Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-05
VOTES OF DEAD
AND INSANE ARE
CAST DEFIANTLY
RAMPANT FRAUD REVEALED IN
CHICAGO ELECTION
GRAND JURY RETURNS INDIcT-
MENTs AGAINST MANY
Startling Disclosures Made of shame-
less Methods at Primary-Repeat-
ers Go in Platoons-Swndle
Worst in Years

I men long residents of other cities,
of temporary absentees, of the in
sane and even of the dead were cast in
the primary election of last August in
Chicago.
'Repeaters" voted in platoons that
the connivance of wilfully unseeing
judges and clerks of election. and fraud
rampant to an extent hitherto unknown
in a city never famous for the purity
of its political atmosphere, rendered
the resultant party nominations moral
ly worthless.
These and other startling allegations
were made today in the report of the
special grand jury which after several
weeks of delving into charges growing
out of Chicago's first primary, and re-
turning eighty-one indictments against
two score or more of politicians and
others, adjourned.
The investigation, owing to physical
limitations, merely scratched the sur
face of the situation, according to ths
report, and doubt is expressed that
there has been an honest city or gen.
eral election in Chicago in years.
The findings of the inquisitorial body
characterized the primary election as
a disgrace to the city.
Voting machines are urgently advo-
Gated as a step in a remedial direction,
e1llI d MlQtT dpDllCdllOH CIVIL service
is recommended. 1t is said that while
the jury cannot affirm that no frauds
were perpetrated by civil service EN-
ployes, it is significant that the in
quisitors found none such.
Police Were Indifferent
On the other hand, the report marks
the fact that although the police were
in the vicinity of every polling booth,
the investigators received no aid from
them in seeking to fasten responsible
ity for the conditions which prevailed
Referring to the fact that Frank j.
Loesch, the special states attorney ap-
pointed to conduct the investigation,
had been compelled by injunction to
perform his public duty without com
pensation, even drawing on his own
purse for necessary expenses in one in
stance, the report sdenounces the men
responsible.
Touching on conditions which have
obtained at elections, the report says.
In addition to the testimony directly
bearing upon the crimes and misde-
meaners for which true bills were
found, the grand jury heard much tes-
tlmony regarding the conduct of said
primary election, and also general cleo
tions, and finds a deplorable condition
of affairs in certain wards, not credit
able to the officials who are charged by
law WIN tie COIQuCI OF eIectlOnS and
disgraceful to the city of Chicago,
which has permitted such election
frauds to go on almost unquestioned
until this time.
Reports Unreliable
1--WE find and so report, that no con-
fidence can be placed in the reported
results in favor of or against any can
didate for a party nomination at the
primary election, and yet that election
cost the taxpayers of Chicago fully
SIS, 600.
Fraudulent registration leading to
fraudulent voting, repeating by pla-
toons of men who were voted first for
one party, then for the other party,
candidates at the same precinct; vot-
ing names of absentees, non-residents
insane and dead men, accepting false
affidavits on behalf of the disqualified
voters known to the judge to be so;
numerous and flagrant perjuries by
party voters to enable them to cast
Illegal votes, taking votes from nom
resident voters without affidavits in
support of such votes; fraudulently
writing names on the poll books and
putting ballots in the boxes to corre-
spond; keeping upon the registers
names of men who had removed from
the precincts and voting them; voting
the same name more than once at the
permitting their names to be voted by
others; marking ballots after the boxes
were opened; handing voters ballots
already marked for certain candidates;
marking ballots for voters against their
wishes and SO putting ballots into the
ballot box; intimidating voters and
compelling them to vote for their cam
didates contrary to their wishes; stran-
gers and police officers being permitted
to handle the ballots after the boxes
were opened, so as to permit of fraud
ulent marking of ballots, were proven
before us, and are by no means all of
the devices which we have reason to
believe were resorted to.
Doubt Honesty in Chicago
From the facts coming to our knowl-
edge we express serious doubt whether
there has been any honest general or
city election in Chicago in years past.
I'VE report that in our opinion much
of said fraudulent voting was done in
pursuance of general schemes of cor
tent of which we had not the time to
fully develop
The report declares the election COM
mission should exercise greater care in
the selection of officials, and it rec
ommends. in closing, law making
compulsory the services of voters as
Judges and clerks of the election and
that general election inspectors pro-
vided for by law shall be men of char
acter and standing, with police au-
thority.