M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1856-06-26
DIR. StrIngfeIIOw before the Iu-
Vestigating COmmittee---He De-
nies Election Frauds in toto.

Vestigating COmmtttee---He De-
nies Election Frauds in toto.
Stringfe How was before the Congressional
Investigating Committee in Lawrence, a
few days since. We copy testimony in
full:
DR.. John H. Stringfellow was called and
swom--I reside in Atchison, Atchison CO.,
Kansa Is Territory; moved to Atchison IN
July, 1884, and took my family there in the
Fall OF the same year, and have iesided
there ever since; the District was changed az
the Both Of March election from the Dis
trict of the Fall before, according TO which
the census was taken; the census was taken
in February, when the snow was, probably,
fifteen inches deep; most of our ciuzens
were emigants from Missouri; having lett
friends and comfortable quarters in Mlssou-
ri large number Of our citizens, about the
time the census was taken, were absent from
their open cabins, temporarily visiting
thsir friends in Missouri; in consequence
large number Of citizens were omitted from
the census; knowing this, we had the census
taken by one of our citizens, which showeda
gain of about one hundred and fifty; this was
represented to Gov. Reeder, and induced
him to append to the census returns up
ward of fifty voters; (witness here described
the boundaries of his District;) was IN the
town OF Donphan on the day of electlon;--
about 300 votes polled-no disturbance ot
any kind at the polls; | was one OF the can
didates; no effort was made to prevent any
person from voting on accounts oil his polltl-
cal sentiments; on the contrary, myself,
urged the Free State men tn vote, and told
them they should not bC molested; MIR.
Saunders, the Free State candidate Brought
some of his friends to vote, and among
them some from Buchanan Co., Missouri; he
brought boy up to vote about seventeen
years Of age; the Judges would not permit
him to vote; Saunders owned the ferry at
Doniphan, and his voters who crossed the
river were known to be Free State men;-
from my personal knowledge oftho Doniphan
District, think four.filths of the people are
Pro-Slavery; after the election, in company
with other members who had been elected
to the Territorial Legislature, went TO the
Shawnee Mission to see Gov, Reeder to pro-
lest against the power claimed in his Procla-
nation to decide contested elections; COM
mittee Of threo were appointed to wait up
on the Governor, and present him our pro-
test; the committee consisted Of General
w. P. Richardson, Samuel Williams, and
myself; we denied in our interview with
the Governor, that he had any power to de-
eide as to contested elections, and contend
ed that that power was with the Legislative
body, aud that the presentations with the re-
turns of election formally made were primG'
fdcic evidence of the right OF the members to
their seats, and to these propositions the Gov
ernor assented; we further contended, in our
interview with him, that he had no right to
order second election except III cases pro-
vided by the Organic act; to this last prop
osition the Governor read us a communica-
ton addressed to the Attorney General Of
the United States, asking his advice as to
all the matters in controversy between the
Legislature elect and himself, asserting that
if sustained in his opinions by the Attorney
General, he would order new elections in
those districts where the returns were infor-
mally made, but if not sustained. then he
would grant certificates to those persons
who had received the largest number Of
votes, or who had been returned as elected;
large number oil Missourians were present
on the day of election, who were drawn
there from reports which had reached us
that large numbers of persons would be
thrown in upon US from the Free States, fo
the purpose Of controlling the election; the
} determination of the Missourians present
was to resist by all means this eruption o.
3 the Free State men upon US; have beer
1 controlling paper ever since February, 1855
| in that have never urged any but bona fd
: settlers to emigrant to this Territory, either
| for the purpose of voting or for any othel
purpose; there were numbers Of Missourian
at the polls on the 30th of March, Pro-Slave
ry men, who did not vote and were not So
licited to vote; don't know that any citi
zen of Missouri voted. but some may have
done it and not know it; the result OF the
election would in no manner have been
changed had the Missourians voted or moi
voted.