New-York tribune., 1876-10-31
DETECTION OF ILLEGAL VOTING.

had been made to poll heavy fraudulent in this
city at the coming election Chief Supervisor OF Elections
John Davenport several weeks ago began to extend
and perfect the system for the prevention and detection
OF Illegal regis alton and voting which has been
fully employed since 1879 Although considerable de-
tectiye wOA has to be done to battle OF the nge
nOus schemes Of fraud the general SYSTEM which has
been brought almost TO perfection under the United
States Election laws, with the cooperation Of honest
citizens, which is already assured this year. has been
found adequate to the protection Of the bllobox from
extensive frauds. The details by which this work s
done not proper matters for publication bat an out
line Of the general plan under which Chief supervisor
Davenport is working will show how thoroughly the ma
chinery OF his Office is being employed
In the first place, the entire city mapped out in
blocks each block being treated independent
munity by itself diagram Of each of these blocks
made, showing the number of every house. its char
acter the number Of persons registered from IT, and
other particulars from which at glance il could be told
whether not the person claiming given address as
residence really lived there the character Of the
place such that the voter needed watching These
maps bound in atlas form and indexcd to be
easily consulted. Besides the maps complete index OF
of all the registered voters OF the city kept
which affords additional information 70 the character
of every Against the name Of every such person
complete record OF mis- age nationality the date Of
his naturalization if foreigner. the date OF his first
registration the fact OF his voting not voting &c.
of tile houses appended almost certain check to the
colonization schemes which formerly often
ployed. Should an unusually large number OF names
the street and number attached appear on the
printed registry lists OF election district the map OF
the block in which the house situated is turned TO at
once. II the place indicated is found 20 be lodging
house, the names Of the persons previously registered
there are noted, aud the names appearing on the
list made the subject OF careful investigation By the
verers. Possibly the residence designated may be
found glance to be STABLE cOayard, or vacant
To- which the fraud is detected without the neces-
sy, almost, personal examination OF the premises.
In addition to the copies of the registration Of every
year and the system OF maps, Mr. Davenport has had
prepared several supplementary volumes. One set OF
these which was suggested 10y present practice Of
the rpcaters Of registering and voting IN the names OF
dead heu contains record Of the deaths of all adult
males alphabetically arranged This record Is made up
from the burial peats and entries made up 10 eec-
ton day. Another series OF volumes shows the number
houses lult, removed burned during the year,
with the addition Of stories extensions To old ones.
Every alteration is noted the changes being reported 10
the Chief Supervisor month, The number Of per-
sons in each house Is also recorded that any undue ill.,
crease in the number of living house or the
fact Of persons registering from the fourth story OF two
story houses from houses that have been destroyed
by fire is easily learned Instances Of attempts at
fraud of this kind have been given ia large
numbers in THE TRIBUNE during the past
I n
work reference in the Chief supervisors Office In this
book is kept list OF convictions sentences, pardons and
erpirati0ns Of OF imprisonment OF all persons sent
TO the various penal institutions of the State. The Of
such a registry may be inferred from the recent e1-
posres the fraudulent voting in the names Of con-
vcts by the Of repeaters These are only few OF
the methods and aids for detecting frauds being
actively employed in getting the registered vote OF the
city within legal limits Besides the Office work, great
deal OF work done in the different districts by tho
supervisors aids and by the officers detailed to watch
the work OF naturalization. Some test OF the thorough
ness " tn which the records OF tho, voting population
have been prepared perhaps made by comparison with
one Of the city directories 600 OF adult
male residents o, the city being found on the super
vsors books than appear in any directory, and of each
name some account is gwen
HOW THE FRAUDS ARE ECLIIFIED.
There are IN the city 500 election districts, each Of
which has one Republican and one Democratic Super
visor under the United States election law. In addition
TO the supervisors there Deputy United states
Marshas for district In each Assembly District
the Chief Supervisor Of Elections has trustworthy
man who in Deputy United States Marshal,
and detailed special aid 10 the Chief Supervisor This
aid ia furnished with telegraph frank, by which he can
communicate with the Chief Supervisor from any one
OF 80 different points In the city and he is expected 10
keep him of the progress and character OF the
registration and OF the manner In which elections are
being conducted at frequent intervals To the aid Is n-
trusted the general supervision OF affairs in his district
He looks after the supervisors that the pobooks
are properly kept and after each registration collects
and returns Chief Supervisors office In each
Assembly District there is also Chief Deputy United
s ates Marshal who exercises the power the
election district maIshas.
As soon as the books are returned to the Office, after
DAYS registration the respective lists Of the Republican
aud Democratic Supervisors compared by the clerks.
who note the discrepancies The attention Of the Chief
Supervisor is called the differences. and the books
sen; back to the district FOR adjustment by the super
vso:s After this is done the work OF verifying bcgins.
Tie persons selected for this task usually designated
by tie Chief Supervisor from among the supervisors and
marshalS. although for or the three yerncatlOns
some other trustworthy person Is sometimes appointed
Each three yerifcations is made by different
person, Of whom knows the character or the
others report. The work is done by a thorough
personal canvass OF each distrleti ana Dy IN,
persons where they registered noted.
The facts elected by the inquiries entered first upon
the records Of office and then upon the District Super
yisors agaus: the OF the persons
Ing whom the several reportsagree Two afdayits are
otler as fact Of nonresideIce. Upon these,
rants are issued aud placed in the hands OF the aids
see that they reach the supervisors in each district be-
fore the opening OF the polls Upon person offering
to vote any such name the supervisor hands the war
rant deputy marshal who is stationed st the polls,
and the arrest is made before the person votes. -
on election day each aid and chief deputy nsts% i IN
every Assembly district has headquarters and IA ad,
dition TO the regular supervisors and marshas stan % o
10 extra marshas whose duty II is 70 constantly Pavi
the Assembly district aud observe the % S,,'ss ~ and
the supervisors and narsbas discharge he anu
IN res onv disorery persons In case OF an arrest y
ON" ~ the 3eputy marsas stationed at the polls the
prisoner given into lhe CUSTODY h o. ,h @ & s % hi
.isnsr IN the headquarters OF the Assembly district
where the stat Of tsG s9a cI tSc uero 10 his Ses
In order 20 time at the approaching election onet
superysGr DaveapS. seors whom the arrested mem viii Ss
taken sit in different parts Of he CITY, 60 a. 70 20
w aseess Ss SssSe TO dispose Of the several thou
ssud cases In which warrants have been Issued even