The New York herald., 1921-09-23
HINES CLAIMS Big
GAINS ON RECOUNT
Average of Ten Ballots to a
District Wrongly Given to
Miller, Attorney Asserts.
MANY ERASURES FOUND
Unlocked Boxes and Broken
Seals Also Figure in Days
Examination.

An average OF ten ballots to a dis
tIfct wrongly counted for julius Miller
for Democratic candidate for Manhattan
Borough President was disclosed yester-
day in the examination OF the ballots
obtained by James j. Hines, Miller's op-
ponent It was said last night by Vincent
s. Lippe. Hincs's counsel. Ballot boxes
from ninety election districts were ex-
amined, Mr.. Lippe declared, with the
following result: Three hundred and
fifty ballots marked for both Miller and
Hines. counted for Miller: 42s with
erasures in front of Illness name and
cross for Miller: % blank ballots filled
in for Miller; 81 with crosses In front Of
every name on the ballot. and seven
boxes containing voted ballots brought
in unlocked and with the seals broken.
Affidavits Of these discoveries. Mr..
Lippe said. had been prepared for sub
mission to Justice Wasservogel. The
ballots were inspected IN a vacant score
at 115 Leonard street.
Both Hines and Tamnany forces agree
that Hines made a gain. but disagreed
as to the extent and significance OF the
gain. They even disagreed as to the
number of districts counted. George w.
number at Isl.
Denies Fraud Was shown.
"To-day's examination shows absolute
ly no fraud" said Olvany. Outside the
usual mistakes made by voters unfa-
miliar with the ballot there is no evil
dence of wrongdoing. Inspection Of 151
election districts picked by Hines him
self showed nothing unusual in the vote
as cast on primary day. and only a
net change of sixty-five votes In favor
of Hines. In order to win the nomina-
ton from Miller Hines would have to
gain total Of $500 votes In 1.002 elec-
ton districts an average Of 85a votes
to district. Thus far he has gained
at the rate of only 1 vote to 21s dis
tricts. The examination win not affect
the primary result In any way"
Joseph Shalleck, Illness manager,
said that the gain for Hines represented
ballots which clearly were voted for
Hines but counted for Miller, and did
not include ballots which were not
thrown out at the primary but should
have been
He contended that not only had
great many mutilated ballots been
counted for Miller. but that the number
of ballots supplied for yesterdays In
spection did not agree with the police
reports of the size of the vote cast. He
also said that lot Of unused ballots,
that is. those supplied to the polling
places by the Board Of Elections but not
voted. were missing. his theory being
that they had been marked with cross
for Miller and substituted for Hines
ballots by primary scalawags.
The only Assembly district all of
whose ballots were inspected yesterday
was the Fourth. in which. according to
Hines, there was most fraud. Other AS
sembly districts partly exanined were
the First, Second. Third, Sixth and
Eighth. The Twelfth. Charles +. Muir
phys district. has not yet been reached.
Dispute Over Unlocked Boxes.
In the course of the day charges Of
fraud were made frequently by Vim
cent $. Lippc, counsel for Hines, and by
Hines himself. Lippe said that one-third
Of the ballot boxes submitted for the
examination were brought in without
locks and with broken seals. and that
the primary In all the districts thus rep
resented would be declared void. But
the boxes referred to by Lippe contained
unused ballots A NEW YORK HERALD
reporter found only one box containing
voted ballots which was not locked This
box was sealed, but the lock was dang
ling from the hasp. wide open. S. How
ard Cohen, chief clerk of the Board Of
Elections, seid the law required that
only the boxes containing voted ballots
be locked and sealed. Several boxes had
broken seals when they arrived from
police stations yesterday. They wero &C
cidentally broken in transit, the Election
Board men said.
Hero are samples of fraud as re-
ported by Hines watchers at the tables: /:
Sixteenth Election district of the Sec