New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-28
FRAUD ON WARDS ISLAND.
AN INFAMOUS TAMMANY PLOT.
MANY NAMES REaI STIRRED FROM THERE BY MEN
WHO NEVER LIVED ON THE ISLAND.


WHO NEVER LIVED ON THE ISLAND.
Discoveries are being made day by day which
show that the colonizing Of voters by Iammany
Hall was never before carried on so boldly and to
an extent so far reaching as in the registration
which has just closed. The colonization frauds
for the purpose of swelling Mr.. Flowers vote in
this city have not been confined to the use oil
cheap lodging houses and resorts Of bad epute
The Tribune has obtained abundant evidence thap
over forty voters were illegally registered in the
Twenty second Election District of the AAllId
Assembly District in which Wards Island is
situated Twenty-six of these men claimed 10
have residence on Wards Island, but visit 70
that island and an inspection Of the roll OIL enl-
ployes of the two institutions there does not dis
chose their names. The superintendents OF the
two institutions do not know them, nor had they
ever heard of such persons The prooaoni'S
is that the names given are
fictitious and that the persons who
gave them belong to the Tammany gang OF re-
peaters who have registered in various districts
Thirteen patients in the homeopathy hospital
on Wards Island have registered. They are In
the hospital only temporarily, have never had a
residence on Wards Island, and have no right to
vote in that district
Last year the registration from Wards Island
was forty-seven 1t was increased this year to
1I3, which is nearly double the number of any
previous year Strange to say, nearly three
fourths of this number registered on the last two
days of registration. They came in squads of
five and ten, and late Saturday night, just before
the books were closed, squad of twelve walked
up to tho polling place at observation-disclosures
seventh-st. and First-ave. They gave their resi-
dence as Wards Island, but not one, according
IN fbe ojx nv ha mon
lived on the Island over three months. They can
not be found there now and there is no reason
to he licve that they have ever lived there
Here is list OF the twenty-siX who are regis
tered from Wards Island, but are unknown to the
officials of either the Insane asylum or the
homeopathic hospital, with the length Of time
each says he has lived on the island:
Frederick Peable 16 years; Edward Gorden,
months; John Kessehart, | month Daniel Shay,
2 months Robert Maxwell, months; William
Clark, 5 months; Michael Heating, months;
Timothy Mccarthy, months; Patrick Roman, 0
months; John A. Kennedy, months; Joseph
O'Connor, 3 weeks; Patrick Green, l month; Ed
ward Johnson, weeks; William Mcllheny,
months; Patrick Rogan, weeks; Walter Lavey.
/ year Al.ster Traynor, weeks; John Shefiin.
5 weeks; Luke Reilly, months; William Burns,
8 weeks; John j. Fox, 3 months; James Roche,
2 months George Wilson, weeks; John W. Sea-
man, 0 weeks James Raynor, months; Adam
Hach l. months
Three others, Andrew Warng, James Miller
and James jameson, who are registered from
Wards Island, are not there now. The superin-
tendent of the hospital says they were once en-
ployed in that institution, but were discharged
and have left the island.
How do you account for the surprisingly large
increase in registration from this isand%
Tribune reporter yesterday asked one Of the in
hsbitants of the island.
oh, that's easily accounted for" he replied.
"Tammany has hustler here this fall. Mike
Devinney was instructed = look after every Demo
cratic vote On the islaIsl. He got out all the
voters and few who not voters.
Mike Devinney has been for years faithful
Tammany "heeler" No man in New-York is
better acquainted with Tammany's corrupt
methods in campaign work than Devinney. Last
June, when O'Rourle was taken from the homoeO-
pathic hospital and made Warden of Bellevue
Hospital Devinney was rewarded for his faithful
work for Tammany by betg appointed steward
of the homeopathic hospital in place of OReurke.
AS steward, he has been Il failure. but the
Tammany manager on Wards Island he seems u
have been success. lie began his work on the
first day of reglstratiOs and kept it up until the
books closed lie made quiet canvass of the
institution Of which he is steward, and every man
VINO coulu DE induced 10 register as VOTER no
matter If he was not an employe Of the
hospital, was instructed by Devinney how TO get
to the pace Of registration. Sometimes Devln-
ney gathered up five or Sin and escorted them to
Cne-hunured.an dseventh-st and First-ave. himself
Superintendent Stewart admitted yesterday that
number Of patients had registered. He said, how
ever that they were men who also performed some
work for the hOsfital, but were not now and
never had been on the payroll Of the institution.
He said that he had nothing to do with this, as
Mr. Devinney was the politician of the island.
lie was aware that the law did not give patient
the right TO vote, but he thought it had been the
custom in former years TO vote the helpers" of
the hospital, though probably this year more than
usual had been registered.
PATIENTS FROM BELLEVUE REGISTER