Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-12
THE TIMES" ARTICLE VERY INACCU-
RATE.
CHICAGO's ELECTION FRAUDS.
The Abstraction of the Envelope Rest
ing Between Two Clerka

Inc ADStfActtOn of the Envelope Rest
ing Between Two CLERKS.
CHICAGO, Dec. 1l.-Arthur Gleason, Chief
Deputy in County Clerk Ryan's Office. makes
public this morning under his own signature
statement charging Henry Biehle, one of
the employees in the County Clerks Office.
with having distracted the envelope contain
ing the ballots of the second precinct of the
Eighteenth ward, and thereby allowing the
substitution of the forged ballots found in the
envelope when 1t was opened by the Federal
grand jury. Mr.. Gleason alleges that the en-
Velope IN question was placed with others in
large box IN the County Clerks vault and
nailed up.
On the day the county canvassiDg board
concluded It's labOrs and when the first I'M
preston had been created that a fraud had
been perpetrated Ryan sent word to Gleason
10 take good care of the returns. On receipt
OF JhlS message Gleason saws he called To his
assistance Henry Biehl, William j. Sweeney
ana william Hayer, clerks in the Office Search
was made Tor the returns, Behl finding them
In nailed closet. whereupon the two other
searchers We're directed not to look any long
er. Mr.. Gleason then went to attend to other
uutles. BlehI soon afterwards informed
GIeasan that he had placed the returns in one
OF ten drawers in the vault numbered 24i
The only persons knowing the exact drawer
IN which these ballots had been placed was
blehl ana Gleason. Gleason says that he dld
not personally make an examination of
drawer pa to ascertain whether Biehl had
correctly informed him or not, but took it for
granted that he did. He did not go to the
drawer until Nov. 20, when he found the bal
i0ts Chere. Previous to that time he declares
that he never had the envelope in his hands.
NARROWING IT DOWN.
The vault, in which these ballots were kept,
was locked with combination which was
Known Know by, Dy only four persons. Henry Biehl,
The ballots were placed in the vault where
Gnelr location was known 20 only tWy persons,
BIehl and Gleason. The letter says that the
evidence shows beyond q doubt that the
change in the ballots was made in the vault of
the County Clerks office. The evidence also
shows that neither Shields nor O'Laughlin
knew where they were placed, and 1t woald
have been exceedingly difficult for anv one
not knowing their exact location to find Them
The ballots, having been taken from the vault
on the afternoon of Nov. q, either Biehl
or hlmseH is guilty. As he declares he did
not commit the crime, it could have been
committed by no other person than Biehl, and
Gleason, therefore, charges him with its per-
petratlon. Two persons are now directly
charged with the crime-JOseph c. Mackin,
Secretary of the Cook County Democratic
Central Committee, who ordered the bogus
tickets printed, ana Biehl, who, as Gleason
says, aDstfacted the envelope containing the
original ballots to allow the substitution of
the bogus ones. Henry Biehl also makes a
puDhc statement, in which he traverses the
charges by Gleason. He says the crime of re-
moving the envelope from the vault in the
County Clerks Office was undoubtedly com
mltted by Gleason or himself. AS he knows
ne IS not the guilty party, he believes Gleason
TO be, and Is strengthened in this view by
contradictory statements made by Gleason
before the grand jury.
ARRESTS MADE.
The Federal grand jury came into the
United States District Court this evening and
handed up indictments against Joseph C.
Mackin, Secretary of the Cook County DEM
ocratlc Central Committee. Arthur Gleason
and Henry Biehl clerks in the County Clerks
once, and DR.. 5. Strausser, S. H. Shields and
Peter Hansbrough, Judges, and Edward Kelly
ana w. j. Sullivan, clerks of the election in
the second precinct of the 18th ward, in the
returns from which at the late election it had
Deen shown that over 200 fraudulent ballots
were substituted for genuine ones over two
weeks after the election. The indictments
were found under sections 55ll and 55I2 of
the Revised Statutes of the United States.
which are very broad in their provisions Tor
the punishment of election frauds. Bench
OF warrants were at once issued for the arrest
the indicted persons. Mackin came into court
soon afterward, and Field and Gleason were
arrested. All gave bail in $4,000 each for
their appearance before the United States
Commissioner tomorrow morning. The
others have not yet been apprehended, and 1t
is believed that some of them have left the
city: HansbrOugh lies i'll at the county hos
pltal. Thegrand jury also re-
turned indictments against w. J.
Ghnzen, Police Court Clerk, John
E. Stearns and Frank A. Owens for
consprlng to secure fraudulent registration
papers before the election, bat one of them
has as yet been arrested.