New-York tribune., 1905-11-10
BALLOT BOX FOUND.
HAD BEEN ABANDONED.
Blame Not Clenr-.Tero7ne. Mdyer
and Morgan Investigate.

Attorney General Mayer District Attorney
Jerome and George ". Morgan State Superfn-
tendent of Elections. with several of their as
sistants, spent hours yesterday and last night |
In the investigation of the mysterious recovery
of ballot box which had been used in the elec-
ton on Tuesday and had been abandoned. un- /
locked and unsealed by the police and election /
officers. 30 arrests had been made at a late t
hour last night a result of the Investigation |.
The ballot box taken to District Attorney /
Jerome's office about o'clock yesterday after
noon by a patroIrnan of the West 125th-st. police
station, Mr.. Jerome at the time was In con-
sultation with Mr.. Morgan. Attorney General
MAYER and Alexander T. Mason. Mr.. Mayors
dsputy Some of Mr. Morgan's deputies dp-
peared later with several election officers VINO
evidently had been called to make sworn state
ments about the box
It WAS learned last evening that the ballot box
WAS one used in an election district of the Z1st
Assembly District The polling place for the
election district Tuesday was in a barber
shop north of 11Oth-st. in either Amsterdam
ave or Columbus The box of five
used in the election, the one used for the recep-
ton of spoiled ballots. The other four boxes.
the one for voted ballots. the one for consttu-
tional amendments and the two for ballot stubs
said to have been taken back to the police
station in West 125th-st. after the canvass OF
the vote had been finished late on Tuesday night,
all locked and sealed according to law.
It is the duty of the police to deliver the boxes
at each polling place on the morning of the cleo
ton and take them back to the police station
after the votes have been counted. but the loss
Of the box at the polling place referred to was
not reported by the police. 1t is the duty of the
election officers at each polling place to that
the boxes used sealed and locked when they
Ialjy m he oil For atu 10 he no.
lice station
BOX FOUND BY ACCIDENT.
The box was found by accident in the barber
shop on Wednesday morning. 1t had been hid
den in corner at the back of the room which
had been used as a polling place. Its appear
ance indicated that it had not been either locked
or sealed when it was used in the election 1t
contained it is said, tally sheets, along
with spoiled ballots, which should have been re-
turned under seal to the police station.
Information of the discovery of the box did
not reach the authorities until yesterday. when
it was turned over to the police and taken TO
Mr. Jeromes office to be used as evidence If an
investigation disclosed any crime. Statements
were taken both from the election officers and
from the policemen involved in the neglect of
the box. 1t did not seem clear last night
whether
most to blame in the case
Whether the neglect of the ballot box at the
polling place was simply the result of careless
ness or was meant to UP fraud in the
count cannot be discovered until there mas been
an examination of the other boxes used In the
same polling place Tuesday, and the other boxes
have been taken from the police station for de-
livery to the Board of Elections by order of
Justice Gaynor.
So far as could be learned last night, the
police have not reported any ballot boxes missing
since the election At the same time there have
been reports that unlocked and unsealed ballot
boxes have been found in out of the way places
There was one report that men on the tugboat
Robert White picked up four ballot boxes float
ing in the river early yesterday morning. The
tugboat ties UP at night at Brooklyn pier.
The removal of all ballot boxes to the care of
the Board of Elections may result in a careful
count by which it can be ascertained just how
many boxes used in the election have gone
astray.
Shortly before midnight Attorney General
Mayer left his office to go to his home for the
night He said that certain expected develop
ments had not been worked out in the way he at
first expected and that he could not aid the sit
uation by longer remaining downtown.
Before going away the Attorney General was
asked if ne had received any information of the
finding of four ballot boxes in the East River
bv the tug Robert White
II have not had any such information Mr..
Mayer said
Have YOU been told of the finding of boxes
I'm the North River?" he was asked.
After some hesitation, he answered:
Yes: the North River. have had such In
formation
At the Hearst headquarters there were run1ors
that boxes had been found earlier IN the day,
but there was no definite information
OFFICIALS WILL COOPERATE
After the conference in District Attorney
Jerome's office yesterday afternoon Attorney
General Mayer said to reporters:
District Attorney Jerome has placed at
disposaI the machinery of his office and win CO.
onerate with me in every way, as / VIII with
him in the prosecution Of offences against the
elective franchise Assistant District Attorneys
Perkins and Sanford are to devote themselves
to this work liz conjunction with Deputy Attor-
ney General Mason and assistants
The Attorney General in addition to bis state
rnent said that there was much important work
To be done He stated that the crimes Of as
sauIt and Illegal voting could properly interiace
and he expected that they would in many in
stances.
II is understood that Mr. Perkins Will de-
,-ote his whole time to the drawing Of indict-
nents in the election cases. while Mr.. Sanford
will assist Mr.. Mason in presenting cases TO
the Grand Jury 1t is not expected that there
will he any request for special Grand jury