New-York tribune., 1909-11-03
CASTING THE VOTE
LITTLE SPLITTING
Records for Rapidity Made IN
Some Districts.

Some districts.
Rapid voting all over the city was the feat
ure Of the election yesterday. There was no
serious trouble anywhere. although the usual
disputes arose. The number of arrests made
for Illegal voting was less than in some
other years. 1t is thought that the elabor-
ate operations made by the fusion man.
ayers to prevent fraudulent voting had the
effect of soaring many men who were pre-
pairing for that sort of work.
For the first time in the history OF the
city women acted as watchers in various
parts of Manhattan and The Bronx. Mrs.
Harriet Stanton Batch had watchers
certificate from the Prohibition party. She
spent the day in the polling place at No. Al
Grand street. The Corporation Counsel gave
an opinion that only duly qualified voter
could act as watcher, but the Attorney
General, whose authority IS superior. de-
olared that any one with the proper certiti
cate was entitled to use the authority OF
a watcher. Police Commissioner Baker rec
osnized the Attorney Generals opinion and
issued orders In compliance with 1t.
About noon Justice Hendrick in the Su
preme Court. decided that a watcher must
be voter. 1t was in the case of a nom
resident man which came before him.
All voting speed records were broken in
a number of election districts, notably in
the lower part OF Manhattan Island. al
though the constitutional amendments
caused some delay.
1t was estimated that more than one-half
the vote of the city had been cast by IL
O'Clock, and by O'Clock in the afternoon
almost the entire vote was in I'm many
election districts
Down on the East Side they got to work
early. Inside of half an hour after the
polls were opened in Big Tim Sullivan's
district more than one hundred men were
in line. In this and other districts tho vote
was cast at the rate of one ballot minute.
In the 1st Election District of the I'd As
sembly District one-third of the total vote
had been cast by O'Clock.
By 8 O'Clock $500 of the 5000 votes in the
9th Assembly District had been cast.
Nowhere in the city the contest more
keen than in The Bronx. where the three
cornered tight for Borough President
caused great excitement at the polls.
1t had been expected that considerable
trouble and delay would be caused by the
size of the ballot. But it did not show TO
any great extent The voters seemed to
handle the blanket ballot in excellent shape.
and there were few cases where they Were
torn un unfolding or folding. The fact
that the booths had been made broader
than usual was of great assistance In
handling the big ballots.
Several hundred arrests were made in
nf cit q
illegal voting. but in majority of cases
IL was discovered that stupid errors on
tile part of election officials were responsible
for the trouble The prisoners were dis
charged.
Probably not in many years was there so
much careless and stupid work on the part
of election officials apparent
Justices OF the Supreme Court sitting to
hear important cases involving the election
law had little to do. Justice Ford. sitting
temporarily I'm the Bronx. had two cases
before him. One involved the right of
number of students at the New York Uni
yersitv TO vote He ruled that if the
students had regular homes outside of the
city they could not vote here
A oueer case came before Justice Giege
rich as to whether a man who had once re-
fused to vote could change his mind. The
Noter was challenged on general prlncipies
He became angry and said that he would
not vote anyway. Then Tammany man
got him to go back and try TO vote Inc
officials refused TO take his vote Justice
Giegerich allowed the man TO vote but
said he would not decide the question OF
law involved until later
William Leary Superintendent OF Elec-
tions. said that the efforts of Tammany
l,a6
successful He received report from
Philadelphia that the repeaters there who.
I, was declared would come to New York,
had not left that city
Among those haled to court because OF
carelessness on tie part of the registry
clerks was L. S. oppenheimer, of No.
u73o Broadway. who said he was a mem
-aer of the New York Stock Exchange.
bhe clerks had put him down is living
az No 17ao Broadway. He was discharged
In, the West Side court
obert Graves, of the Motel Flanders,
wa. taken to the West Side court because
the hotel people had told the Superintend-
ent of Elections that Mr.. Graves had
move away. He showed that he had been
in "a rope and was discharged
Getuge c. Ellison. secretary TO the Com
mIssi,S Sler of Patents Washington, was
arrestai when he tried 10 vote at No. q
West q h street. He registered from No.
"A Easr 18th street, which has been an
ONCE bu Hiding for many years. He told
the court that he had lived in Washington
for twen1y years and, exercising his right,
was yot.ng K from his last place OF resi-
dence in this city. lie said Il was the
eighth timsa ne had been arrested ON the
same chara, He was discharged at once
Winiam A.. Tew, son-in-law OF Su-
preme Cour. Justice Scott, was arra;gned
il. the Yors0ville court on a charge of
Illegal regist rs ton. 1t was quickly learned
that careless NESS on the part OF an cleo
ton oficial WAS responsible for the
trouble Mr.. Tew lives at No. i5s East
7,d street VIII eieas the registry books had