The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-04-03


The names were written on separate
sheets of paper, two columns being on
each sheet. When the polls closed the
judges and clerks signed their names at
the bottom Of a blank sheetof paper, and
gave the ballot box and the sheets con-
tanning the list Of names, to J. 81. Dan
forth, of Westport, Missouri, who Nc
Farland states, q took them to WestpeFt
to count them. None of the judges or
clerks went with Danforth. He was in q
buggy with two other persons, of names
unknown to the witness. Harwood left
at the same time on horseback, and asked
Godfrey TO come to Westport next day.
and help count up the votes"
Godfrey testifes that he went to West
port next day about ten or eleven O'Clock,
and found Harwood, who had been clerk
with him of the election at Shawnee the
day before, writing names on poll list in
a room over Col. Boene's store Godfrey
commenced recording names on another
list, on which there were names already
written, Harwood calling off to him from
his list, for me to catch up" After he
caught up with Harwood, they looked
over the original poll list of the election
of 21st December at Shawnee; copied
names on their respective lists from that.
Alexander S. Johnson, who had been a
Judge of election at Shawnee on the 21st
December, soon came in, and called off
names from that list, and Harwood and
Godfrey copied as he called Godfrey
remained about an hour, and copied 200
to 800 names. j. H. Danforth was in the
room part of the time. Godfrey left
Harwood at work recording names. He
met Peter Behn down stairs, who enquir-
ed how many names he had written. He
was not certain that these lists were for
the Shawnee precinct; but understood
they were for the Kansas election. God
froy's list appears to have been copy of
Harwood's. The schedule of the Consti-
tuition requires that two poll lists shall be
made at each precinct, one to be kept by
the Judges for public inspection, and the
other to be forwarded To John Calhoun,
the President of the Convention. 1t ap-
pears clear that these tYo lists were
manufactured for the election of the 4th
January at Shawnee precinct, and that
Harwood's list was sent to Mr.. Calhoun.
Additional evidence of this is found in
the fact that the poll list of that election
which was sent to Mr.. Calhoun, was
shown by the Board to Mcfarland, who
states that all the names are in Harwood's
hand writing; and Harwood told him,
(McFarland,) } after the polls closed, that
he would put him on the list, and his
name actually appears about the close oi
the list, although he did not vote at all
The.poll list, when taken from Shaw
nee by J.. II. Danforth, covered about
three or four separate pages of paper A:
returned to Calhoun, they cover ffteer
pages.
The Board state, that of the 936 vote;
returned as having been polled at Shaw.
nee on the 9th January, 1858, for officer.
under the Lecompton Constitution, mo-
moro than 115 are legal That not more
than 14S votes, legal and illegal, were ac
tually polled, and that 793 names were
forged on the poll lists, by Chas. C. God.
frey and j. E. Harwood, clerks of thai
election. Peter Behn, judge of thai
election, Alexander S. johnson. a Judge
of the election at that precinct on the 21s
December, and J. II. Danfortb, of West
port, conniving at the crime.
Oxford Precinct. This precinct Dor
ders on the Missouri line. The town o
Oxford, al which the election was held
numbers some ten or twelve houses, anC
is separated from Little Santa Fe, il
Missouri, only by the Santa Fe Road
The vote of this precinct, on the 21s
December, for the Constitution, as return
ed to John Calhoun, is 1866 for the Con
stitution with slavery; 2 for it withou
slavery.
G. Mayo, who took census of this pre-
cinct in January, 1858, in pursuance of al
act OF the Legislature, teStifies that therI
are only AZ white male inhabitants owe
the age of 21 in the precinct. Wake
estimates the voters at 80; Upham at Sc
and Dennis, 20. Cox, a candidate OF
what was known as the Democrat,
ticket" for the Legislature, under tht
Lecompton Constitution, who canvasset
the county before the election of the 4ti
of January, examined this poll list of the
21st December, and recognized only 4 Of
the names upon it. He estimates tht
whole number of voters in all johnson
county ct 500.
The judges of this election were james
III. Newman, G. G. Catron and John 7
Ector; the last two boarded in Missouri
The Board have been unable to reacl
| either of these men in Kansas with st
| process.
That arrangements were made for ;
considerable importation of voters from
Missouri at this election, is shown by thu
affidavit of Pomeroy. The Board hay.
been unable TO ascertain anything as t.
the persons who actually voted at 0xfor(
on that day; but it is we'll established BY
the testimony, that more than 100 o
| the votes returned were Illegally cast
or were forged on the poll lists.
The returns of the election at thi
precinct. on the 4th of January, for off
GERS under the Constitution, show a voti
| of 74S, all for the ticket headed Dem
ocratic." The judges were the sans
with those on the 21st of December.
The evidence shows that Cafron, OF
opening the polls, invited all present
/. no matter where they were from,' t,
come up and vote. That the Judges go
drunk early; threatened challengers; de
cided that the possession of claim OF
the precinct entitled a man to yot
/ without regard to his place Of residence
syore no man who was challenged; ans
told Walker that it was useless to chal
lenge any enc, as they knew whethe
| they we're voters or not.D A few Ere
State men were present, but did not vote
The witnesses concur in stating tia
nearly all the voters appeared to live i
Missouri. Marshal Dennis states tha
four-fifths came up or down the Santa +
road, which runs along the Missouri line
/ that a great part rode 70 the polls, votes
and left, without getting of their horses
and went away IN the direction Of II EST
port, No. Walker, Uphsm and Dare ses
tify to the same general effect Dennis
at about the close of the polls, stepped {
the window and asked the clerk 70 cour
the pages of names and estimate the Totel
fWhile fhe clerk WAS fsof,y,fino them