New-York tribune., 1904-08-11
BOGUS CITIZENS, 100000.
ROOFING OUT FRAUDS.
Officials Press Naturalization S7cin-
dIerS- Street S7ceepers Resign.

II is estimated by George w Morgan Stase
Superintendent Of Elections, that over 5000 600
has beer made within the last year I'm the sale
Of fraudulent naturalization papers. II l. esti-
mated ny the federal authorities that over ore
hundred thousand frauduen: naturalization
papers have been sold by those engaged in this
Illicit traffic. and that thirty thousand of these
have been issued in this city.
VITA great frequency immigrants display
naturalization papers on landing and assert that
they have simply been home ON a visit ON in
vestgation it was found that many of these Ger
thcates were forgerles. being exact copies Of the
certificates issued from the district clerks office
for the Southern. District of New-York. The
seal was a counterfeit of the seal Of the court
and the signature had been forged These papers
were traced To Newark. where three Italians had
a plant for printing such certificates and sold
them in the large cities OF this country ana in
Italy.
The discovery Of this Illicit traffic in citizen
ship was referred to in President RooseveIt's
message to Congress in December. and has re
suited in activity in all the public departments
where the evil might he checked.
The Bureau OF immigration under Commits
soner Williams has been rigid in its examira-
ton Of certificates. The United States Secret
Service has been aggressive in detecting and
convictinG offenders. George w. Morgan state
Superintendent Of Elections has also been active
in this work.
The fraudulent papers are classified ur Ter FIVE
headings: First. those where the printing. seal
and signatures are ali forgeries; second those
where genuine blanks have been stolen and the
signatures forged. third. those where the
applicant has obtained papers by making false
statements, fourth those papers secured by per-
other than those purporting to be natural
lied, and. fifth those which were originally gem
uine but where the original name has been
erased by acid and another name substituted.
Those aliens who obtain positions under the
city and State governments must show citizen
ship papers. and heretofore ii has been an easy
thing TO purchase them Immediately before ap-
pOntment. Particularly was this true In the
Street Cleaning Department Of this city.
The naturalization papers OF those employed
in the Department of Street Cleaning are being
inspected by United States Deputy District At
torney Marx and there have been so many con-
victtons that those holding fraudulent papers
are resigning from the department rather than
stand investigation. In the last week in one dis
triCt sixteen resigned.
1t has been estimated that so per cent OF citi-
OF Italian birth in this district hold fraudu-
lent naturalization papers
The work of Mr.. Morgan's department may he
shown by the following figures In Richmond
Borough the reduction in naturaliza tion for the
last six months, compared with the first six
months OF the previous year. 50 per cent.
In Westchester il was discovered that there
witnesses, who agreed for a consideration 10
procure citizenship for their compatriOts. When
Mr.. Morgan's deputies appeared in that county
these witnesses fed. and the last six months
show that 293 immigrants nave been natural
ized as against 65S In the first six months of the
year previous.