The native American., 1838-09-08
tFrom the Ners York Daily Express March 8, 1881
NATURALIZING BY THE JOB.
A CASE IN THE UNITED STATES Court BEFORE
JUDGE' Belts.

We were not aware that the business OF natu-
ralizing was done by the job in this city, ana
that some foreigners actually carried on pusi-
ness ,;II he ease of Gosman, German, came
before the police This Gosman, 1t appeared III
court. had naturalized his hundreds OF Germans,
whom he undertook to make Americans ol-oy
wholesale oatls before the marine court. ms
WIS commsson-basiness in a new line OF en-
ploy. for he received from eight to ten dollars
from his countrymen for swearing them III, the
fees of the court being bnt three and halt dol
lars. The character of the marine court OF this
citv was proved by some of tie Witnesses 10 he
tribunal which would disgrace the APPLICATIONS OF
many grog-shop in the city. As court oi re-
cord it is mere mockery OF the name: aAd lis
acts of wholesale uneXamIning naturalzauonS
seemed to be but of piece OF the PERJURY com
mitted before it. We trust that the details ot
this trial will awaken attention to this court
which, as it is invested by the laws with right OIL
mparting citizenship, is one OF the most I'M
porant in the country, and particularly rs It does
Wholesale naturalization business for the whole
United States.
The case was opened BY Nir. Price on behalf
of the prosecution, who calle, to the stand the
clerk of the marine court, Mr.. Barbierc, who
testified that Gosnan, the prisoner. subscribed
and swore to an affidavit, setting forth that coun-
tryman his named Frederick Altz, had been FIVE
wears in the United States, bat did not distinctly
recollect whether Judge Scheil1elin present at
the time of administering the oath or not. III
was also proved by several witnesses that Altz
came here in 1882, that he then over 40 years
of age, had never been here before, and there
fore that the statement sworn to by the prisoner
of his residence Of five years was ,o.ally false.
A Mr.. w old swore that the prisoner "wtnessed'
him into a citizenship after having been in the
country only four years. (aslhAugh he WAS ap-
prizeA by the applicant Of that fact for the sum
Of $40; and the district attorney oi2redlo prove by
great many other witnesses. tha. the prisoner
made business Of procuring the nauraliza-
ton Of aliens in this way. The testimony, how
ever, was ruled ont by the court. 4 German bv
the name Of Henry Otter was also called to prove
that the prisoner went with him to the marine
court and procured his naturalization upon the
payment Of eight or nine dollars, nowiths,and-
inc he had been informed that he, Otter, had been
in the country less than five years. A Nicholas
Everhard swore that Gosman followed no other
business for living than hangng around the
marine court and swearing in aliens for pay: that
he was shrewd fellow and was one Of the princ
pal agitators in the late difficulties with the Dutcl
reformed church. Other testimony went to show
that the prisoner could write good hand, ant
nothing being produced to show that he was
ignorant Of the English language, it was fairly
nferrible that he understood perfectly what were
the contents Of the affidavit to which he subscri-
bed his name and made oath.
Mr.. Bushnell, for the defence, contended that
If his client had snned at all, it was through
ignorance that he had been led into error By
the loose and slovenly manner in which he had
seen business of this nature transacted in the ma
,,>I ~, ~, -, 80,
cation was in itself detective as he was prepar-
ed to argue to the satisfaction of the court. The
learned gentlemen then referred the court to an
ancient law applicable to this Casa law upon
which all mordern laws have been based, and
which emanated from source that entitled it to
the highest credit. 1t was the law of Moses;
and he quoted as follows from the book of Num-
bers. chap XIV, verses 27, %, 30, and so:
ssAnd if any soul sin through ignorance, then
he shall bring a she-goat of the first year for a
sin offering. And the priest shall make an atone
ment for the soul that sinneth ignorantlv, when
he sinneth by ignorance before the Lord, TO make
an atonement for him; and ii shall be forgiven
him. &c.
Witnesses were. then brought forward, who
testified that they were present in the marine
court when people had declared their Intentions
that the atlidavts respecting the residence of ap
plcantS IN lHlS country were never Icau VI eA'
blamed to them; that they were merely asked to
sign their names, and pay over to the clerk the
fee of So so: that frequently there was no Judge
present at the time Of making oath; that during
the election last fall, politicians would bring in
ten or dozen together, some with their foreign
garments upon their backs to get naturalized
every thing was done in hurrv-few questions
were asked-and individuals admitted to all the
rights and privileges Of citizens, without duly ex-
aiming into their qualifications. The answers
given by the witness, benjamin Albert, TO the
district attorney, will give the reader an idea Of
the intelligence Of the Observation-Disclosures"
who usually oficiatc at the marine court to swear
out naturalization papers for money.
Benjamin Albert sworn. Q. Have you ever
been in the marine court when they ma
king citizens out Of foreigners!
A. Yaze, vas.
@. Well, what did you sec there!
A. Veil gone dare to be make zidizen my
sefs, but dey not would make me lie zidizen
vilolt de witness. But after dat ! was vidness
for oler mems.
@. You was, eh.
A. Y-a-z-e. Isign my name for ZONE vidness.
@. Witness to WHAT