Nebraska advertiser., 1860-09-13

For the benefit Of our readers we
publish the testimony Of CHAs. H. Comfy
who was at Fl. Kearney in Buffalo coun-
ty on the day Of election, Dir. Comfy
is well known 10 many citizens Of this
county. lie is a son Of Mr.. Comfy Of
the Journal, Dayton, Ohio.
Our limited space viii not allow Us to
give farther testimony furnished the COM
mittee. We presume this is sufficient 10
satisfy almost anybody, "Open for conVic-
tion."
Charles u. Comfy, Of laBful age, belnghrstd duly
sworn, deposes and says:
InteTrogatoryJ j.. What is your name, ase,z and
place Of residenceY
answer. Charles H.. Comfy am twenty-three
years old, and reside, at present, IN Dayton Ohio
Toterr0patory 2. State IL you were at Fort kear-
new. Nebraska Territory, on the Ilth day Of October
1853, and. If s, was there an election being held
there at that time TOR delegl te to Congress; and, if
20, who were the candidates being voted for: how
was the election conducted; who we're the judges and
clerks Of election; was there any fraudulent voting;
and. If so, by whom and for whom, and how many f,
and state ali the particulars concerning the voting
and management Of the Pclls on said day at that
place.
Answer. I arrived at Fort Kearny, on my return
from Pixies Peak to the States, en- the 10Th day OF
October. 1859, and remained there until the morn
ing Of tho 18th. Thee was an election held there
for delegate to Congress- Experience Estabrook and
Samuel q. Daily being the eandidatcs) Jon the llth
Of October, at which 1 was present. l remained
near the polls all day. / saw early in the morning
that frauds were being committed hence Watched
fbou Z othaP wise would.
The first fraud that attracted my attention was a
soldier from the fort voting. After thatI notlced
uresume. II cannot be certain rs to the number
eight or ten different soldiers, or men clad IN the
United States military uniform, who said they were
soldiers, vote i~nregular form. After that l saw
two os the same men vote again, and one Of the two
voted once afterwards. Each time they changed
their attire, but were poorly disguised. iUrtner
noticed quite a number Of emigrants coming from
and going to Pixies Peak, vote; and among them were
amesLoW, Stephen i. lnslee' and NlIiam mar
All of whom voted for Experience Estabrook,
and Ell were illegal voters; they were returning IN
eomuapv with me from Pixies Peak. L also saw a
number Of others vote for Experience EstabrOOK
whom I know had left Denver City, Kansas Terrific
~. but a short time before | did. Every emIgrant
that was passing or stopping there that day was
urged to vote, and the most Of them did SO. Inc
REGULAR order of voting was first to visit the trading
nost known as "Jack's Rancho" take a drink Of
and a ticket, then go across the road and
vote: this programme was filled by every one saw
vote. During the day, at intervals l saw Or. Hen
" ,Jacklthe proprietor Of the rancho and one of the
in the store engaged in making out a list Of
After writing awhile one Of them would
out the iistin his pocketand 60 over to the polls
md 20 inside, and from conversations that | subse-
Iuently heard between the parties l am well salts
led in nv own mind that the said lists were cOpied
the pou-books andreturnedas voters. The re-
surns. i'll remember rightly, gave 23S votes, all for
Experience Estabr0ok. To the best Of my knowl-
sdge and belief DO not think there we're over sixty
different persons at or around the polls during the
About o'clock p m. the polls were declared
,losed, and the ballot-bOxes were deposited ATTACKS
tore. A short time after the polls were closed two
men came in from Plum c reek, L believe, and de-
vote: the ballOt-bOxes were again taken to
he polls and the ballots were received.
am satisfied in my own mind that one of the
lerks was under twenty-one years of age, and that
another one of the elerks(Or probably one of the
Judges twas an unnaturalized foreigner. This l
earned through conversation with parties acqaaint-
ID with them. The Judges and clerks Of the elect
on were in my opinion all under the influence Of
liquor and one or two of them were drunk and unfit
or any kind Of business. As an evidence Of this,
Of themfI think blythe name Of Burke signed
ais own name to one Of the pol-bOoks or returns
md his wifes name to the other. The error was
corrected. the next day, the said Burke declaring
that, "by God he wanted people to know that his
wife had a finger in that e~leetiOn!' OF the men a
round the polls during the day l do not think that
more than one half Of them were residents OF the
or precinct, the balance being emigrants.
CHARLES II. Comfy,
5, We were further informed by a Dem
ocrat who was at Fit. Kearny at the time
IF the election, who was in business
and ought to know how many votes
here were in that region, that there was
lot twenty legal voters within the boun-
of Buffalo county.
We entertain no doubt Mr.. Ntgs, as
o frauds having been committed in Buff
.alo County. VIE committed them, is a
question we presume will hereafter occu-
oy a position along side with "who struck
Patterson ?'-"WiH saltpeter ex-
&c, sc. The perpetrators have
covered up their tracks too well to ever
have the charge proven against any one
individual.