St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-22

At last, and very Unexpectedly, too,
the grounds npon which William Pitt
Murray instigated criminal proceedings
against the Minneapolis census enumer-
ators, is given publicity. Detective
Mason's affidavit is published elsewhere
in the GLOBE this morning. This public
itv is the result of a decided and pro-
nounced reaction of public sentiment
the sentiment Of the more solid,
thoughtful, careful and conservative.
contingent of st. Paul's citizens. AS
has been daily published in these col
umns, there has, until yesterday, pre-
vailed a sentiment-largely based upon
theory. it is true-averse to the mode OF
the prosecution. Indeed, many eX-
nressions of opinion have been
of a most emphatic nature. 1t was held
that private citizen of st. Paul had
arrogated unto himself the functions OF
a federal prosecuting officer, and that
the facts did not justify the course.
These same gentlemen now MAINTAIN
that they had arrived at their conclu-
sions ina purely theoretical way Iney
doubted-that is, many of them DID
the existence of
positive eliminating Evidence
and felt that the aim and purpose was a
transcendental desire to produce a
moral sentiment to the detriment Of
Minneapolis. They feared, in other
words. that the instigators of the arrest
were actuated by that local preludlce
,yhich has heen born of the jealousy OF
twenty years ago, and which had the
past wear given encouraging evidence
of an early death. They 1elt
that the prosecution had been a
hasty and impetuous movement
and must fail in abject ignominy in the
end for want of relevant proofs. Some
said they believed the Minneapolis CEN
sus might have been padded, but they
could not entertain belief that IL
amounted to much. For these and
other reasons they were opposed to the
extreme measures that had been taken.
But Yesterdays disclosures had pro-
found effect. and the business men or
the citv have risen up with indignation
to sift the thing to the bottom.
Detective Mason,
who made the affidavit alluded to, spent
considerable time in the Minneapolis
census enumerating department.. and
he has detailed in his affidavit the facts
he was able to collect, he AYERS, while
there. He secured employment as a
confidential clerk, he swears, under the
supervision and special direction OF the
astute Ed A. Stevens, who represented
the citizens census enumeratlng COM
mittee. The most profound secrecy was
maintained at this institution, it is mar
rated, and no one could gain ingress
unless acquainted with the ''ropes and
password" At the direction of Mr..
Stevens, the affiant asseverates, the de-
tective copied hundreds upon hundreds
of fictitious names, locating them in va
cant houses so they could in no pos.
sible contingency conflict with the
regular returns as made out by canvass
ing enumerators. Mr.. Mason also swears
that he was directed by Mr.. Stevens to
initiate the handwriting Of regular
sworn enumerator In placing these
mythical names upon the census lists
The affidavit discloses that, following ul
this method of enumerating, he
Manufactured Families
of remarkable numerical strength
Everybody nearly must be father Of
from four to six healthy children, and
MIR. Mason Furthermore alleges that he
personally saw other confidential clerks
employed in precisely the same way. Il
was this disclosure, this startling phase
which produced the reaction among st
PauPs citizens yesterday. 1t had moi
been the intention of Mr.. Murray and his