New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-14
WHO FORGED THE BALLOTS?
EVIDENCE AGAINST BERNARD oAssERLY.
HE ADMITS THAT HE DISTRIBUTED THE TICK

recent election of four members Of tho Board OF Gov
erners and who has been formally charged with inc
offence, but has not yet been convicted, IS BeTnan
Casserly. Mr. Cssserly is lawyer. slxty-hve years
old living in apartments with bis family at NO. loJ
West Forty ghth.st. lie has been member OF tho
club for many years and Las been somewhat noted TOT
various eccenrcies Of character but be Is not man
whom any large proportion of the members would
suspect OF so serious thing as forgery. Indeed
thero are many members who stn believe In bis inno-
cence although the evidence against him Is SAID 70
be strong Tho IS still pending and decision
rests practically with the Board OF Governors upon
whose recommendation tho club as body Will act II
he IS convicted the penalty will undoubtedly be
expulsion
Mr. Casserly stoutly maintains his innocence out
has made admissions that are considered damaging
Nc is well known among politicians In this CRY ana
about town generally. For number of years he was
one Of the Commissioners of Emigration. and bis
brother Eugene Casserly, was at one time Uni'eu
states Senator from California
There has been great excitement In tho Manhattan
Club since the election, week ago last THURSDAY.
The election Itself intensely exciting, owing 70
struggle between two factions for supremacy In the
club, zach faction representing widely different policies
One OF these composed OF young mon, whose
ambition was to obtain control and then endeavor 70
secure for the club the same power OF influence IN
the Democracy that the Union League Club holds IN
the Republican party and the other consisted OF older
members who desired to keep politics out OF the cfD
As far as possible and 10 maintain strictly social
organization. The older men were victorious aher ono
Of the bttercst struggles in the clubs history.
Excitement the election was at fever heat
whom the elers appointed count the votes discovered
that a large number of ballots. presumably
east In behalf Of absent members for candidates wero
In one PERSONS handwriting. This aroused suspicion.
and the tellers reported tho affair TO the Board Of
Governors. 1t was decided to throw out tho sus-
pcoted ballots and declare the result without counting
then This required three days, and the result
was not known until nc following Sunday. IL was
then learned that tho forged ballots would not have
changed the result had they been regularly counted
In tho meantime the members were becoming moro
and moro excited over tho affair, and there
were loud cries for investigation, several OF the
most prominent members declaring they would resign
II the guilty peron were not detected and punished
The Board OF Governors promptly appointed . snb-
committee thoroughly TO investigate tho forgeries
This committee made report to the Board Of Gov
Saturday afternoon, April O. placing before
IL evidence against Mr. Casscrly. On tho samc even
ing full meeting Of tho club was held to hear the
report Of the Board Of Governors. II was an OK
tremey noisy mceting and one that VIII be momora-
bic IN the annals Of tho club. Frederic X. Coudert
then the cprsldsnt Of the club, occupied the chair,
the president, Manton Marble, being absOnt In Eu.
rope. II had somehow become whispered about
among the members that tho Board OF Governors
knew who the forger was, and dramatic scene fol.
lowed Mr. Coudert's statement that the Board was
not ready to report and would Ike 10 have moro time
In which to continue tho Investigation. Several
members made vehement speeches, demanding peremp-
lory that the guilty man be named apd at once eK-
PEELED. The angry spirit increased until the meeting
was in a state OF turmoil, and the members, having
forgotten parliamentary usagos In their excitement,
we're loudly discussing the affair among themselves.
II was when tho noise was at Its height
that Mr.. C0udert ard called for silence.
"OentIomen,7 said he, I'VE have secured certain
evidence against one Of the members but that member
has as yot had no opportunity Of being heard in bis
own defence. In view OF this. shall namo him TO
youl"
For a momont there was perfect silence and then
what Is known as tho American spirit OF fair play as'
sumed Itself and there astorm Of No's' from all
parts of the gathering Some Quok-wited member
took advantage of the revuson Of feeling to move an
adjournment. This motion was carri,d Instantly.
Tho members remained about tho clubhouse nearly
all night discussing the affair.
Tho forged ballots and specimens of Mr. Casserly's
chirography were subplited 10 Mr. Caryaho, an OK
pert who announced positively that Mr6 QSSserlys
penmanship and the wrltng The baIlot,lWAs idena-
cal This evidence Vas then placed before Inspector
Byrnes. who suggested further limo Of ipyastigaton
Following this direction tho commttee discovered
that the paper which the ~ forged
ballots were printed, and The printing II
self, differed slightly from that or the regular
club ballots, while the ink with which the forged
names wero written Of the kind used In tho
club-h house. This showed that the paper was pro-
c,,red o. and the printing done by some establish
ment not patronized by the club, while tho forgeres
uere committed in the clubhouse. search among
the printers resulted IN the discovery that tho WORK
of preparing the ballots had been contracted Tor
Bernard Cassory and II. h. Taylor
Mr. Tavlor was called before the Board OF Gov
bat hA
nothing 10 do with having ballots printed
md knew nothing about them. His
nao. ho said had been used without his knowledge
NJ Casserly was then questioned closely, and ad-
mitted having the ballots printed but denied THAI
ho had written upon them tho names Of the absent
nernbers and that he had voted them lie had haa
them passed about among hs friends In aho club. he
said and had asked them 70 vote inc Oao'S ou' 'h~'
was all mat he had done.
Notwithstanding that the evidence appeared to Do
~ strong, the affair was so serious that the boaru
=, Covcrnors decided 10 ask for moro tlme, In tho
hona that some moro satisfactory explanation wouia
hs ,oytbcomtne At tho present time the case re-
mains lust as II was left at the close OF uo nioo's
n, the Board OF Governors Thursday night, when y
was decided to give the suspected man sun iur'nor
Mr. Cassidy declared yesterday that be hneT np,1 pn
Ing Of any rcsalsess IN As any ono had
right 10 do In ordinary polltic6l eamPaishh .sid
90 brought bofofe tho Boau OF 0oNoIHo.s " ssai
Ut anv idea AZ b what he was 20 DO ohRrgea
~th and he had at once admitted all thst he anew
WIN, tha baIlois. but had denied any ntelhon OF
epous rs sn0 n hny bogus names had boon placed on
dSs ackets he SAID 4 was asr they hsa isft so ns
psIns, - sad ware not. friendly 30 him, ana ne AZ
iy,A me action Of the committee TO the feeh
Ing Of animosity against him. ,.., 49,, ,h. r.rsor
vbo made Mr. Cassery's name public aod was m1s tSai
apie 10 msmior was charged With an offence that
lead 20 his being expelled his name sa9ud ngt
he dyulgsd to any one not memoes III m a star.S Ia
n.a oT Tss bstrsysd ina eoIaaance oftAA