New-York tribune., 1902-05-07
CAN'T FIND THESE VOTERS.
TWENTY-FOUR OUT OF TWENTY FIVE
SWORN BY RUSH A SIMMS

L
SWORN BY RUSH A. sIMMs
Elections Commissioners Page and voorhis yes
terday summoned to their office in Mulberry
ST, Rush A. Simms, the colored Republican
leader Of the XXVth Assembly District to have
him explain transaction in which he and How
ard Conklng, president of the Republican AS
sociation of the XXVth Assembly District, are
involved. About ten days ago Mr. Conkling
presented to the Bureau of Elections a list of
twenty-five names purporting to be the names
and addresses of voters coming of age since last
November. All of the names were from the
Ninth Election District of the XXVth Assembly
District, of which Mr.. Simms is captain Mr.
Simms was the notary public before whom the
atfidavits of the twenty-five were made and If
there is anything wrong with the names or il
any one of the men represented by the affi-
davits has violated the Election Code, Mr.
Simms will be held jointly responsible.
The thing which has excited the keenest in
terest of the Elections Commissioners, however
is the fact that only of the twenty-five
whose names were turned in by Mr. Conkng
can be found. The election officials sent a de-
tective to the house indicated by each address,
and after the detective had made his report
that he could find only one Of the twenty-five
a thoroughly responsible employe of the Elec-
tions Bureau went over the same ground with
the same result. In order to make sure that
they were right, Commissioners Voorhis and
Page sent letters addressed to all the men
named in the afidavits, only to have the let
ters returned last week with the customary Of
fetal stamp saying that the persons could not
be found.
The Elections Commissioners were at first dis
posed TO turn the entire matter over either to
the State Superintendent of Elections or Dis
trlct Attorney Jerome for further investigation.
Yesterday Mr. Simms the notary who took the
affidavits. was closeted with the Commissioners
for nearly hour, and was asked in detail
about every feature OF the transaction The
Commissioners have the matter under advise
ment. The standing of Mr.. Conkling both in
social. business and political circles. is so high
that the Commissioners refrained until yester-
day from making anything public about the
transaction. Mr.. Conkling is understood to be
in Europe, and as his connection with the case
is explainab bic. the Commissioners are content to
wait until he returns before taking any severe
measures.
Rush A. Simms the colored Republican leader
who took the afidavits OF the alleged twenty-
tVe new voters, was seen yesterday by Tribune
reporter at the Auxiliary Club in the XXvth
Assembly District. The club is in Thirty-frst-
ST.. just west of Sixth-ave. When Mr.. simms
was asked TO make statement for publication
explaining his connection with the case, he said:
Every one Of those twenty-five names is
straight. All of the named came before
me personally and made affidavit that they were
just coming Of age, and wanted to be enrolled
under the Primary Enrolment law The Elec-
tions Commissioners are suspicious without hav-
ing any just cause for their suspicious. I have
been in Republican politics in this city for
thirteen years, and know too much to attempt
any crooked business. l was associated with
ex-senator Frederick 5. Gibbs for several years
ana ne ana other we'll known Republicans will
Vouch for my honesty and activity. This Is
simply a case of hustling the names Of new
voters into the Bureau of Elections for enrol
ment, the law permits. Commissioner Voor-
his to-day told me that his could not find
the names OF these twenty five, with one ex-
ception l am not responsible for that MANY
Of them are walters and are shifting about
good deal. Some Of them in Hot Springs
and when they get through down there they will
be at Saratoga or Newport. But they ali live
right here in this election district and here is
where they vote"
How did Mr. Conkling come to be connected
with this transaction" asked the reporter
Why, Mr.. Conkling," replied Mr. Simms ''is
the president of the district association and "a
such he is interested in having as many Re
publicans possible enrolled After got the
them to Mr.. Conkling, and he said he would 90
down to the Board of Elections and file them for
enrolment. That's the only connection he had
with the matter"
Interest in the is heightened by the fact
that hot fight is expected al the September
primaries between the Hess and Hawkes. Re
publicans for the control OF the district Dock
Commissioner Hawkes. defeated Mr. Hess for
the leadership a year ago. and he and his
friends confident of doing it again Mr.
Conkling is understood to be a ''recenti1ya,'
candidate for Congress in the new XIIIth Dis
trict of which the xXVth Assembly District is
a part. Mr.. Simms, the colored leader, told
Tribune reporter yesterday that he was
against Hess in the primary fight