New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-17
PRICE FOUR CENTS.

age-yet they were naturalZed az minors, withoue
declaring their Intentions In 1873 the number OF
fraudulent certificates registered was reduced to
| 3,197, as against 10000 IN 1876. Issned war
prevented ali all except i.24o from Y''v voting, ,
and In these cases It was not my fault. Some o1
| the 3, ,l97 procured new papers,
| SPECIMEN FRAUDS
in sitting this matter learned first that the
number of applications on file nowhere nearly ap'
preached the number issued In 1868. Certificates
in blank were issued, under the seal of the Court
and with the clerks signature attached and 10
| 1867 the same thing was done. (sfr. Davenport
here showed certificate.) Where they were so is
sued. he continued, they ready 10 by filling
In the names. have ~ my possession blanks with
| one name erased by knife, and another filed in.
| Later this kind of work was done With
acid, and Is almost impossible to de-
tect. This practice was carried on TO considerable
extent. also learned that many certificates were
issued in names of fictitious persons for whom ap.
plications were made out and filed in the court.
Many OF them were signed. in good handwriting,
by witnesses who cannot write at the present time.
PROFESSIONAL WITNESSES
Many of the persons engaged in this work were
acting as standing professional witnesses. For in
stance: Patrick Gof a witness tor 2. f62 per-
sons, and John Moran for 1897. Ten persons
witnesses for S,2i5 applicants. In one month, as
shown bv the files of the Court. these Witnesses
about 100 IN number, made athdavits for above
10000 people. They were. in fact, permanently
attached to the Courts during the naturalizat ion
proceedings in tnat capacity, and for that purpose.
For October. 1868, there were 81, 900 applications
TO which they made affidavit. They acted IN both
Courts on the same day.
Patrick Gof was witness in the Supreme Court as
follows: On October 9th for g.; ; l0tb. 325 18th,
391 18th. 357 14th. III I5tn. l98: 10Th. 1875;
17th, 13; 18Th, ~; 2Oth. So; 2lst, 20; 22j Is.
for 81 sth, 81 9th, 9; 10Th, 20; 18th. %; 18Th,
1876; lfth, 115; 10TH 30; 10Th. 265 4; 17tb IL
10Th, 60; 29th, 81; 21st. 9s: 22d, 81; 23d, II.
John Ward appeared for applicants as follows
OPfObpr i.
10Th. IL; 10Th, 1856; 18th, 162; l4th. 81 18TH,
107; 18th, %; 18th, %; 10th, 63 2Olh, So 2lst,
Co.. Court 22a sobs4 g si 2Ss ta ID 9? g? E
9th, 20; 7th, q; Sth, 33 /; 9h 10; 10th, z; 18th,
10; 14tn. 7; 10th. 4; 10th. 2; 17th, 3. 19th. IL
Patrick McCafery in the Superior Court made
aiidavlts for 273 persons, and in the Supreme
Court for $40. John Ward appeared Tor total OF
1,069 applicants. In these applications the sigma
lures OF the applicants We're not there. but their
used. The witnesses obtained the cer-
tfcates in the names of the applicants. aud sold the
papers to them at rates varying from 90 cents TO ~
SPREADING THE WORK TO OTHER COUNTIES.
In the Supreme Court. Goff. in day, obtained
certificates for 1000 persons. and took to Kings
County 400. Numbers were also delivered to nearly
all the river counties-Westcbester Putnam,
OraDge, Rockland. l know of 800 that
were offered In Saratoga County. in blank,
to Mr.. Curtis of the State Committee.
at 81 apiece.
ANNOYED AT THE FACTS.
Here Senator Mcdonald interrupted Mr. Daven.
port, saying:
81 propose to bring the witness to reasonable
limits He cannot verify by his oath every story
told him of these papers, but what he saws may OBJ
tain strength before the country If Mr. Davenpors
states it,"
Mr.. Davenport-I don't propose to testify to what
/ can't swear TO.
Senator hCa1aws are report tu0tS to
such facts as may lead to change OF the
existing laws affecting the purity OF the ballet aud
the committee will be laughed out of sight IL they
apply to this inquiry the petty rules that govern
evidencein Police Court.
Senator Blair said that on the petition of Fer
nando Wood and seventy others, presented to the
House in 1873. the Lvnde Committee was formed.
The petition called for the impeachment and re-
moval of Mr. Davenport. The report OF the Lyndo
Committee covered seventy closely printed pages.
and consisted largely Of hearsay evidence which
had been made the groundwork for investigation by
the committee.
Senator Garland proposed that sfr. DavenpOrs
should state what grounds he had for taking up
these naturalization papers, and give the source OF
course. The committee had by majority vote
decided that Mr.. Davenport should take that
course, aud now II Is proposed by Senator McDon-
aid to reverse that decision"
Z" have no doubt" remarked Senator Mcdonald,
stubbornly contestng the point that many OF
these stores manufactured, and don't want ID
be az credulous as the Commissioner" Mr. Dayen-
port. .
After considerable debate it was finally agreed
that Mr.. Davenport should state only the matter
that came within his own knowledge aud he con-
tinued:
believe that very large number of certificates
were issued for which there are no records aud no
application on file anywhere in court. call the
attention of the committee to the testimony
before the CONGRESSIONAL Committee ON
Contested Seats III the of Van
Wyck against Green, and that from Orange
and other counties before the Lawrence Committee,
and to letter written by me to County Clerk
~ lafo ON i'm
naturaizations had been made by the Supreme
Court in 1866, aud TO Mr. Gumbeton,s reply in the
negative. Mr.. Davenport here stated that
tifcates were printed for the Supreme Court until
1868.
NOT INFORMED on HISTORY
Here is certificate, he said in which the person
who filled up the blank forgot that 1872 the
ninety first wear of the independence of the United
States, and filed up the blank as he had been
accustomed to do in 1868. instead Of
making il the nipety-slxth year OF
independence. In a certificate issued to James
Phean aud ia two Others the '0' IS erased and "Sa
written over il. The name Of Max Wcinheim was
not on the '66 certificate as none were presented 10
the Superior Court IN that year, so the Court
sent another paper to his house tossing the certii.
cate to senator McDonald) also believe that nat
uraliZatIOn papers were given out III blanks, be-
cause | have In my possession several pspers for
which there is no application hle The clerks
40 informed me, and l have also inspected tho
records.
their papers aU lnc Nhy hdii, dbu tuis WAS un-
doubtedly true. But the Court only sat two nights
at that place; the papers were gwen ont from tho
clerks office. The room in the basement was oc-
cuped in October 1868 by a large number OF men
sent from the different wards of the city, az stand
ing witnesses, aud the applications were filled up
by them. Out of $4,000 certificates printed
for the Supreme Court. only l,S62 were left when
they got through, as Mr.. Lowe testified upon tho
Lawrence COMMITTEE and mono was issued except
by the clerk. From certain facts obtained learned
that certificates of naturalization were obtained az
club-rooms and barrOom Very many OF the pro-
fessionai witnesses were under five or sx
indictments each on criminal charges and
both McCunn aud Barnard, who had long
been criminal judges, knew the personally.
Ia 1863 United States Marshal Murrav, believing
this work was being done. sent number of fict-
tious names to the Democratic National Committee 20