New-York tribune., 1919-10-03
Fraud Alleged
In Tests for
Police Officers
District Attorneys Office
Reports the Discovery Of
Substituted Papers in
Captaincy Examinations

Fraud has been discovered in con-
nection with the examinations for cap
tainces in the Police Department held
by the Municipal Civil Service Commits
sion on May Is and 16 last. the Dis
trlct Attorneys Office said yesterday.
Alfred j. Talley, assistant District
Attorney, disclosed a scheme for beat
ing the examinations by the substitu-
tlon of nearly perfect answer papers
for faulty ones. This scheme was dis
covered, he said rs result Of the D: S.
trict Attorneys Investigation of COM
plants of fraud from Morris Cukor.
president Of the Municipal Civil Ser
vice Commission. He indicated fraud
nay be widespread and might have
been practised by an organized ring of
examination bcaters. Certain candi
dates, he said, were interviewed prior
to the examinations by men who agreed!
20 have the bons toe papers withdrew
otter the examinations and other; sub
st tutcd, on payment of $500
II is understood the original tip on
the fraad came from police officers who
declined to be colluptcd
Approximately 800 police ieutenants
took the examinations now under inves-
tigation, it is said. Ferdinand Pecyra,
Assistant District Attorney, has exam
med, among other persons, police
lieutenant stationed at headquarters
In his case, the District Attorneys Of
flea says, thc fraud has been established
clearly and was perpetratcI by the Ct
I liccr IN question, in conniVancc with at
least one cmploye OF the Civil Service
commission
Mr.. Talley said there was no doubt
In his mind that further examination
would disclose the attempted fraud
was not confined to one candidate. A
general rcexamnation of the papers
turned in during the May tests is be-
ing made. indictments "ill be sought
against men involved in the fraud
Mr. Tallcy SAID examination OF tho
! papers OF one candidate has shown
they were withdrawn after the day OF
! the examination and rewritten In
! vcstlgatiOn has shown. Mr. Talley said
that after papers had been examined
and rated by two examiners, in some
way not disclosed by the District At
torney, they were returned to the can
didatc, who was supplied with blank
sheets. such as were used in the origi-
nal examination. This particular candi-
date had received a low mark in one
I subject.
The candidate appealed from thi.
rating to the Civil Service Commission
and when the examiners again took
! up the papers to review their work
| they discovered that other answers
had been substituted for the ones or
which their original rating was based
Ihe substituted papers were practi-
caliy perfect and would Justify a mark
ing of practically 100 per cent.
Suspicion was aroused and a close,
examination vas made. 1t was found
that the initials of the examiners
which the regulations required to be
placed on cach sheet, had been forgec
on the substitute papers. as we'll as
those of another omploye who hac
pencilled the pNpcrs rs. another check
up Of the examinations
The ingenious method adopted bS
the crooked cmployc and the candi
date," said Mr.. Talley, "is shown by {
close examination OF the papers. which
indicate that the beginning of cacl
paper Was on q certain line from tn,
top and that certain measured space
from the edge Of the papers was TO bs
observed on each line. SO that the mar
gin on the left hand side Of the pag,
was observed By each one of tn,
sheets.
An examination is now being mad,
of oil the sheets of all the candidate,
to determine whether this scheme o
Identification is apparent on othc,
papers"