The New York herald., 1871-11-20
BROOKLYN POLITICS.
THE SECOND SENATORIAL DISTRICT.

11E cEdU dUND SLNA AVAtGhA UAJkMlt1s
~~~~oo~~~~~-~~~>~~~-~>~-
What John Devlins Knows About the Elec-
tion Frauds-An Interesting and Suggestive
MISUNDERSTANDING About tho Illicit
Whiskcy Businexs.
The local journals Of Brooklyn being filled
with charges and counter charges OF fraud
In the Second Senatorial district, q HERALD
reporter was despatched to make an In
vestlgation. He selected yesterday for the
work and lost no time in hunting up the
popular leader Of the democracy In the Fifth ward,
genial John Devlin. Mr.. Devlin being found was
made acquainted with the intention OF the reporter.
He readily and courteously consented to give his
views ON
MATTERS AND THINGS POLITICAL
as he understood them.
'.Whatever trouble there has been in this dis
trlct" he said, In answer to the first question OF
the reporter, ais easily traced to a cause. have
been threatened, viied and abused for being CRATE
full. Mr.. John 9. Perry once did me great SER
vice, voluntarily and disinteresedly. He found me
suffering for the sins or Others, and came n0bly to
my relief. Should have forgotten that serviceg
No, sirsn
'.Please explain Mr.. Devlin."
swell, when l was In exile, after my discharge
from arrest by the order OF Andrew Johnson and
had lost nearly quarter Of million OF dollars, Of
which was swindled by my lawyers, Mr.. Perry
found me out. and. without asking dollar for his
services, got q no,le prOseQut entered in
each OF my cases. This allowed me to re-
turn to my homo and to my business. You
must understand that renamed away voluntarily,
not that l feared anything for myself. but that
might save the leading men in the democratic
party. They were all OF them in
Ms THE ILLICIT wHIsKEY BUSINESS.
Perhaps may give you their names some day.
You see my evidence would send them to the state
Prison. For myself will say. that my traduccrs
may be understood, that I was arrested,
tried and convicted OF doing business with
out Q license; my conviction was FASTENED
that the real swindlers might escape the conse-
quences OF their rascaliu. 1t was understood that
was to remain o prisoner snort time. President
Johnson saw the game Of the ring, and Issued an
order for my discharge. was In Bix
months. MY pardon was not procured
by ss sls H u hss aEs s
dertoOk my case, and in every instance whore in-
dlctments were hanging over me Tor conspiracy"
$50 you backed Perry merely through gratitude a''
"Grattudo only. l could not do otherwise tnan
THE STORIES TOLD ABOUT NE
in local paper are utterly. and maciously
false. From the nomination OF Mr.. Perry as candi.
date for election the State Senate until this hour
ne has not been IN consultation with me In my
house. have made no bargains witH MIN. and we
have no UNDERSTANDING. lie Is my nlothor's lawyer
and mine, and OF course weare wen acquainted"
the G psT ns M any
tlon with the whiskey business. Indeed, ] don't
know o single republican in Kings county who ever
had anything to do with il. The democrats had
MoNoPoLY OF THE ILLICIT wHisKEy BUSINESS.
] know the names, and can mentlon them II like.
went TO prison TO save the Leaders o. the Kings
county democracy, but they don't show much graft.
tude." 49,, ). .,, ,,..
.oh, yes; /. was quite lively. The democracy did
their best 70 carry the das oy ,rauo pmi vey @ qa
| ward. Invent out early TO vote for my iriord Mr.
| Perry, and found frauds being practise Il on the
most gigantic Scale. You can see that by
the result The vote is 800 more than any previous
| year. Why, sir, there are not lots enough In the
ward for houses to hold all the people that increase
Of tue vote would represent. The polling place was
| devised and fitted Tor fraud We had 10 put our
Votes In through Ss le Ssv wnaew ana naa nc
and crevice by which we could ordinarily see what
was going on inside was closed up. Then there
| GANG or RoUaHs ON HAND,
In the service or the democrats ana these assanlfnd
sys -. ~.T y ~ .yie 70 them. Another ra6c
w., acstroyihg republican ficx
cts and substituting democ.... 80 bun.
p!ace. goi 10 by stratagem age ant, and seizeu
es OF tickets Iaat Were & PLACED ta beside
nut me ont, without any complaint having been
made BY the Inspector, and against my protest."
HAD 1T ALL THEIR OWN wAyw
Eyes, very much the rouehs irove me away
after assautug me- James Sneviln, the District
Engineer was peLdllng tickets and conspicu-
ousiy active. He assaulted meand showed
me from the sidewalk. I had him arrested
among the roughs. These rOughs were not
content with assautlng me; they came down in .
body and attempted to break up my establishment.
One OF them, VINO was particularly active In SMASH
Ing things and pummelIing my brother, got shot in
the mouth"
ado you think that fraudi was practlsed In other
parts OF the citvT ~
~ have no douot or II. In every district OF the
city the democrats endeavored 10 carry the election
by open and most impudent frauis. But they did
not succeed. The day for frauds Is past l have
always voted the democratic Ticket but II the
democracy Will not allow fair play at the polls they
can't have aSs1stancev