The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1868-11-12
Illegal Voting Cases,


A fair sample of Democratic frauds,
was fathomed by jury of this county
last week, aud ascertained to be Who'll
ly legal. We have heard much about
the fraudulent naturalization papers
of the Irishmen of Kent, but we have
always thought it was only the cry of
"stop thief" made by the real erimis.
mails, in order to shield their own infa-
mics. We are now prepared to assert
it on the authority of judiciel inves-
tigation. In order to give this cry of
fraud" some semblance of truth, three
citizens of Irish nativity were arrested
and indicted for the crime of illegal
voting at the October election, aitho',
as the sequel proved, they had legal
right to vote. They demanded trial.
Thomas Garvey, whose case the perse-
cutter thought most likely to result in
conviction, having been committed to
Jail, was compelled to remain within
its dreary, dismal walls to await his
trial and that trial was postponed un-
til after the Presidential election, that
day on which every freeman was
breathing the pure air of heaven,
welding the ballot, that mighty en-
gine of power, and executing a free
mans will, Garvey was prisoner, in
haling the noxious atmosphere t~of
Jail, forced to be the companion of
burglars, forgers, thieves and scoun-
drelly penitentiary convicts, disfran-
ch1sed and illegally arrested by his per-
scouting political opponents for no
other crime than having exercised the
rights of a freeman in oposition to
Ithheir behesis. E-.tea- .,a:i Fl
His was not to vote, and why?
| His was not ito make reply;4c-r. .f4Ta
| Cross-bars at the right of him
| Cross-bars to the left of him;a zaSTTo:
/ Cross-bars all around him,
| Blended and bolted. g.. s,r a. l..
| A trial was had, and not shadow
of evidence was produced to sustain
the prosecution, The case, was sub
mited to jury, most ofaWheHs were
Republicans, but all of whom were
men and not mere partizGas, and they,
Immediately returned with a unani-
nous verdict of "not guilty." The
Prosecuting Attorney with a persecut--
ing witness, by the name of Isaac.Archa
er, patriotcally rallied around Michael
Halloran, who was the next. to be ,tri-
! ed, coaxing him to pay the cost ;apd
they would let him free of preseel-
ton. Michael told them he had no
| money. but SO te1aeious were these
newly acquired friends that they pro-
proposed to advance money for him
and trust to his "honor"" to pay back
in labor. We regret to say that they
finally succeeded in this way ingettmg 9
this innocent man to pay $500, that
being about half, the aInonnt' of fHe
costs. That evening the Prosecutor
called the attention of the Court to
number 100, and said that it might be
noliied. cOh, crime, how easily efas-
1 GU! Ou, 1HuOCOuCSs INV u SetCi4O1 Oooly
punished! If Halloran was guilty,
| the Prosecutor was guilty Of na1feas
sance in nollying the indictment; if
innocent, he had no right to extort
| $500 or any other amount from him.
In one case, the interests of the State
would be unsafe under such guidance
and in the other, the rights ofindivid-
ual are jeopardized. The truth is,
these men were innocent, but, by
means of their arrest they were deter
red from. voting and many other vot.
ers were kept from thespolls through
fear of prosecution for, if these limo,
cent men, who had obtained their nat
uralization papers conld be thus ar.
rested, imprisoned and put to thesex
pense, trouble and vexation of defend
ing themselves against these false, an6
malicious charges, what safety Twas
there for any citizen of foreign birth
After this exhibition of Radical malig
nifty let us hear no more about Dem
ocratic frauds in Portage coHntyt.4l i.,li T. .
! -iFGT 80 L. -+-ll ,'sis /
Asil ~.s.5 .5sj'ig lsEi 70 E'itE1 70 :,