The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-04
FOUR HELD IN
POLLING FRAUD
Democrats and Republicans
in Murphy's District
Arrested.
ALL GO TO TIE TOMBS
Two More Sought on Charges
Of Special Election
Irrcgularity.
WHITMAN TO PUSH INQUIRY
Grand Jury to Take Up Re-
turns in Other Districts
Than Twelfth.
WHITMAN TO PUSH INQUIRY

Evidence Of ballot box stufnng by both
Democratic and X publican election OH
GERS at the special election for Q consti-
tional convention resulted yesterday In
the arrest OF four eli ction officers OF the
Sixth election district of the Twelfth AS
sembly district. of which Charles +.
Murphy Is the Tammany leader War
rants are out for two more men In con-
ntction with the same election district.
The men arrested are:
DANIEL W. BRosNAN. Democratic In
spector. living a, 2s1 First avenue: he IL
chauffeur and arrested at Forty
second street and Madison avenue.
GEORGE wAsEN. Republican inspector.
salesman. married and living a. 4:s East
Sixteenth street: arrested at home.
JOSEPH KOCH. Republican inspector.
married. residing at 3i6 Second avenue.
with a store at the same address.
LOUIS BOIL. Republican poll clerk.
clerk married. and living at 5A East Sew
enteenth street
The arrests were based on indictments
handed down by an additional Grand
Jury which mas been inv stigating the al
legged frauds In the Twelfth Assembly dis
trict. This week 1t will 90 further with
~ hunt into other Assembly districts.
Charged with . Felony.
The inspectors are indicted for felony.
the punishment OF which 10 Imprisonment
for not more than three years and fine
Of not more than $4,000. or both. They
are accused OF stufnng the ballot box to
make sure vote in favor Of the consti-
tutional convention next year. District
Attorney Whitman says that the def nd
ants undoubtedly acted in harmony with
outsiders.
The Democrats and the Republicans
each had two inspectors. one poll clerk
and one ballot clerk. The ballot clerks. II
was asserted at the Criminal Courts
Building. are not concerned in any way
in the alleged frauds. BOIL, a Republic
can poll clerk willingly made a statement
to Assistant District Attorney De Ford
yesterday and in consideration he Is likely
to receive some help from the District At
torney's Office.
In statement from the District At
torney's Office yesterday II was asserted
that the poll books OF the Sixth Ell cton
district OF the Twelfth Assembly district
showed that 500 pc; sons voted In favor OF
the constitutional convention that the
vote in the election district was prac-
tically unanimous. Investigation. how
ever. has disclosed that go of the votes
were fraudulent.
The votes. II was explained were cast
by forging voters names In the sigma .ure
copy OF the poll book and the casting Of
ballots under .he names thus forged. The
inv stisators say that many OF these
forgeries were committed by the same
person.
One election inspector Is said TO have
voted b tive en- ten and twenty times. The
rtpeaters. II Is asserted. voted the names
OF dead persons men III in hospitals and
out OF town. They are said even to have
voted the ballots of men who afterward
appeared at the ballot booths.
Did Not Go 70 Polls.
Assistant District Attorney De Ford
detailed by Mr.. Whitman. has been work.
ing on the case since April II. lie sub
p9naed $50 witnesses and took detailed
statements from many Of them. lie COM
piled list Of las men who are recorded
as voting but did not go near the polls.
The work had to be done with much
secrecy. as It was feared that some Of the
accused might make an effort to escape
the jurisdiction OF the court.
After the indictments were voted on
Friday Mr. Whitman obtained the CO.
operation OF Police Commissioner Woods
A number OF detectives under Lieut. Hen.
Messy were assigned to arrest the men
named In the indictments and the arrest 8
were made yesterday morning at an
agreed time
Criminal Courts Building and rhen Rros.
nan. Wasen and Koch were sent to the
Tombs. BOIL was kept behind. He
dictated long settlement to a stenOg-
rapher and then Mr.. De Ford arranged
with Judge Matt of General Sessions tC
sit as committing magistrate In his
home. ~ East Sixtieth street.
Detective Russo took Rohl there In the
afternoon. jude Mott set bail at $780, but
Boil had no bondsman. He was taker
TO the Tomhs but IT Is expected that he
will give bail to-day. The bail OF the
others probably will be put at $4,000.
The four men will be arraigned befors
Judge Malone In General Sessions thi.
I morning
District Attorney Whitman when asked
TO comment on the fraud showi. by tn,
evidence SAID
"Our evldeucr shows that the election
laws were utterly dsrega rdcd In tha
district and that the inspectors thems@lvc.
partic pat,d In the frauds. In my opinion
tho conviction Of those guilty OF su.f
frauds IL AZ important a public scrvic,
az the District Attorney can render"
In the opinion OF lawyers II Is impossI
bic to overthrow the decision oil the voter.
rs expressed In the vote. A. s Gilbert
an attorney, said yesterday that under tn,
rulinNs OF the Court Of ..pprais II wouic
not be possible for the decision OF tn
voters TO be- set aside. but that u suit II
equity misht be- instituted by n 'ote
seeking an injunction restraining tn
calling of the convention, In tt,t way tn,
question could be taken Into the court. bu
he expressed doubt rs TO whether such
suit would he successful.