New-York tribune., 1922-10-24
StateOpens W ar
On Registration
Frauds inCity
First Days Inquiry Indicates
Hundreds of False Claims
for Aid in Marking Bal
lots, Many by Women
Perjury Charges Likely
Most Physically Able to Vote
for AL Smith, but Lack
Ability Inside the Booth

AN investigation, expected to dis
close that hundreds Of registrants in
many sections Of greater New York
have entered false claims that they
are entitled to assistance in marking
their ballots at the Forthcoming cleo
tions, was begun yesterday by Deputy
Attorney General A. s. Gilbert, repre-
senting the state in unearthing and
prosecuting vote frauds in New York
City.
In connection with the inquiry, Mr..
Gilbert plans to subpoena for examina-
tion the registration books Of The
Board OF Elections In the Municipal
Building, members of suck boards of
inspectors as may be found to be eon-
cerned, and all registrants who liave
entered assistance claims in the AS
sembly districts where irregularities
of the sort may appear in considerable
numbers. A number Of the subpanas.
it is expected, will be issued to-day.
Chiefly Smith Voters
A brief description of the alleged
Irregularities thus far revealed was
given as persons who are physically
able to vote for All Smith and the rest
Of the Democratic ticket, but who
haven't the ability to do so once they
get in the voting booth" Here is the
explanation:
Sections Of the election law con-
cerning, illiterate and disabled voters
went into effect on January / of this
year. They provided that all new vot-
ers after that date, not known by men1-
bers Of the inspection boards in the
various districts to be able to read
ard write, must be given literacy
test in order to qualify.
Old voters remaining illiterate
might continue to vote, according to
the election law, but should any one
ask for assistance in voting on the
ground Of illiteracy, he would be re-
quired to take an oath showing he be-
/ last. The only other persons en-
titled to assistance in vsting are de-
scribed by the statutes as follows:
"Any person who shall de-
clare that he will be unable to prepare
his ballot without assistance by rea-
son of blindness, or of such a degree
Of blindness as will prevent him, with
the aid of glasses, from seeing the
names printed upon the official ballot,
loss Of both hands, or such total in
ability Of both hands that he cannot
use either hand for ordinary purposes,
or that he will be unable to enter the
voting booth without assistance by
reason Of disease or crippled condi-
tion, the nature of which he must
specify
Muaf Take am Oath
/ All such persons, it is provided
must take an oath in support of any
such contention. Thus it becomes ap-
parent that any literate person ad-
vancing illiteracy as claim for as
sistance, or blindness, when he can
see sufficiently to read and write
would commit perjury, provided the
oath had been administered TO him
Should the election officials fail to ad-
minister the oath, they would be re-
miss in their duties.
Mr.. Gilbert's suspicious as to "vote
malingering" became aroused through
the receiving Of reports that an ex
traordinary number of registrants il
the 1st Assembly District had claimed
assistance on the ground of disability
Subpoenas brought thir.y seven o.
+ them to his Office, where examination.
showed that all but small number o.
the claims were false.
It was further learned that John +
Heating, chairman of the board Of reg
istration of the district, had not ad
ministered the oas, to them, and tha
consequently they %uld not be hel'
| for perjury. Moreo$r, another angl,
appeared when, it was declared, Mr.
\ AveY