Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-10-15
REGISTRATION INQUIRY MADE
Democrats Accept Republicans Invi.
tstion to Purge Politics.
FAKE QUALIFICATIONS FOUND
Democratic Chsirmen. submit Report
of Findinss, I'm which they set
Forth Large Number of
Illegal Registrations.

Efforts OF the state and county re-
publican central committees TO purge
registration in Douglas county hns borne
fruit the corresponding committee Of
the democratic party having conducted
an investigation tending to prove that
numerous fraudulent registrations were
made on September 5. Recently John l..
Kennedy, chairman OF the republican
state committed. and Benjamin S. Baker.
chairman OF the Douglas county organ
iEauon, directed a communication to ].
c. Byrnes, democratic state chairman.
and Louis J. Patti of the county COM
mittee, inviting them to Join in an in
vestigation into the methods employed in
securing qualifications for votes.
Since the invitation was extended the
democratic chairmen have conducted an
investigation. the results of which have
just been communicated TO Messrs.
Kennedy and Baker through a letter
signed by Mr.. Platti. He says: In
respect TO rumors Of illegal registration
in past years l am not in a position to
verify or disprove them. bu; 1 do not
believe that the question OF what has
been done in the past has any relevancy
whatever to what 1 claim has been and
- pSlhB uou6 TINS gehIs
AS soon as l received from the city
clerk. a list of the first days registra-
ton the democratic committee immedi-
ately inaugurated an investigation, and
that Investigation was not directed to-
ward voters registered as republicans.
but against every man illegally regis
tered, whether he was labeled democrat,
republican, socialist or otherwise.
Declares Fraud Exists.
my opinion that fraud exists is not
confined to rumors or charges, but is
backed by evidence Of the most con-
vineing character The evidence in my
possession is such that II could not fail
to satisfy any COMMITTEES OF reputable
citizens that a conspiracy exists to pre-
vent fair and honest election upon
November and that a large number Of
illegal voters have already been regis
tered for the purpose Of carrying out
the plans Of the cohspdrators.
I'm order to give you some idea Of the
investigation made by the committee up
to the present time. will cite a few OF
the large number Of cases that have
been called to our attention;
From sol North Sixteenth street twen-
September last Upon Investigation, In
which we were assisted by William
Gould, proprietor OF the lodging house
only seven of the twenty zone registered
resided there. The investigation further
developed the fact that james Wilson
was the clerk of the lodging house and
was also one OF the registrars of cleo
ton in the, First precinct of the Third
ward. in which the premises above de-
scribed are located; that as such clerk
he was familiar with all of the ocou-
pants and residents at the above num-
Ser tass rSt%thstsnGaS that that fact he
dress, knowing that at reast fourteen OF
them did not live there.
At Thirteenth and Dodge,
September 5, the following persons
were registered from l0z North rhlrteentn
west corner of Thirteenth ana Dodge
streets ana is known as the Aetna house:
Henry Caldwell, w. T. Casey, Pete Flynn,
II. M. Folk, George Gleason, Charles
Homer. Fred Herold, Ernest Johnson, q.
c. Longren, Pat Murphy and Frank
stark. Upon investigation we found that
none of these men Iived there upon the
9th day of September, nor at any time
prior or since.
At 523 North Fifteenth street. known as
the Missouri Pacific hotel. managed by
+. $. Craig, A. b Smith and Q. Williams,
who registered from that number, were
unknown 70 her and had never been resi-
Mr.. Akerman. the proprietor Of 6l9
North Sixteenth street, assured us that
of the twelve men who had been regis
tered from his number, that only eight
Were residents and that H. c. Jesen,
Peter Lockwood and j. +. Williams were
not known to him and did not; on sep psn
With reference to A. 7. Ehlert who was
registered from that number he states
that on September last, Mr.. Ehlert did
G Gts al TINS mousse but mas since lett the
Lodging House for TFansits.
At 7191a North sixteenth street Is a
lodging house conducted by j. H. Thomas
who stated that the only permanent resi-
dents at that. number are A. b. Clark
and himself. All the rest of his guests
are transieqts. He further stated that
Frank Breeder, G. II. Brown, Isaac Blake,
bert Walker, who registered from that
number. were unknown to him and were
/ not now and never had been residents Of
j.. Stevens was registered from sos South
seventeenth street. According to the re-
turns OF the registrars he swore at the
time he registered that he had lived in
me state, county and precinct (which Is
the second precinct of the Tenth ward)
Tor six months. He stated to our in
state about a month and that he had
come from Seattle to work as a plumber
This matter was reported to the county
Stevens admitted that he had lived here
only five weeks, that he had come from
Portland and that he had been induced
70 register by some men in a saloon, as he
stated, for the purpose of voting here
next spring.
Register from WronE Number.
From 203 South Thirteenth street thir-
teen colored men registered on Septem-
Der 5. The place from which they regis-
tered consists OF a few rooms on the
second floor OF the premises above de-
scribed and is operated as d pool room
and club. No one lives there with the
exception Of Ben Williams. who con-