Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-02
CHURCH FEDERATION UNC0v-
ERS GLARING FRAUDS
PROSECUTIONS MAY FOLLOW,
SAY OPPOSITION LEADERS
Deputy City Attorney Finds What Is
Purported to Be His Signature
on Document-Employe
Reveals Scheme

council to the people were the naKeoest
of forgeries.
If perjury now alleged is proved a
prison sentence for one or more IN
volved is inevitable, declare attorneys.
1--WE shall give this the fullest IN
vestigation and push it to conclusion
at once" said Mr.. Newby last night
"It is a matter of grave Importance
to the city, and we do not intend TO
let it rest"
An affidavit was placed in Mr.. New
bys hands, sworn to by Chester Lasn,
which recites that Lash was paid 70
cents for signing the sworn verihcatlon
which is at the bottom of each petition
for the referendum. Lash says that he
was approached while in front Oh an
employment agency by man VINO
stated that he was looking for someone
to circulate petitions.
Lash states that he accompanied the
man to the Hotel Nadeau. Ihere ne
and several others were asked to sign
verifications of petitions which were
already full of names and addresses.
Lash claims that this did not appear
regular to him and that he objected.
The matter was explained away, he
saws, by a. man who told him that
Lash could sign on the others state
ment that he had seen the men sign.
He vouched for them and also ex-
planned to Lash that the notary, who
was under bond, took all the risk.
Got Two Cents Name
Yielding to this argument, Lash says
he signed the verifcation and was
then given blank petitions with the
agreement that he would receive
cents for each name he put on. The
yerifcation at the bottom Of the sheet,
which must be made under oatn,
states that the verifier personally saw
each person sign the sheet and knows
that his true name and address were
given.
When Lash read this over after he
had left the hotel he believed that
everything was not above board and
asked an attorneys advice. The at
torney told him that he was seriously
involved and accompanied him to the
the hotel to make a demand that his
name be removed from the sworn doc
unent. They were met with unsatis-
factory statements, and at the attor-
neys suggestion Lash signed an affi-
davit setting forth his statement Oh
the matter. This was placed In Mr..
Newbys hands and an investigation Oh
the petitions followed.
1t was soon evident that name after
name had been placed on the sheets
by,a few persons, and that the forger-
les were on g. wholesale order.
Effort Likely to Fall
"There are so many that it is doubt
full IL there will be anywhere neal
enough to uphold the petitions and Sc
cure the referendum even If the forg-
cry should not throw out the whole
thing" said City Clerk Lelande yes
terday. There were 1000 names sub
mitted, and only 5000 are really needed,
but the indications are that less tnan
that are genuine"
City employees who have compared
the petitions with the great register
believe that names were copied from
the city directory in the baldest fash
ion. Middle initials were changed
and last names were misspelled, but
the addresses showed the forger1es.
Some of the names are those or prom
inent persons who were not aware that
they had asked for a referendum
on the dance hall ordinance. Among
these was that of Emmet H. Wilson,
chief deputy city attorney, who denied
emphatically that he had affixed his
name to any petition.
"It is entirely contrary to my pol
icy." he said, "for I believe that any
one in the city service should not
meddle with petitions or city affairs.
L certainly did not sign the petition.
Trouble Tor SOMEBODY
"This matter will undoubtedly be
taken UP and serious consequences are
likely to fall on someone's head. 1t has
not come to the city attorneys Office
for action, but 1 think likely that some
of the civic organizations Will carry
it through"
The campaign for the dance hall
referendum was carried on by F. H.
Solomon, proprietor of the Grand av-
venue auditorium, who maintains
headquarters at room 127 Hotel Ma
deau Mr.. Solomon says he was VIC
timized by solicitors whom he hired to
circulate the petitions and that he will
prosecute them vigorously.
"PIayed Him False"
"The situation, in brief Mr. Solo
mon said last night, "is that inserted
an advertisement in the newspapers for
100 men to obtain signatures of voters.
Out of eighty men whom put to WORK
two played me false, not including this
man LASH whose petition l rejected.
''These two men, William j. Brooks
and a man named McKennon, evidently
sat down and copied the names out OF
the directory. Lasn brought in his
petition and swore to it, but later came
in while | was not in the office and
told one of The girls that he had not
seen all the names signed and that he
wanted to withdraw it. She called my
attention to the matter and I immedi-
ately said that his petition must not
be used and wrote void across it in
large letters with blue pencil. 1t was
never presente., but Lash came in
later and got hold of it and tried to rub
out my cancellation.
II had but limited time to carry
this work out, and had no chance to
secure men who could give references
or to verify them if gwen. The cam.
paign has been carried on by myself
alone and without aid from any other
dancing hall proprietor, as none OF
them was in shape financially to as
sist. The verification at the bottom OF
each petition is the sworn statement
of the circulator that he is qualified
and registered voter of the city of Los
Angeles. 1 took this as reference
enough. but with each petition sent out
had a notice pinned which indicated
in big red letters that the voter sign
ing must sign his name and address
plainly as registered.
"WiII Punish Them"
81 could not tell before comparisons
were made that there was any wrong
doing, but now that y is found l in
tend to see that the men who have been
guilty of this fraud are punished. l
shall begin cases at once and l think
that perjury, forgery and obtaining
money on false pretenses will stick
against them.
1--WE turned in 1000 names, and OF the