The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-14

glass. and 1t showed plainly that the man
first wrote his politics as Democratic and
then, evidently remembering that Mayor
Denny was a Republican, he scratched it
cut and wrote Republican. The hnal let
tiers fc,' were not carefully scratched out
and showed plainly under the glass. Hold
ing up the application to the light, 1t was
easily detected that he had used a knire
to scratch out the word. In few days the
man came back to the Office. With a good
deal of buster he asked why ne had not
been appointed and when he might ex-
poet it"
HIS POLITICS FLEXIBLE.
What's your politics?" 1 asked him.
I'm a Democrat, of course" he an
swered.
Then how does it happen that you ap-
piled under the Denny administration as a
Republican,"
1 never made such an application"
lou didn't? What's this? Isn't this
your application
he looked at the application with well
simulated amazement. well, how do you
suppose | ever wrote that in that way? 1
must have been thinking about Republicans
and wrote 1t in unconsciously."
HOW does 1t come, Them / asked him,
that you first wrote it Democratic then
scratched it out and changed it to Repub-
hcan? Look close with this glass and you
with see the same ic' with a downward
curl on the C. in the first as in the second
application"
% Well, you know" he said, 'it was in
August, and the weather was pretty hot,
ana must have been out of my mind
he Strutted out of the office with a
staggering good day without stopping to
shown up since"
Were there any other equally interest
ing cases?"
Well here is one of recent date" said
the clerk, taking out an application for a
scraWled anonymous letter inside it. Around
certain letters and words in the letter Mr.
Herrlck had drawn circles to accentuate
them This has been done with similar
words and letters in the application made
cut by the applicant in his own handwrit-
ing; certain peculiarities were repeated in
Dotn, demons trating beyond cavil that both
mad been written in the same hand The
letter was addressed to a member of the
board, and abused the board and mayor for
not appointing the applicant to the position
OF policeman: 1t purported to represent
the sentiment of twenty South Side Ger
mans, who were indignant because the APP
pncanS mad not been given a place, and
making threats of political knitting If he
were not at once appointed.
"A few days after the letter reached the
ONCE said Mr.. Herrick, the man came in
to inquire when he was to be appointed
You Will have to wait and take your
We got your letter ali right, but 1 want to
tell you frankly that it will not do any
good to write letters 1t was a chance
shot. While | was morally sure the man
had written the letter, 1 had no proof of it.
The shot told home. He turned red and
suddenly exclaimed: What letter are you
talking about? L didn't write that letter
He went away without stopping to argue
however"
Mr. Herrick exhibited a number of other
duplicated applications. He explained that
whenever an application is fled the first
thing done is to see whether the applicant
has an old application on file and if he has
been changing his politics. The records are
complete, and a glance shows. 1t is hardly
necessary to add that men who have appli.
cations on file showing that they are both
Democrats and Republicans will not be APP
pointed.