II was believed. intended to vote for
Griffin and his running mates for City
Commissioners on tho Democratic ticket.
Griffin Makes a Cleanup.
The "deputies' were removed from
their chosen field of activities 30 early
In the game that they couldn't serve
their warrants. and Judge Doherty, who
Is friend Of verdon. and the Republic
can leader were unable to carry out their
good Intentions.
Just what effect the extraordinary
events OF the day. which included the ar
rest OF Verdon ana Mayor Grimm, had
upon the electorate may never be known
but the fact remains that Griffin made
ore OF the biggest cleanups In his politi-
cal career. He led his ticket with a
grand total OF 5.sSS votes. verdon also
had the honor of high man on his ticket,
with total of 2.443. while the high
man on the third ticket-Citizens and
Rent Payers LeaEue-was Harry w
Lange. with 1,77s. Griffin had 1867 more
votes than the leaders Of the other two
tickets put together when the tally was
completed, and he was able to call It a
day.
Out OF the tangle Of Hobok EMS cleo
ton day doings possibly ray come an
Investigation in order that the at
mosphere may be cleared up In time
for the guberna torial election in the fall
when there win be a great dial at stake
II was limited last night that the Acting
Governor Senator Runyon. who will sue
coed Gov. Edge after he resigns to be-
come United States Senator. may be
asked to appoint a commission to in
vestlgate conditions In Hudson county.
The trouble started in Hoboken with
the placing Of the Citizens and Rent
Payers ticket Of three Republicans and
two Democrats In the field. This ticket
was fathered. II Is said. by friends OF
State Senator Edward l. Edwards Of
Jersey City, who is seeking the Demo-
cratic nomination for Governor, with the
help of some influential county Repub-
licans who do not like verdon. The Ed
wards folks, IL Is claimed, feared Verdon
was going to upset Mayor Griffins po-
litical apple cart. which would have been
mighty. bad for Edwards The third
ticket Republicans simply wanted to pre-
vent Verdon from winning. and thus les
sen his influence with certain State lead
ers. Fighting Verdon has long been a
popular Republican pastime, although
Verdon insists that he represents the Re
publican side OF 1t while those opposing
him are not real Republicans.
Had 100 warrants.
IF the Republicans don't get busy"
verdon said yesterday, There will be
grave danger of losing the State in the
gubernatorial campaign. We had war
rants for arrests in !. 200 cases OF fraud
ulent registration. None Of those war
rants was served by deputies, who were
hra ,ty1nf har Of he ~
Judge Doherty to prevent frauds. be-
cause they were arrested. There should
have been 1900 warrants."
Corporation Attorney John ]. Fallon,
Assistant Corporation Attorney Horace
l. Allen and Recorder Edward Carstens
appeared for the city OF Hoboken when
the deputies" and others were arraigned
before Justice Swayze for examination
Some OF the defendants went on the
stand, although the court explained that
they were not obliged TO make any
sworn statement
Joseph Castor, a discharged sailor,
who made the trip from Newark to
Hoboken to earn IS for an honest days
work. said they pulled OF a dirty deal
on us by not telling US what kind of a
Job II was" He went on record as be-
lieving the police did exactly the right
several other witnesses testified Justice
Swayze said he had heard no evidence
Of criminallty on the part of the men.
Detectives Only Are Held.
Mr.. Fallon admitted that the defend
ants hired as watchers. were acting In
good faith, and there was no intention
OF pressing the charges against them.
He declared. however. their testimony
was important in its relation to Griffiths
and other detectives who were defend
ants to the complaint. He explained
that the corrupt practices act prohibits
any person excepting a campaign man.
ager from hiring so-called paid watchers.
The Justice ordered the discharge of
the ninety-three men and held the four
detective agency men for the Grand
Jury.
Hudson county politicians are now
wondering what tho Grand Jury will do
with tho complaint of Mayor Grimm
against Republican Leader Verdon, Max
Miller. State Civil Service Commissioner
Lob h.