Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-11
Counterfeit Naturalization
Papers by Wholesale.
THOUSANDS IN A YEAR
IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS QUIET
LY CONDUCTING INVESTIGATION.
Foreigners Coming in Steerage Hold
Bogus Papers Declaring Them
Citizens of United States.

American citizens made while you wat
They are bogus, 1t is true. but this Is the
gigantic scheme of fraud unearthed by the
agents and inspectors of the United States
immigratio bureau assisted by the secret
service.
1t is estimated by the bureau of immigra-
tor officials that during the past wear
ore than 100000 fraudulent naturaliza ton
papers have been issued by gang of
alleged swndlers. and that of this number
more than 10000 have been issued to per-
sons entering at the port of New York.
1t is further estimated that the financial
return to the alleged swindlers has netted
fully s6O0OOO.
1t has been noted with great frequency
during the past twelve months that imn.-
grants landing in the United States at
various ports display naturalzat tion papers
and assert with much confidence that they
are simply returning to the home of their
adoption from visit to their former homes
abroad
Forgeries Pure and Simple
The frequency with which these natural
iZation papers were presented caused the
inspectors to become suspicious, and upon
investigation 1t found that more than
half of the naturalization papers that were
presented were bogus. forgeries pure and
simple. 1t noticed however that they
were excellent cop.es of certificates issued
in the regular way. and that those issued
in New York bore counterfeit impression
of the seal of the federal court for the
southern district of New York.
The inspectors of the immigration bureau
claim to have traced these bogus certificates
to Newark n. j, where it is said three
Italians were found operating an up-to-
date printing plant and We're turning out
the certificates. which were sold In many
,f hA low rit nf
abroad by the wholesale.
The bureau of immigration is causing
rigid inspection of all doubtful naturallZa-
ton papers among the class of people COM
ing to this country in the steerage or the
various ships, practically as emigrants, ana
1t is said that quite large number oi the
forged papers have been found recently.
The immigration people are being helped
by the operators of the United States se-
cret service bureau, and working together,
il is said, the entire business will be stop
ped.
The Italians who operated the printing
plant near Newark are said to be known.
and it is believed they will shortly be
placed under arrest.
Under Five Headings.
The fraudulent papers that have been de-
tected are located under five headings
those where the printing. seal and sigma
lures are all fraudulent: those where gen.
uine blanks have been stolen and the sig
natures forged those where the applicant
has obtained papers by making false state
mentS: papers secured by persons other
than those purporting to be naturalized.
and those which were originally genuine.
but where the name has been erased by
acid and another name substituted.
In view of the fact that more immigrants
land at the port of New York than at any
other port of entry in the United States.
naturally the portion of that section is
larger than in any other. 1t is said, too,
hat Inv far ha la rf of ha aitrp-
erS who have purchased these bogus nat
uraliZation papers are Italians, and rigid
inspection of all the Italians working in
and around New York has been conducted,
and their naturalization papers. when they
claimed to be American citizens, have been
rgidly scrutinized with the result IL is
learned from a reliable source, that nearly
30 per cent of those who have come in!O
this country during the past year are
found to have papers that are clever for
geries, and papers that they would not
have been entitled to obtain had the reg
ular legal process been gone through with
and the legal requirements met in all their
phases.
Effect on Registration Books.
Just what effect this condition is going
to have on the registration books of the
city of New York is question that is
causing some of the politicians some un-
easness. or course when it is found that
a foreigner is in this country claiming to
have been regularly naturalized as a cit
izen of the United States. he has been al
lowed to vote. Just how many Of these
people who have registered under the
forged naturalization papers is a matter
of doubt. 1t will of course necessarily fol-
low that as fast naturalization papers
are found to be fraudulent the name OF
the person holding them will be stricken
from the registration books and that will
be one vote for somebody lost
This investigation of the foreigners in
New York has been going on quietly for
some months and is likely to continue
some little time.