The New York herald., 1921-09-14
MURPHY'S POLLING
PLACE IS shot Up
Gunmen Try to Seize Ballot
Boxes, Then Attack Ana
wanda Club.
ESCAPE IN THREE CARS
Crowd Follows From I'd Ave.
and goth ST., but Is Outdis-
tanced-No Arrests Made.
ESCAPE IN THREE CARS

Ine police received a report early
this morning that more than a dozen
armed men in three taxicabs had
driven up to the polling place of the
Second electron district Of the Twelfth
Assembly district, Charles F. Murphy's
own district. and had attempted to
seize the ballot boxes.
| The attaches and election officials OF
the district resisted the attempt the re-
porter said. and a fight occurred in
which the raiders fired more than fifty
shots. Finally, however, they were
| driven away and went rapidly UP Sec
ond avenue to the Anawanda Club
| political organization at Second avenue
aand Twentieth street. There they
| stopped their cars and sent a voliey OF
shots through tn ewindows of the club.
The building was crowded with MEN,
bers of the club at the time and the
smashing of the glass and the shots
coupled with the cries of the men in the
automobiles and the noise of the crowd
| tnat had swept behind them from the
! polling place threw the club into great
excitement. When the first shots were
fired several of the members showed
their heads out of the windows and were
cut by glass broken by succeeding shots.
After firing into the windows OF the
club the three automobiles continued
| north on Second avenue. pursued by
crowd that grew in numbers every
minute. The crowd gave up the chase
after a few blocks, however. as the
automobiles easily outdstanced them.
The police said that they had not
| been able to learn the identity of the
gunmen and that they did not know to
what political faction they belonged
According to the information In the
hands of the police no one was hurt
| during the trouble at the polling place
| All Of the shooting. 1t was said. was
done by the men in the automobiles.
Apparently they cid not try to hit any
OF the election officials or any one else
In he crowd around The votirg place,
but tried to frighten them into giving
UP the ballot boxes. 1
Precautions by John r. Voorhis, presi-
dent of the Board OF Elections. to take
| prompt care of any complaint of irregu-
iarfties or disorders at polling places
made little work for his forces. He had
received several warnings" of antici-
pated trouble. including communica-
tion from James J. Hines, anti-Tam-
many header of tho Eleventh Assembly
District, running independently for the
i DcHlOCTdtlC nomination TOT PRESIDENT or
the Borough of Manhattan. that substi-
tutions of election officers were contem-
plated.
Mr.. Voorhis directed election officers
In all boroushs to have automobiles
ready TO proceed at once 20 any place
where there might be trouble
William NJ Bennett. independent Re-
publican candidate for Mayor said he
had received report that election cap
| tains had been discovered marking bal
lots for voters in an Assembly district
In the lower East Side, and that in an
other district sample ballots had been
used. He notified the District Attor-
ney's office
There was much excitement at Public
School No. Z, Hester and Chrystie
streets, where the polling. place of the
Eighth Election District of the Second
Assembly District was located. when an
| Italian created an uproar because he
had been given a ticket without the
name of f. II. La Guardia upon 1t.
After delivering a TRADE in the build
| Ing he rushed out In a rage and pro-
ceeded to the Clinton street police sta
tion. From there the District Attorneys
office was called and decks were cleared
for action. Acting Police Capt. vetter
and Detective Maneck OF the Clinton
| street station arrived at about the same
time investigators from the District At
torney's office got there. AS soon as
| the irate voter would allow the election
| officials to explain IL was made clear
| that the voter was registered as a Demo-
era; and for that reason had been given
Democratic ballot. which did not con-
tain the name OF Mr.. La Guardia or any
other Republican.
| Although police and plain clothes men
were on duty in Illness district all
afternoon and evening. the raid" and
other dire things which Hines had an
ticipated from Tammany Hall did not
transpire.
| Saloons were not closed In the vlcin-
ity of polling places, as in the old days,
presumably because they were not sup
posed to be saloons any more, although
there was an occasional slight manifes-
tation by individuals on the streets in
dicating that some saloons we're still
saloons.