New-York tribune., 1917-11-04
Grand Jury to Sift
Alleged Frauds in
Fusion Petitions

Assistant District Attorney Seymour
Mork, Of The Bronx, declared last night
that he would place before the Bronx
grand jury Tomorrow evidence OF ir-
regularities in the nomination petitions
fled in behalf Of Fusion candidates for
borough and county Offices in The
Bronx
Following an examination of the pc
titions in the Offices of the Board o.
Elections by Mr. Mork and Ellsworth ].
Healy, also an Assistant District Al
torney in The Bronx, subpenas were
issued for Emory R. Buckner, Mayor
Mitcheps campaign manager; William
Hamlin Childs, chairman of the execu-
tive committee of the Fusion commit
tee; Coroner Timothy Healy, F. Carter
Childs, executive secretary OF the Fu-
sicn committee, and Richard W. Law-
renee, member Of the Fusion committee
on vacancies.
In addition TO these men, the follow
ing candidates, whose petitions are IN
DER question, have been asked 70 DO
pear at the Bronx District Attorneys
Office forthwith:
Thomas W. whittA, candidate for
Borough President; julius D. Tobias
and John Boyle, jr., candidates for JUS
tees of the Municipal Court, ist Bronx
District; William Wachtel, candidate
for Assemblyman for the Sd Assembly
District, and John L. Dunn, candidate
for alderman in the 2sth District. SUM-
monses have been sent also 70 John j.
Knewitz, Republican county chairman
in The Bronx, and Charles L. va Hal
berstadt, secretary OF the Republican
County Committee.
I'VE want all these men," said Mr..
Mork, "to tell US what they know, II
anything, of these frauds. They were
frauds and forgeries Of the lowest type.
Examination of the petitions revealed
the fact that names OF certain Fusion
candidates had been inserted at the
heads of various lists OF signatures AMI
that a surplus OF names on one petition
had been shifted to the petition Of an
other candidate who did not have
enough signatures"
The discoveries were made yesterday
afternoon OF information given 70 Mr..
Mork by Simeon Beckerman, who lives
man says he was hired by Fusion can
didates in The Bronx to secure sigma
lures TO petitions. He was promised
81 900 for his work. according TO Mr..
Mork. Nine hundred dollars of this
has been paid, il is said. The paying
of this money, Mr.. Mork declared, was
misdemeanor and the men who jug
gled the petitions were guilty OF
felonies. He will seek indictments IL
all cases. He said:
"Beckerman was employed by John j.
Knewitz, Thomas W white. Eugene
J. Mcclure, candidate for Sheriff;
Patrick J. Mcmahon, candidate for
County Clerk; T. Channon Press, can
didate for District Attorney; Bernard
Hahn. candidate for Register, and
julius T. Tobias and John Boyle.
He was hired in the Office OF kne-
witz. who is city Tax Commissioned
in the Municipal Building. All the can
didates named above were present AT
the conference. and they agreed TO pay
him $1,000 OF this amount he has
been paid $500. He says he got
cheek from Halberstadt, the Republi-
can county committee secretary, for
$3.50; $3.50 from Whittle, $3.50 from
Knewitz. and $50 from Tobias. lsador
Wolschok, Beckerman's partner, turned
over the signatures 70 Halberstadt.
"From our examination OF the .petl-
tions we found that on some OF the
petitions which had been circulated
for Tobias and Boyle the names OF
Wachtel and Dunn had been written IN
ink AZ the top. In another petition the
name Of Abraham |. Solomon, can
didate for the Assembly, had been
pasted in. A number Of signatures had
been cut off from a Fusion city petition
secured bv Beckerman and had been
pasted at the bottom of a list of names
indorsing Boyle, Tobias, Dunn and