St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-22
WHOLESALE FRAUD.
Sweeping Affidavit Filed by De-
tective Mason.
STATE OF MINNESOTA.

oath, says; / am detective, and have been
for several years last past. On the 31st day
work, went to Minneapolis for the pur-
pose of ascertaining whether or not any
violations of law were being made in refer
ence to the taking Of the United States CEN
sus in the city of Minneapolis. On reaching
said city Of Minneapolis 1 noticed carefully
the parties who were most frequently
approaching Ed ]. Davenport, the supervisor
OF the census for Hennepin county. OBJ
served person frequently calling upon Mr..
one Ed A, Stevens. AS saw him coming
from said Davepport's Office at half past on
the 3lst day OF May, bringing with him large
package Of papers, l approached him and nc
reeted eas Re to appear at IN the ne even
ing at Room 46 on the third floor Of
the government building, where
would there find himself or one -
Dickey. He further directed me that if he.
Dickey that he had sent me there and to give
me employment. On the following day I
learned that said Stevens was supervising the
operations Of the citizens census committee
of Minneapolis, and that said Dlckey was
acting as his assistant. At the appointed
time went to said Room 4s, and there met
said Dickey / stated to him what Mr.. Stew
ems had told me, and was by him put to
work. He gave me
ATable and Chair
In said room, and told me to go to
work. He handed me set Of So
called enumerators' preliminary returns, Of
which Ex. /. hersto attached, is sample, and
directed me to copy the contents from those
al regular order Into blanks, OF which Ex.
Q, hereto attached, is sample. afterwards
fearned lat the information in Ex. was
transcribed into Ex. 2 1neorder that 1t might
SO made more concise and that the various
slanks of the forp Of Ex. 2, when completed
for any particular enumeFaIor's district
would be fastened together, thus making one
long continuous sheet Of that particufsr
district. Besides myself there were en-
gagged upon this work in the same room six
persons. The number 48 was temporary.
number attached to the key OF the door Of
said room. Adjacent to this room were three
others, IN which there were several persons
at work-upon what was unable to learn
while we remained in the government build
rooms could only be gained at one door, the
rooms ope1ing from one to the other, and
Certain Signal,
consisting Of four raps gwen in certain
way, there being person stationed on the
inside who ..G ssd as saa
of their time IN the three last named rooms:
AS soon as the information was transcribed
from Ex, on to Elk. g. Ex. l was destroyed
and Ex. 2 was carried into the three secret
4th day Of june. During that time large pack.
ages Of Documentary matter, consisting Of
enumerators' preliminary reports, such as
Ex l, together with official schedule blanks
ag aig Gsrs1 brought from The ' rooms Of the Of
fetal supervisor Of the census on the floor
below, and carried Into these three secret
rooms, The pile to, Sf blanks a o,Sdd Of the the
length and three feet IN width. The object
of transcribing the information on to Ex.
was to get, in concise and condensed form,
the exact humber of vacant blocks, houses
gether with their number, location and total
capacity, which vacant blocks, houses and
rooms were filled with
Fictitious Persons,
as hereinafter stated.
On June was given by said Dickey list
OF 839 names and directed to transcr1be
them upon blanks Of the form of Exhibit 3.
me that said list was composed of the names
Of persons whom the associated charities had
assisted, but they did not know where they
were then living. I was directed by said
beg b%gy ys0 t. sOpy n s sad E1sp and a
There were several Of these lists, containing
a large number Of names, obtained from
various employment agencies, lumbermen
and lumbermenS camps. and various Other
large employers of laborers.
The other persons employed in said Room
4S were engaged in copying names from
these lists into blanks of the form OF Exhibit
8 during the time that was SO employed.
said blanks Of the form of Exhibit 3, into
which had already copied the names as
above stated, with such other information
as is called for by said blanks. He was
not copying it from any list or paper. but
On June 5, said Stevens, after 1nquiring OF
me as to my previous residence and occupa-
ton, said: "Can give you some
CONFIDENTIAL Work2,,
Il answered that 1 would do it to the best
OF my ability. Said Stevens then said: well,
it is this: These lists you are now copying,
snd which have been furnished from intell-
gence Offices lumbermen, etc.-you are able
: to draw your own conclusions, and you un-
derstand it is confidential | replied: II
understand, sir: it is your business and not
mine" He said: THE people, furnishing
these lists have not their addresses: the
names are on their books. but where they
these names from. these lists and then add
such particulars as are necessary into these
blanks (being Ex. 81 and then distribute
them pro rata among the various enumera-
but mind, this is confidential, replied:
.'Of course" Stevens then said: We'll, l
will see you later and explain this" Stevens
then left me and shortly returned with
61gQLy-GlSQb SuGGIS, VI WAiCA GA. e.
hereto attached. is one. Together with these
he brought large number Of blanks of the
form of Ex. 8. All Of said eighty-eight
sheets contained
Only Male Names,
and five names to sheet. Said Stevens d.
rected me to fill in answers to the various
questions as called for on said Ex. 8, except
ing as to the names, they being already in
serted in said blanks; that was to use only
the names of the states for the birthplace, as
these blanks were to represent persons born
in this country; in some instances the state
of his own, his fathers and mothers birth;
in: other instances he Qhe person whose name
posed to know the state of the birth of his
father but not of~the mother, in some in
Stances of the mother but not of the father;
in others should specify simply the state in
which the man himself was born, in other
instances should use simply ~. ST. for the
mon and nothing for the narents and In