The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-09
SUPT. M'CULLAGR'S REPORT.
Wn1S HE DID 70 PREVENT FRAUDU-
LEYT TOTING IN THIS CIgY.

WV hNtNib
ALBANY. Jan. s.-That police legislation 70
New York city will be enacted by the presen
Legislature seems certain. In his nnnua
message Gov. Roosevelt said that the evils o
the police system OF New York city have be
eome very serious, and that he may find j
necessary again 10 communicate with tho Leg
isiature upon this question. Tho urgency o
the question will become more apparent to thu
Governor after he has carefully perused the
report submitted to Gov. Black by John Nc.
CullaRh. superintendent of the metropolitan
elections district.
The statements Of Mr.. McCullagh concern.
Ing tho operations Of the Metropolitan Flee
lions District law amply Justify its enactment
They will convince Gov. Roosevelt that the ad-
ministration OF the New York city Police Do
partment has returned tothe vicious and vsnal
condition In which Col. Roosevelt found IL when
he assumed the Presidency Of the Police Board
under Mayor StronR's administration Mr..
McCullagh agrees with Gov. Roosevelt that.
with some exceptions. the rank and nle OF the
New York city police force would do their duty
were II not for the political influence exerted
by Tammany Hall to utilize the force for its
own base political ends.
superintendent McCullagh's report is most
comprehensive and convincing. That the work
OF his deputies In the districts containing lodg-
ing houses was effective in preventing fraudu-
lent registration to n very large extent 10
shown by the fact that OF 1906 persons regis
tered from specified lodging houses only 1904
voted. Not only did Superintendent McCul-
lagh prevent a large fraudulent vote from the
lodging houses. but from the Raines law hotels
and tenement houses as well. He say that the
newspa per cutlery against the operation of the
law served as n deterrent TO election law
v~iolators. and that a complete reversal OF oppos-
ing public opinion was caused when the bcno-
fetal effects of the law we're demonstrated by
the work OF his department in preventing H.
legal registration.
Not q single complaint was received by Mr..
McCullagh from any citizen respecting the ac-
tion or conduct OF his deputies. Persons high
In authority in the New York city Police De-
partment protested against conceal!ng the
identity OF the deputies" says Mr.. McCullagh,
- but l think that my decision in this regard
was justified, as many cases Of intended col
onizing were discovered by deputies whose
identity was unknown. in spite OF the fact that
agents with cameras were posted in n conven-
lent doorway, where they operated as the depu.
ties entered or left our office. In the work OF
preventing a fraudulent lodging house vote |
asked the New York city Health Board to
furnish me with "a list of the licensed
lodging houses. The list furnished l af-
forward ascertained was not complete.
To be within ar election district the
required thirty days before being en-
titled to vote a lodger must have been regis
tered in his lodging house on Oct. g.. The keep
ers OF these Lodging houses furnished me with
q daily list OF their guests from that date. One
or more deputies were detailed to each lodging
house us dodgers. | also detailed to each house
a Democratic and n Republican deputy to take
the names OF all persons registered as inmates
up to midnight of Oct. 8, and to verify the pres
ence OF the dodgers by a personal inspection Of
their rooms and beds. | am glad to report that
the uniformed police assigned to do the same
lodging houses worked in harmony with them.
thus showing. as l have always contcnded. that
controlled by specific instructions to the con-
trary we're in harmony with this department..
dodgers reported on the night OF Oct. < had be-
come SO through the instrumentality of rer-
the names Of those not qualified as voters.
therefore procured a list of tho dodgers on the
night Of T. Oct Z: a comparison Of The two lists
the excess per Of dodgers, on the 9Th, as
COMPARED with the 18th. was reliable. Reports
lodging houses further confirmed me in the
belief that a scheme of wholesale fraud was
men from these houses.
n, hon the first day Of regiSttration the first ap-
houses, were chal enGed by the deputies In
many INSTANCES they refused to take the oath
short space Of time the news Of the
methods being pursued by the deputies spread
p pyePt the hsm l066 sI M hi hU Mnmid d@istricts, T%csmItins IN a
Tered r,SSthusing to enter the place of r~egistra-
houses on the first two days of registration was :
exceedingly small, and | am convinced that had !
: not been for an unfortunate decision Of
,ase that the registration from these houses !
gould have been very much less than it was on ,
,eId with the, Drlsoner's counsel. S STSStSe !
rhomas F; Grady. that one nights sleeping in ;
there. although the other twenty !
Inc p mi nigh IT, may have been spent out OF the !
his as a test ease. and Il resulted in a large in 2
irease In the registration during the last two t
Following this decision. political agents 0 !
re = men VINO took IN active part in the defence O
' q ssFr and m appEise dfi tGe y IdSssrt to nh the tb lodging t
iad TO prove one nights residence therein to a
'natltIe t fnem ne to sf1inrS shall onoot ,nto ,m II
'royision that n continuous residence for at !,
oast thirty days In an election district shall be i
he provision, requiring IL daily report on the r.
inmates Of 10 Lying houses will be valuable. and {
houses which were found to be pro- q
fe Of fraud at the late election. Il
ronted the department was that OF the regis p
,ati 10 from iatneS law hotels. of which there Ia
900. That the possibilities for Illegal regis u
alton from these places were realized by per- ~
ons interested wns shown, hy the actual regis "
alton ana attempted registration from these n,
aces. ~
AZ Investigation, bv my deputies proved 81
aces were being conducted for immoral pur- l.,
,ses., ln many instances no hotel registers ~
'uld, be found upon the premises prior to the ~,
-st day Of registration. About that time. how ar ar
l Lao e REGISTERS thc were very much IA evidence e!
re; A comnarison Of the, names on such r,
'yond a doubt that u gigantic and al. WI
ost universal use OF these places was no
ring the inmates as voters. In ths M
ilnes law hotel kept by Samuel Kohier, at w
and 81 south street, in the borough OF Man
titan, the number OF guests Increased from VII
me on Oct. to ffty-seven on Oct. 4. Thirty st",
81 these men were prevented from voting. az,
MS Is but one instance, Of numerous similar az
SEES OF attempted colonization. Realizing III
at the evil could only be prevented by an eX- no
lple being made Of some prominent iaines *,
" motel proprietor, ] selected Christopher rn'
loon. on which 70 found a test case" III,
here Mr. McGullaGh reviews the court pro- ece
.ention to the singular fact that the warrants nnIal