The morning call., 1894-07-06
ROLL STUFFING.
Merry War in the Thirty
Sixth District.
Two WelI-Known Democratic Poll
ticians Charged With Doing
Crooked Work.

War has been raging in the Democratic
camp of the Thirty-sixth Assembly Dis
trlct for some time past. and although but
little information regarding the origin or
nature OF the disturbance could be learned,
the full particulars came to light last even
ing at a meeting of the district committee
of the District Club. when the heads OF
two promident Democratic leaders were
cut off and their political aspirations
shattered beyond recognition.
S. j. Crowley and j. T. Mccormack,
respectively president and secretary Of the
club. were charged with disloyalty to the
party. conspiracy to defraud and other
more or less heinous crimes enumerated
in the codes of political ethics, but having
failed to respond to summons they were
both expelled In disgrace.
Arthur OBrien is the hero of the hour.
having unearthed the bold attempt at
"stuffing." and. by his vigilance. has Sc
cured sufficient evidence upon which to
base the charge, and probably many
others If need be.
II appears that the club rolls of the dis
trict were first opened for signatures on
Monday night, the 26th ult.. when 151
names were subscribed. On the following
night forty-threr signatures appeared and
on Wednesday 143. Thursday ninety-nine
and on Friday forty-seven.
Here is where the trouble began. IN
stead of continuing in the regular course,
filling each sheet in succession, they man
aged to leave three entire blanks between
the signatures subscribed on Friday and
Saturday evening, thus giving room for
ninety ''stuffers," there being thirty spaces
on each page.
1t was on Saturday night during the
progress of the enrolment that the gap
was discovered by Arthur O'Brien. an
earnest party worker. who at once re-
ported his find to a number of the men,
bers OF the general committee present.
A demand was then made on McCor-
mack and Crowley 10 surrender the book.
which was emphatically refused. Quite
crowd of bystanders had by this
time assembled about the table,
and evidently fearing exposure the
president made an en1eavOr to smug-
gle the list on the outside. He had
when he was seized about the waist and
thrown TO the ground by the indignant
spectators who were ardently eDdeayOring
to secure the hidden book.
Mccormack aided his much bothered
superior as best be could, but in spite of
his determination to keep the stuffed rolls
in the dark a crumbied mass of paper was
wrenched from the hands of The presi-
dent. who finally gave up the sponge and
left the hall amid shouts of Indignation
and Kisses.
After much trouble the leaves of the
mangIed book were patched up and pasted
together, and tn the astonishment of all
the great Gap Game" was exposed.
On the first page. which had been left
vacant, there were thirteen names written
all in the same andwriting, which re-
sembles that of Crowley, while the other
pages ara still unsigned.
NJ. g. Sears, the vice. president, who was
last evening elected president pro tenn,
drew up the charges against the two men,
accusing them of wIllfully conspiring to
falsely stuff" the club rolls, or in other
words writing the names OF persona resid-
ing in the community for the purpose of
committing fraud.
Mccormack is copyist in the County
Clerks Office under M. c. Haley, while
Crowley is deputy sheriff and bailiff of
the Grand Jury. ''Bul' Collins, an en-
ploye at the Mint. and John Burns,
another deputy sheriff, are also said to De
implicated 10 some extent in the affair,
but as yet no charges have been preferred
against either.
Arthur O'Brien and E. P. Mogan were
elected to fill the vacancies in the general
committee caused by the expulsion of the
two men.