The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-03-10
Board Chairman Quits
Because Watched
By Detective
REFLECTS ON HIS
HONESTY. HE SAYS
Officers ct a b b i n g.
Voters, Not HakenjOs,
Gillespie Explains

Edward A. HakenJos. chairman OF
The election board In the third pre-
cinct OF the Seventeenth ward. has
resigned because he feels that the
constant presence or detective In
the voting booth on primary day is
o reflection on his character as an
honest, law-abiding citizen. Mr..
Hakenjos has a dry goods business
on Kercheval-ave. and Is highly re-
spected In the neighborhood. where
he Is intimately known.
'wfrr II comes TO the point
where police department feels
compelled TO place a detective In n
booth TO watch an election board. II
IL time for honest men TO get out
OF politics" Mr. Hakenjos told a
friend.
The police department. to my
knowledge. has never seen ft to
place detectives in the notorious pre-
cfnct booths about which we hear
complaints and charges OF wrong
doing In every election. The pres
once OF detective In the booth
makes every member OF the board
feel that he Is under suspicion. II
II not the usual practice OF the po-
ice department. and I am sure Com.
missioner Gillespie would not have
issued such an order without some
interior motive. for as long a.
have taken n part In ward politics
our board has always had reputa.
ton for being clean and honest. The
police department does not make a
practice OF stationing officers TO
vstch people the police believe are
honest"
The unusual interest that the
Marx administration took In the Jas
nowski-Miller night accounts for the
presence Of detectives In the Sew.
enteenth ward booths on primary
day. Aid. Herman Schultz was a
sfsunch Miller supporter. The ad-
ministrstion kept tab on political
doings In the Seventeenth ward
bow Of the board chairmen from
the time the booths were opened In
The morning until they closed at
night.
We placed the detectives In the
booths TO watch the voters" said
Police Commissioner John Gillespie
we didn't want any colonists or
outside voters pushed In. admit
that Il 10 the first time the police
department ever placed detectives
IN the booths. but that Is no argu-
ment against doing II on primary
day.
ANY honest chairman OF an hon
cot election board need not mind the
presence OF q detective at his elbow.
The police oficers do not interfere
or modest honest people; they are
through the eye C; the police de-
partment. A detective sat at the ell
after dishonest people. The member
Of an election board who would OBJ
jsct 10 the presence of detective
IN the booth must do so for a rea.
son. OF else he's crazy. Why doesn't
ne object to the policeman passing
his house door at night. That po-
licaman 10 watching him-watching
bis home to see that no harm be-
falls him during the night. His
home as well as mine and that OF ev-
cry ...IEen 10 protected in the same
way. day and night.
The detectives we're placed In the
booths 70 watch the voters more
than the members OF the election
boards. n I we're serving on board
I would not mind the presence OF q
detective In the booth. / don't think
his presence ought 10 arouse any
ugly suspicious. He's there to see
Chat things go right and as long as
they do no harm Is done" 4.
Aid. Herman Schultz will send Mr..
Haksnjos' resignation to the com
mon council, Tuesday night