The Washington times., 1904-09-18

The officers Of the immigration Bu-
reau intimate that in the last year more
than 100000 fraudulent naturalization
certificates have been issued BY a gang
of swindlers throughout the country.
The attorney for the Federal Govern
ment In cases Of fraudulent citizenship
that come I'D at a single depot ellis
Island. in New York Harbor) declares
that 10000 bogus papers exist IN New
York alone.
Altogether. not less than 10000 for
eigners today possess forged, altered, or
purchased documents that viii enable
them 70 vote IN the coming election.
This vast fraud is one against which
the United States is all but pOwerless,
for all the periodical exposures and de-
scriptions of domestic naturalization
frauds are nothing compared TO the real
story.
Bogus Citizens Made Abroad.
The real story Is that bogus citizens
are turned out in thousands far out OF
reach OF American law. in all the cOun-
tries Of Europe. by bands OF foreign
swlndlers. bound together IN vast sys-
tenn with a thousand bewildering rami-
fications.
These men sell American papers as
openly throughout Europe, and par
ticuiarly in Italy, as a shOpkeeper sells
poultry or groceries. They not only
sell American citizen papers. but they
buy them back and sell them over
again, SC that one fraudulent document
viii do service for them till Il IS worn
out
They have their buyers" in every
American city They have bands of
''impersonators7 throughout America
The buyer purchases citizenship pa
pers for prices ranging from 81 TO %
according to the acumen OF the owner
The impersonators get American pass
ports that will bear descriptions which
will At the general type OF Italian,
Russian. SlaYOnian, Crotian and other
immigrants who are to be made into
citizens in the seaports OF the Cont
nent and then shipped TO these shores
70 exercise all the privileges Of an
American citizen.
Headquarters at Fiume.
The Austrian town Of Fiume. where
nearly all the Italians now cOming here
take passage. is one Of the headquarters
or this traffic. Among the American
merchants IN citizens papers Fiume IS
as important an industrial center as
Hamburg IS to the wild animal catcher.
Naturalization papers by the thousand
are sent to Fiume-literaIly by the
thOusapd-and they are accompanied by
bought. stolen. forged. and altered pass
ports. guaranteed to match any face and
figure.
Selling Papers to Emigrants.
The papers are filed and indexed as
! carefully as any other business man
would file his securities and contracts.
and they are fitted" 10 the immigrants
with the calm sang froid with which
shoe dealer viii 1T them with fOOtgear
/ for the voyage.
All papers which are 50 written that
they can be changed easily are laid
aside as a special Zine" to be used on
| difficult subjects with peculiarities that
are too apparent 70 make IL SAFE to use
an ordinary document out OF the gen
/ eral stock.
! The Office where this work IS carried
I on IS usually a rear room attached TO
| tobacco, wine or other shop such as
might be freQuented by emigrants, and
will always be found in the vicinity OF
/ the docks or the emigrant lodging
| houses. Runners go about among the
/ ernigrants, seeking men who have been
/ I'm the United States before and do not
] wish to go through Ellis Island, who
/ have been over and have been returned
] as contract laborers. criminals, etc. {;
! and that certain large class OF hrst-time
/ emigrants fearful without reason Of be-
| ing denied admission and willing TO pay
! a small sum Of money TO be assured Of
/ landing.
BuncOed Out of Papers.
| The runners bring these customers to
[ the shops, and IL they have any doubts
or raisgtvings us to the powers OF these
magical papers they are soon dispelled
when they read the letters which the
/ shopkeeper has to show from men who
have used them. and returned them 70
get the rebate.
/ There is no fixed price Tor a set OF
papers. 1 have known simple mind
ed peasant to pay 100 francs for a set
OF papers. and 1 nave known a set TO
be transferred for 10 francs. because the
/ purchaser had no more money When
! the papers are bought the buyer Is fully
instructed an the use Of them, these in
struCtiOns often being given in writing,
and he is told that II he will return the
/ papers. intact and in good condition he
viii receive rebate OF from 10 10
/ francs.
/ Formerly the system extended no
/ further than the first use OF these pa
pers. but now II f. cunningly elabor-
ated on each ship the ceruncate sell
ers have a representative who mas fuii
know edge Of Just how many men bought
lnnpers secretly, and he has those check
led OF who are too ignorant or too
Stupid in his employers. Judgment &c
use ire papers without getting caught
The men who have been IN the United