The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-06-27
CENSUS FRAUD.
Thousands of LOCUS Names
Said to have been Manu-
featured at Minneapolis.
Review of a Conspiracy That
Bigins to Assume Nation
al Importance.

al Importance.
The country has been startled over the
allegation that the census minneapolis was
largely fraudulent, and intense excitement
has prevailed in that city in consequence.
The history of the unfortunate affair, IN
brief, is: Inform alton was filed with certain
st. Paul citizens early in the census enumer-
ating canvass that the Minneapolis citizens
census committee, as managed by Ed A..
Stevens was engaged in system OF whole
sale census- padding and to prevent or expose
such proceeding Mr.. Murray and two or
three other st. Paul citizens engaged
Detective Mason to go over to Min
neapolis and trace out the facts as far as
possible The detective progressed amaz
ingy we'll. He had been in the Flour city
but few days before he secured an en- gage
ment as clerk for this citizens census en-
nmerating committee. He was employed to
copy names into the government banks
provided for making the returns to the
Washington census bureau. The de-
tective was shrewd >and diplomatic. he
succeeded in ingratiating himself into the es-
Stevens, OF the citizens committee, and, " as
given, he now AYERS, hundreds pom hundreds
of fictitious names to insert in the lists, and
he was directed to locate them in vacant
houses He was given lists OF the applcan is
for work at employment agencies, the name
of people to whom aims had been given by
the city, and these also were represented to
live, some in vacant houses and some on va :
cant lots where no houses exist at all,
All and oil, he listed thousands of mythical
people. The detective furthermore alleges
that large corps of clerks was engaged in
precisely the same line Of work, and the ag-
gregate OF fictitious names enumerated was
enormous. This is the substance of the story
which the detective told to Mr.. Murray, an
also to United States Commissioner Nc
Caferty, and it was upon the strength
of these startling revelations that
the warrants were issued for the
arrest of twelve enumerators, and on which
seven were taken into custody by the federal
oficers-and all without the knowledge of
United States Distsict Attorney Hay. The
cou? was planned entirely bv Detective
made upon the Minneapolis enumerating
Office in the night time in order that the en-
umerators might be caught in the very act
of classifying the returns, and also SO that a
big pile of blanks filled with fctiti-
GUS names might be seized as
evidence to be used in the prosecu-
ton. Tuesday night this arrest was effected,
and at ten o'clock the prisoners were ar
rained before Commissioner McCafferty and
admitted to bail for their appearance Friday
m orning at ten O'Clock. At that hour the
preliminary hearing was taken up, and a
motion for change of venue was argued
the major portion of the day. Both the
counsel for the defense and the district at
torney argued for this change but the court
overruled the motion, and then Dis
trict Attorney Hay moved for an
adjournment of the case two months, and
the hearing was accordingly set for Aug. 20.
Saturday the citizens of St. Paul, in indigna-
ton and displeasure, organized citizens
committee to conduct the prosecution. The
latter waited upon Mr.. Hay and petitioned
him for the prosecution OF the people impli
Gated: charging them with conspiracy This
petition was supplemented by Detective
Mason's affidavit setting forth the revela-
tions mentioned above. Mr.. Hay declined
to prosecute, and there is where the matter
stands
A peculiar and significant political aspect
is sought to be given this case. Eugene Hay
enjoys the personal friendship and confidence
VI FesiuenC uarrlsOH anu Attorney Oeneral
Miller, in whose Office ut Indianapolis, Hay
studied law. The wife of E. j. Davenport,
the Minneapolis census Supervisor is a niece
of President Harrison.
MAsON's AFFIDAVIT.
STATE OF MINNESOTA, Jss
County of Ramsey s.
John H. Mason, being first duly sworn, on
oath. says: am a detective, and have been for
several years last past. On the 31st day of
May, 1890, being employed for special work, 1
went to Minneapolis for the purpose of ascer-
tanning whether or not any violations of law
United States census in the city of Minneapolis.
On reaching said city of Minneapolis noticed
carefully the parties who were most frequently
approaching Ed J. Davenport, the supervisor Of
the census for Hennepin county.
observed person frequently calling
upon Mr.. Davenport, whom 1 afterward
learned to be e. A. Stevens.
AS 1 saw him coming from said Daven-
ports office at halfpast on the 31st day
OF May. bringing with him a large pack
age OF papers / approached him and made ap-
pllcation for employment. He directed me to
appear at O'Clock in the evening at Room 4S
on the third floor OF the government building
Dckey. He further directed me that if he. said Stew
ems was not present. to inform said Dickey that no
had sent me there and to give me employment
On the following day learned that said Stevens
was supervising the operations of the citi-
and that said Dickey was acting as his assistant
At the appointed time went to said Room 48
and there met said Dickey. l stated to him what
Mr.. Stevens had told me, and was by him put to
work. he gave me table and chair
in said room and told me to 90
to- work. He handed me set of So
called enumerators preliminary returns, of
which Elk. l. hereto attached, is a sample, and
directed me to copy the contents from those in
regular order into blanks, of which Elk. 2, here
to attached, is d sample l afterwards learned
that the information in Elk. was transcribed
into Elk. in order that it might be made more
concise and that the various blanks OF the form
OF Elk 2. when completed for any particular
enumerator's district, would be fastened togeth-
er. thus making one long, continuous sheet of
that particular district. Besides myself there
were engaged upon this work in the same room
six persons The number 4S was u temporary
number attached to the key to 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 re-
manned in the government building Entrance
into said last three named rooms could only be
gained at one door, the rooms opening from one
to the other. and only upon a certain signal,
consisting OF four raps given in a certain way,
there being person stationed on the inside who