The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-05
Winner Offers Every Assist
ance in Search for Bal
! lot Frauds.
SKATERS MARTYR ROLE
Swami Ready to Investigate
/ and Prosecute in Pri-
mary Case.

Republican nomination for President or
the Board of Aldermen.
Before returning to Washington Mr..
Ia Guardia empowered Dudley F. Sicher,
MIR. Benefits law partner, to accept any
service of papers. concede any questions
of fact or law and do everything posi-
BILE to assist Mr.. Bennett in the inspec-
ton of the ballots.
1T shall stipulate," said Mr.. la Guar
dia, ''to give Mr.. Bennett the benefit OF
every doubt. II Mr.. Bennett says he is
short of money and there is any expense
involved will be glad to assist him out
OF my own pocket
81 want TO say to my Republican
friends that although Mr.. Sicher is the
law partner of Mr.. Bennett, he, l know,
Is in no way connected with Tammany
Hall or the Democratic organizations OF
Kings or Queens"
at is the duty of Mr.. Bennett" said
Mr.. Koenig, ito present to the District
Attorney any evidence of wrongdoing
he has in his possession or may obtain
II he has any such evidence /, as head
of the Republican organization. on be-
half of that organization. pledge heart
lest cooperation to the District Attor-
ney."
No Chance for Holdup.
Mr.. Bennett presented no direct evil
dence of fraud yesterday, but in letter
to District Attorney Swami he said that
the fact there was an amazing number
of election districts in which he had
been given no votes by the election off,
cials convinced him that he had been
counted out. After examining the re-
turns from the first eight Assembly dis
tricts at the Board of Elections Mr.
Bennett issued this statement last night:
'Tn 1917 the thing that convinced me
that had been counted out was the fact
that there were four or five districts in
which had been given no votes what
ever. I knew that. was impossible.
have discovered that in the First Assem-
bly, district out of forty-four election
districts there are twenty-three election
districts in which / was given no votes
and eleven election districts in which
was given only one vote; and that in the
Second Assembly District out of thirty
five election districts there are twenty
four election districts in which / was
given no votes and in one of these cleo
ton districts La Guardia was given
fifty-four votes and was given none
and In another election district La Guar
dia was given fifty votes and 1 was
given one. with fourteen defective bal
lots in the two districts. Such a result
is impossible
'In the eight Assembly districts,
which are all that I have been able to
tabulate so far, there are III districts
in which / have received no votes. From
the facts already at hand 1 am con-
WINGED that this thing has been done all
through New York county. For that
reason have written to the Board Of
Elections to impound the ballot boxes,
with the ballots. voted and unvoted
tally sheets. poll lists and returns and
j have also written District Attorney
Swami to investigate the matter"
In a letter to the District Attorney
Mr.. Bennett said he believed they would
find frauds had been committed not
only in stuffing the ballot boxes and
miscounting the ballots but also in
padding the poll lists and returns. He
asked the Board of Elections to i'm
pound all the ballot boxes in the five
boroughs, all of the ballots, both voted
and unvoted. those marked void defec-
tive and marked for Identification. the
night slips. official canvassers' returns,
tally sheets, the registration and en-
rolment books and the poll lists
Swami Offers His Help.
Mr.. Bennett gave his letter to the
District Attorney to newspaper men
for publication before 1t had been sent.
The District Attorney, hearing that It
had been written, called up Mr. Bennett
and talked over the situation with
him on the telephone. He later said
he had offered every assistance to Mr.
Bennett.
II tod him." said the District Attor-
ney that would go after the perpetra-
tors of frauds now just as we did two
years ago. All he has to do is to put
us on the trail. If the returns them
selves show there has been fraud the
District Attorney has a way OF getting
at the contents Of the ballot boxes and
will DO 80. provided. of course. there is
probable cause to believe a crime has
been committed"
On his return from Indiana yesterday
Mr.. La Guardia after conference with
friends issued a statement, In which he
said in part:
"As a firm believer in the direct pri-
mary system I am little disappointed
that the people OF this city will not take
an active part and participate in primary
elections. By what saw in the papers
1t would seem that Mr.. Bennett claims
that he did not receive a fair count in
New York and Bronx counties. He is
satisfied with the count which he re-
ceived in Kings and Queens and only
claims dishonesty where he loses. Mr.
Bennett has been posing as a martyr so
long that shall take this opportunity to
assist him in the count so that there
will be no doubt left in the minds of the
people as to the fairness OF the election,
the count and the result
II believe that in order to obtain
recount and inspection of the
ballots 1t will be necessary for Mr..
Bennett to serve me with some papers.
Inasmuch as / have important work in
Washington and expect to be absent
from the city I. will so arrange mat
ters as to enable Mr.. Bennett to pro-
coed without any delay. ! shall en-
power his own law partner, Mr.. Sicher,
to accept service of papers for me, to
give all necessary waivers. to concede any
question of fact and law and to do
everything possible to assist Mr.. Ben
nett in getting an inspection of the
ballots.
II took no part in the primary; I shall
take no part in the count. Mr.. Ben
mott will have the court all TO himself. ("
In his letter to Mr.. Sicher. Mr. La
Guardia said that IN case the law part
ner of Mr.. Bennett felt any delicacy In
acting for him he (Mr. La Guardia)
would be wiling 10 confer the authority
upon Mrs. Bennett, or n fact any one
whom Mr.. Bennett might be willing to
appoint
ar. Bennett said friends had told him
that his watchers were sure that the
vote in one election district was 10 fol
Bennett and ! for La Guarda. The of.
ficial returns showed IL for La Guardia
and for Bennett.
1t was pointed out by friend of Nj