New-York tribune., 1918-11-15
Republicans Claim
381 Whitman Gain
In Seven Districts
Democrats Dispute Count,
Saying 1t Favors Smith
by 234
Socialists Seek Fraud
Watcher Says Boy Substitute
ing for Brother Defaced
Ballots on East Side

Official canvass Of votes cast in
the recent election in seven districts
of Manhattan, completed yesterday by
the Board of Canvassers at City Hall,
gives Governor Whitman net gain of
381, according to the computation Of
mil Fuchs, who is watching the count
for the Republican State Committee.
Alderman Edward V. Gilmour, chair
man of the Board of Canvassers, says
Mr.. Fuchs is wrong and that the first
seven districts canvassed SHOW net
gain of 234> for Alfred E. Smith. The
Alderman says the police returns from
one election district gave Smith 81
votes, where in fact he received 257.
The Monroe County official canvass
reported gain of 309 for Whitman.
Numerous tally sheets, without which
it is difficult to reach legal tally of
the votes, are missing. In nine Assem-
bly, districts in Manhattan twenty five
tally sheets are missing, forty Eight III
Queens and practical Y all in Rich
mond. They are supposed to be in the
ballot boxes in the custody of the po-
lice. All parties in interest agreed to
go before Justice Newburger to-day
and request him to sign an order al
lowing the ballot boxes of the districts
where the tally sheets are missing to
be opened.
Mitchell Loeb, q Socialist watcher,
who attended the official canvass yes
terday. declares the Socialists have evil
dence of extensive frauds. Said Mr..
Loeb
'In the 10th Election District of the
4th Assembly District, with the polling
place at Broome and Sheriff Streets.
the Socialists have caused the arrest
of canvass clerk, charged with wet
ting and defacing seventy eight ballots
which were held to be void. This can
vasser who appeared to be boy about
eighteen years old. used dirt on his
thumb to deface and wet the ballots.
was called to the Essex Market Court
this morning to Identify the prisoner,
who gave The name that the warrant
calls for. He was an older man thyn
the real culprit whose arrest ! caused.
"After | had warned him that he
might have committed a felony he said
that the canvasser who had defaced
minor, and that he himself, while sup
posed to be ct the polls on Election
Day. was peddling fish, and had sent
his brother in his stead"
Abraham S. Gilbert and Herbert r.
Limburg will ask Justice Gavegan this
morning. on the return of the order
directed to Alfred E. Smith requiring
him to show cause why an order shall
not issue for the opening of the bal
lot boxes N Manhattan and The Bronx,
for an order to open the boxes wher-
ever suspicious circumstances seem to
make it necessary in order to obtain
an exact count. 1t is believed tnat
Mr.. Smiths counsel will oppose this,
and that if Jus ice Gavegan signs an
order for the opening, he will obtain q
stay.
Meanwhile, Socialists are preparing
to join with Republicans in asking for
an opening Of the boxes in Manhattan
and The Bronx. The Socialists say
they have reason to believe that thou
sands Of ballots really cast for Charles
w. Erwin. their candidate for Cover
nor, were counted for Smith.
In Brooklyn yesterday the canvass
of the 1st District gave Whitman a
gain of one. There were 1872 void bal
lots, and the Whitman men say that
many Of these. if the boxes are opened
will be found to have been marked
with the double cross for the Governor
as the Republican and the Prohibition
candidate.
Alexander Kahn, chairman of the So
c'alist committee or poll watchers in
the 18th Congressional District. said
last night that Governor Whitman
was robbed of between 10000 and 40
600 votes by Tammany men Mr. Kahn
declared that forty warrants will be
issued within the next two weeks for
poll clerks ad iSpectors against whom
Socialist attorneys are collecting evil
dencc.