New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-04
HIGGINS AND HIS GANG.
Here AND HARD AT WORK FOR GoRNfAN.

SCHEMES THAT THEY HAVE DEVISED TO HELP
THE DEMOCRATIC TICKET IN THIS CITY AND
MISUNDERSTANDING TO BRIBE VOTERS
AND YET NOT LEAVE THEMSELVES
LIABLE TO THE LAW
On Tuesday The Tribune gave the outline OF a
scheme devised by the Democratic managers, Cor
man. Barnum and Murphy, to steal this State by
brbIng Republican election inspectors and other
fraudulent methods. To carry out this plan It was
stated that gangs Of heelers, expert balotbox
suffers and shrewd election manipulators were here
from Baltimore, Philadelphia and other places and on
Wednesday partial list Of these rascals was pub
lshed. Since then they have continued to arrive
until now there is small army Of them In and around
the Hoffman House.
Eugene Higgins the notorious and much
estimated Lieutenant OF Senator Gorman came here
early in the campaign and has been busly at work
organizing the rest He aims at secrecy, but no Is
well known to most people about the Hoffman House
and the Fifth Avenue Hotel between which he alter
mates rapidly For the past few days he has been sur
rounded by Morris Thomas " Bob Lister. tho mia
dephIa gambler George McGovern, OF Richmond !;
- Hlllya Chairman "Tomo Reeson, Edgar Mcdowell,
Martin Leonard, scottyn Goodwin JIM Busey,
the SUPERINTENDENT OF Bamore's streets, who boasts
of having been in Jail thrtyeIght times sonny"
Mahon Patsy Phillips, JIM ONeil, BIZ
TrIest "Tom' Freese and an Individual VINO goes ny
the name Of "Ngger Bils Boys
| These fellows have been living In high feather
| They are we'll supplied with money ana nave pcr
mission to order what they please at tho honmah
| House restaurant. Higgins is the hero OF them all
Io is a rather slightly built man. OF medium heighe'
about ffty-fve years Of age, with white hair ana
| white mustache, except in the centre where IL -
| dlscoIored By tobacco. lie IS n restless, uneasy
| creature and acts as though no eApec.cu
every minute that some one would put MN unuer
arrest .
Operating with the gang and in frequent consulta-
ton with them are other fellows OF the same hu
new one called by them Captain Elder, of Washing
| ton, and another known to them as Gen far-
sons evidently Vrgnian, or at least southernor'
and said to be brother Of one OF the Chicago Ahach
lists Elder said to be the man who went 10 phila-
delphIa on the day before the Baltimore election last
spring In the interest of German, who had become
desperate over the prospect of losing his city, and
hired sixty negroes to go as Republican reporters
| 10 baltimore lie claimed to be rich Republican,
who gave the negroes 81 apiece put them on the boat
| and told them to inquire for the Republican COM
| miteo when they landed. Then be went oy cars
himself travelling rapidly and was at Baltimore
at the wharf with the Democratic officials 10 point
out the coored repeaers and have them arrested "heh
| they landed This trick 50 delighted German that
he IS said to have been very fond of Elder ever since
and Elder IS said TO be here now to WORK siihilar
schemes and to help the Higgins gang on election day
Elder and his two or three concderatcs stop at the
sturtevant House, and I'm frequent consultation
with Barnum, German, Higgins and bnce' any
one dropping I'm at the bar of the Fifth Avenue Hotel
| can generally see some OF these chaps, who seem 10
| use that place as a rendezvous communicating from
there with Barnums rooms I'm the upper part OF the
| Fifth Avenue through the reading room ana by inc
| back salrways leading down 10 the Twenty-t hirist
| entrance. Barnum and the Democrats nave seven
connecting rooms I'm this hotel, and much Of the fine
/ tie aup nal IN
them 1t is there that Higgins and his fellows and
| Elder hold their conferences with tho Democratic
leaders
SOME OF THE METHODS PROPOSED.
Higgins Elder and all Of them, do not seem to be
able to arrange things for New-York to suit theh'
They plainly afraid of being detected and are In
constant fear of being pnched" Otherwise arrested
They seem to realize that the games that they can
practrse safely In Baltimore and that they are con
Gdcnt that they can practise safely in Indanapons,
Fort Wayne, and South Bend. Ind. cannot DC onterea
upon here without great peril to themselves t ,O
they realize that NewYOrk has much sharper men lot
the detection Of vlllany than any other cry, ana ula
their games at elections VIII not avail here.
Zone Of Higgins eef orsayors since coming nof mas
d gYs Se directed ice d o bribery n and 10
the penltentary. lie has prepared coupon BOOK
about three inches long by two and half In breadth
leaves Of this book are perforated in tho middle Ho
has adopted letters TO stand for money. as follows:
$, - 81 sc = s. : 81 s. IS y 81 J sio
doubled, as L +, would mean double the amount; L Z
standing for $40. Hlggnss idea !; to arm each one
voter to BIO numbered Say that voter is numbered
The number 80 is put on each END OF he car
book has marked upon It either or E: or whatever
tho amount paid for the vote VIII Pc Ihen the ieai
is 9 6e Voter two and half the stub retained SSs
The receiving half Of the torn leaf Is to present
| to be matched with the other half and he given his
pay for HIS vote Higgins thought that by TINS
him and his pals being "pinched' for bribery as he
thinks that by not using money the offence would not
be bribery. IIc Will probably find he is very much
| mistaken Ii he attempts his coupon game He Will
also find It very difficult TO induce man desiring 10
sell his take bit Of paper as pay for IT, Such
| fellows always want cash on the spot But az late
| as Yesterday Higgins was insisting that this was a
| neat plan and would be a successful game
SOME OF HIS OTHER PLANS.
Higgins, however, realizes that hardly any Of his
| old games be made to work I'm New-York In con-
versation with his associates he that more is to
be hoped from the crowdng-out process In the pre-
cncts having larger vote than can be cast during the
hours the polls TO be opened than from any other
| plan lie says that Democrats will get the head Of
the line and hold it, and keep admitting other Demo-
Gratis to the head Of the line crowdng the Republi.
Re,ublIcans can be crowded out of each OF tho pre-
crcts in the city where the vote is large, In this way
OTHER CITIES THAN NETWORK.
Higgins is not only expected to do this sort of work
for NewYork but expects to do still in Brooklyn
| and Jersey City, and Is also expected to organize
| for II I'm the cities of Indiana and Michigan and
Connecticut It IS known that he has tried TO induce
parties here TO 90 to Indiana to help in these games
The truth Is that Higgins, at his best, IS not very
dangerous in any of his tricks. He talks too much
| and has confdod his plans TO too many people In
the last three four days He Is suspicious at me
wong time and coniding nj the wrong time Besides
| oil The devices that he employees are old and wei
81 v,n and can no longer be successfully employed
MR.. DEPEW SPEAKS IN YONKERS
ur NEVER WENT THROUGH A CAMPAIGN THAT