Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1857-07-31
Vest, citizen who had died considerable


West, citizen who had died considerable
time previously. T.
'sln the eight division Of the Fourth
Ward, the list of taxables was not kept 5y
the Inspectors. Mr.. Matthieu, an lnspec-
tor. was examined and testified that the
Judge, John Me1onigal, took the book at
the opening Of the poll and kept it by Mr..
,.Mc.nali,n's direttioas. while he, the In
spector, received the votes. OF course, no
legal evidence can be derived sherefrom.
ssyotes we're here also received frop per-
sons not on the list without their being
sworn as to residence: and, says the witness,
Matthieu, the Judge,in some Instances said
the name was on the list, and when looked
could not jfnd # Not more than eight or
nine proved their residence during the day.
aAt this poll also occurred transaction,
which, II truly stated, ought to cover all
parties concerned with endaring shame
A more outrageous attack on the purity Of
the ballot-box could not be conceived. ID.
III. Matthieu, the same Inspector, testiies
that upon difficulty having arisen within
she room, as to the reception of the vote OF
u man who gave the name of Patrick Me-
Quaid, an individual who was at the window
outside called to Doran, the other Inspector,
to put the ticket in the box. BE said to the
witness, sff you don't put that ticket into
the box, Pll knock yodr head off. After
which he ran into the house and jumped
over the partition which enclosed the cleo
ton officers, aud on the table among the
books and papers, one foot being on the
Assessors list. He threatened datthieu
several times, shook his fist at him, and said
he would fix him before he left the polls.--
After he had been in a few minutes, one of
the clerks walked up and pushed the ticket
into the box. The intruder then got down
from the table and walked out of the door,
Among honest men such transaction could
not have been permitted to pass unnoticed,
and Inspectors who thus guard the ballot
boxes cannot expect that their 'sworn re-
turns will recriye any consideration from q
judicial tribunal.
seThe ONLY witness called 10 rebut this
testimony was Patrick McQuaid, the party
Whcse offer to vote caused the dispute. He
says that he handed in his ticket, they
looked to see if bis name was on the book,
aud then took his vote. That was all that
was done, and upon cross examination he
says: 'l did not know who the Judge of the
election was; | did not see Dornan that
know; inan inside took my ticket; didn't
20 away till he told me all was right; was
not challenged; uot asked for voucher; |
saw McMullin there; did not see him speak
10 ally one inside
GLOW far this testimony affects the evi-
dence of the Inspector ala,thieu) as to what
occurred inside, may be q question, and we
leave it with the single remark that none of
the other parties present were called to
testify on the subject.
''ln the Ninth Division of the Sesoad
Ward, Mr. Costello, one of the Inspectors,
says, the votes on this list (paper in peucil)
were taken without examing the list of tax,
ables, aud as reason, he gays that the
other Inspector put the ballots in the box
so fast that he had no time to examine it.
lie further said that fha kind of ticket
could be distinguished from the heading,
und upon being asked whether the particu-
lar heading on certain tickets was the cause
of their being received SO readily, declined
to respond to the question. All the wit
nesSes coincide in stating that in this Diyi-
sion, numbers of voters, not upon the list of
iaxables, were received without giving any
residence or any proof whatever. Indeed,
tue whole testimony shows that the election
manrer-the sole object being apparently
to get votes into the ballot box, regardless
of their legality. A number amounting
TO i5l of Foreigners, Italians, chiefly sorgan
grindcrs,' or termed so, were at this poll
admitted to vote, under circumstances that
give the strongest ground 10 the suspicion
that these votes, by combination between
the Inspector aud ono or two persons out
side, we're received, though known to DO
Illegal. Several witnesses testified that
these men were brought up by Henry Mon
agau, u police officer, several at time, and
upon their being challenged, Monagan would
pub their papers GENERALIZATION oat of his
pocket; that there appeared to be no more
than two or three papers fer al; and that,
as fast as the papers we're given back, he
pat them into his pocket, and again produc-
ed them as the next came mp. The atten-
tion oil Mr.. Costello, the Inspector, was
called 10 this at the tine, and upon his ex-
animation he says, 4 can't say how many
papers there wele;' and in reply to the
question, Did not all the 'organ- grinders
y"te upon two or three papersr hc said,
That question it would not do for mo 10
answer 'l decline to answer it, lie
fully corroberatcs the other Witnesses as to
the agency of Mouagan in the matter, and
that the papers used were returned to him.
Here neither cath nor proof vas required
in any case. with such testimony before
US, what confidence can be placed in the
documents returned by those election Off
GERS.
''No testimony vas given to rebut or ex-
plain that given by the Witnesses just re-
ferred TO. An effort was made TO show
that tie organ grinders were residents in
the division, and the witness said that be
lbeing one Of shen,) had naturalization pa
pera, but the objection to the admission Of
their votes, without proof of their being
legal voters, is not thereby removed.
"At the 6fth division of the Seventeenth
Npard rho eyt.inpcas share tb,. Sas,a oman