New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-20
SOLD CITIZEN PAPERS.
Italians arrested, Charged Nth
Counterfeiting L. S. Seal.

Three Italians were arraigned before United
States Commissioner Shields in the Federal
Building yesterday whom, the Secret Service
agents say, they think are the leaders Of a plot
to forge thousands of naturalization papers,
including the counterfeiting of the United
States SEAL the forging Of the signature OF
Commissioner Alexander and the naturalization
certificate itself.
The prisoners. who were held in heavy ball
for action by the federal grand jury. are:
Robert Bunaro. DOT Mulberry-st, foreman of
laborers; Rocco Ffgulo. a printer. Of III
Grand-st.. and Giuseppe Caparelh, foreman IN
the Department of Sewers, of SS Ehzaoeth-st'
They were arrested by Detective Sergeant
Casey. Of the Mulberry-st station. and Secret
Service Agent z. c. Benedict Peeke. on evil
dence gathered by them and by Mr. Houghton.
United States Assistant District Attorney
On February 20 two Italians entered the
office of Commissioner Alexander and asked Tor
the issuance of final citizenship papers for one
of them. This applicant said he had been IN the
country for five years. The other man. who
acted as a witness. said he was Giuseppe Fer
raro and had been naturalized about week
before None of the clerks could remember Of
his being naturaliZed, and asked him where.
He said in that building. The records were
searched and no record could be found or II,
and he was asked how much he paid for the
certificate He said 81 20 the regulation price
lie was asked if he could get his certificate
and readily consented and went to Harlem Tor
il After two hours he returned. bringing a
certificate Careful examination showed that IL
was a forgery, the certificate being forged as
we'll as the United States seal and the sigma
t,,re Of Commissioner Alexander. The forgery
was considered clever, the leading point Oh oe-
lection being the spelling of the Commissioner S
accidentally SBeleQ
.A,exandre" instead of Alexander"
Ferraro was subsequently indicted by the
grand iurv on April 20, and will be tried next
Thursday. The general impression, however Is
that he is innocent He told the CommSslonei
that he met a man in the corridors OF the req
eraI Building. who asked him If he was loohllis
for naturalization papers. He answered tn az nc
was and the stranger told MN 10 Mclt - ~ +ba
short time The stranger came PACK win tiI
certificate which proved to be forgery, ai i
after giving him the customary o4lh' e"'e 44-'--
t1a certificate receiving 81 % Tor II
Three DAYS before the arrest OF FerraIo
Greek was arraigned before ConnnssloH n
Shields for falsely swearing to natuFaiiZati t
rauers in Bridgeport. Coupled with the al
Of 7erraro and the forgery, the two cases eA-
cited the suspicion of the secret service men
and with Mr. Houghton, Secret service AseLi'
PeeIxe and Detective Sergeant casey IiIcJ 80 80.
Toar7ced a hunt For three weeks they nav
been active in the hunt, when resulteu III Inc
arrest OF the three men, ., A., or+,e
MIR Peeke said that he understood the CeF' IN
cares had been sold for from 50 10 500 each: he
80 +raq Italians could not secure city positions
unless they were citizens, and that was one
reason Why aliens tried to secure papers IN au7
vance MIR Peeke estimated that one tnousano
ar moro Of the certificates had been Sold 100
Commissioner Shields held Bunaro IN 81 $1,000 ~
hail and Figulio and Caparelh In So,OOo pan
each to await the action OF the gfanu Jul
1'IeT were taken to Ludlow Street Jail ana
locked I'D in default Of bail ..z
T1i1Ta more Italians all laborers, were arrested
1as+ 1iobt nv INSPECTOR Peeke charged with com
IiIcit in the naturalization forgery plot They were
taken to the Church-st. station