The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-07-21
Last NIGHTS Dispatches.
POLITICAL.

| E04i31CA4s
4 New YoRK. July 1q.-The Wallac
committee examination of Chief Super
visor John l. Davenport in regard t
election aud naturalization frauds an,
abuses 10 1868 in this city was enlivenet
yesterday by some sharp tilts between tn,
witness and Senator Mcdonald which
tended to relieve somewhat the monotony
of the volleys of figures MIR. Davenport
was hurting at the COMMITTEES. The iuaui
~ was opened by Senator Mcdonald ask.
ing Mr.. Davenport for the names of al
the persons against whom he issued war
rants in 1873. Mr., Davenport said there
were about z, 100 warrants issued, and
that il would take some time to make ou,
O list. He called attention to the fact
/ that three days after the first order, no.
body having yet been naturalized, 10000
more applications were called for On
Oct. 8, having then naturaliZed two pei
OBS, 25,000 more applications and 5O.-
600 mere certificates were ordered, and
on Oct. %, although they had already
ordered and got 10000 blank applica-
tions. and that one day more remained
in which to naturalize people, they called
for 5000 more blanks. Judges Barnard
and McCunn were both candidates for re-
election at that time.
There was then no statute of the
United States under which any of the
witnesses to these naturalizations could
be punished for the perjury which they
committed. An effort was made to
punish a man named Stoutman in the
interior of the state, and he was convicted
under the state law of perjury.
bat on certirorari and review the court
discharged him, holding that his of
fense, if any. was committed against the
United States. In 1871. however, a law
was passed by Congress covering such
perjury, and the same law made it also
an offense not merely to use fraudulent
naturalization certificate. but to have it
in possession, knowing its character. MIR.
Davenport said if there was any abuse 10
regard to elections which had not reached
its grandest proportions in 1868, he did
not know of it-repeating, false naturali-
cation. falsehood throughout, aided with
money and welded with the power of the
criminal bench in the hands of party so
strongly intrenched by means of its
frauds. that he believed it could not be
essranged AS an instance there was one
gang of eight men in 1868 engaged in
repeating, who registered 900 names at
the election. The leader of the gang
was Henry J, Lawrence, alias Charles
Wilson, some times called 'Nibs" or
"Nibsey," wellknown picLpocket. The
Com missioner produced ''Nibsey's" por-
trait from the rogues' gallery and handed
it to the committee and said: This
gang registered from such well known
houses as the resideDce of William M
Tweed, Coroner 2. FL. keenan,. and Jus.
tice Edward Shandly.'' He, the wit
ness bad one of the books used by that
gang which contained the names given
by the gang in registering. He and
others hearing OF the .doipgs of the gang
gave information to Inspector WalIiug, and
on Saturday morning Oct. 81, 1868, three
days before election, with six officers 10
citizens dress. who had been watching
them, the Inspector captured the gang
and seized their books He iouud that
they were portion of Reddy the Black.
smith 8 gang, and make a descent on his
saloon and captured another book. Wit
ness previously compared the names ou
the book with the registry lists. and
found 220 OF them registered. Ga the
evening OF tie day they were
arrested a writ of habeas corpus
was served on the officer in whose
custody they were. directing their dismis-
sal. Their counsel indorsed on the back
of the writ. The prisoners being charged
with no Oueose, as appears DY the annt < "a
return, they are ordered to be discharg-
ed" That order was sent upstairs to
Judge Barnard. and be signed it, and the
prisoners were discharged At the election
few days later sixty of the 200 names
were voted Tha. order was made in
violation Of The statute of the state which
requires that notice of such a writ shall be
given to the district attorney, and be has
testified under cath that DO notice was
given him in that case. Mr.. Davenport
next said that that form of fraud was
practiced to tie extent of 25. 600 votes in
that election. and he gave the committee
an immense array of figures showing the
number of unregistered votes cast In
various districts. A large number of
arrests were made at the instigation of
Republicans. and Judge McCunn dis
charged the prisoners summary. :