Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-08-29
jFrom the Pottsville Miners Journai'I
Tremendous Frauds Prsctise" az
the last stale Etccthoh.
coFFEE CoLORED NATURALIZATION
PAPERS.

PAPERS.
Tho following startling disclosures are ex-
tracted from the sworn testimony taken De-
fore the Legislature last winter, and show
how the State was carried and the election
of Judoe Sbars " ood secured to the Supreme
Rencb. As such rascality is not likely to
he practised again in that locality, MIR. Wal.
lace the Chairman of the Copperhead State
Central Committee, visited Schuylkill Coun-
ty short time ago, no doubt with view
of selecting Schuylkill County ms one OF the
points for similar rascality at the coming
election. 1t is well known that large mum
Der of illegal votes are always polled at all
exciting elections in Schuylkill County by
fraudulent and dead mems papers; and two
wears ago in a single district in which Mr..
Collins, a brother we understand, of the
party who figures in these proceedings, had
a contract, nearly one hundred illegal votes
were polled, when he was a candidate for
the Legislature We publish this rascally
business which resulted in the murder of
one of the witnesses and in which Catho.
lie Priest, ny his own testimony. appears as
one of the parties in connection with Wal
lace, in trying to prevent the ferreting out
of this most infamous fraud upon the ballot
box and the rights of the people. Wallace
ought 10 have been expelled from the State
Senate as a criminal, and the parties to the
transaction ought to have been punished in
the Courts.
1t may as well be understood at once that
the people are determined to submit DO
longer to such outrages, at least in Schuyl.
kill County, and we hope our friends will
take every precaution to ferret out all those
who are not entitled to vote, and have every
such person who offers to vote, arrested,
particularly those who attempt to vote on
dead mems papers. All votes based on cof-
fee colored naturalization papers of the
dates mentioned in these proceedings, ought
to be challenged, aud if received, the otli-
GERS ought to be prosecuted. Cnder the
new Jury Law political juries cannot be
packed as formerly, and the new Criminal
Court, free from party bias, will see that jus
tice is done to those who violate the laws,
and make elections mere farce:
"Thc XXIs. Senate District of Pennsylva-
MIA embraces the counties of Blair, Hunting
don, Centre, Mifllin, Perry and Juniata, and
is entitled to two Senators.
An election was held in this district on
the second Tuesday of October, 1867, and
Chas. J. T. M'Intire, Denocrat, was return.
ed as elected by 233 majority, and Samuel
T. Shugart by % majority. John X. Robin
/ The Senate, after full investigation by a
Select Committee and the examination OF a
( large number of witnesses, declared Robin.
( son duly elected, and admitted him to the
seat occupied by Shugart. The whole tes-
timony in the case is published in the Legis-
lative Record for the session of 1858, from
! page l 1,397 to /, ,4I0 inclusive.
1t is proven conclusively that the leaders
Of the Democratic party not only planned
! and pre- petrated deliberate fraud upon the
ballOt-box in this district, but that they
/ prearransed a system of fraudulent naturali-
zation papers, extending through other
counties of the State.
\ railroad sixteen miles long, was being
built, during the summer and fall Of 1867
in Clearfeld and Centre counties. From
forty to sixty rods only of the road was in
Centre county. About four hundred Irish
men were employed on the road. and board
cd in sbauties along the line, except during
the time they were takeninto Centre county
in order TO carry the election in that Senate
district. Senators were to be elected III the
Senate district, but not ir the Clearfield
The following testimony, copied from the
official records OF the Legislature, shows
how the fraud was perpetratcd, and who
did it.
SON iLN LII J-LLS ION,
In tie Senate Of tie Statc qf Pennsylvania:
John X. Robinson VS.. Samuel I. Shugart -
NXIst Senatorial District.
LEGISLATIVE RECORD: SESSION 1868, PAGE!
l406-7.
JANUARY 90, s6S.-Committee met, al
the members present
NJ. O'Meara, sworn-l was working fol
Mr.. Collins, railroad contractor, on the rail
road was pi. boss had from 10 to q
men under me at times; Patrick Gurmal
WAS walking boss | was working iou
miles from Cleartield, east, twelve mile
from the line, when james Collins and Pat
rick German came to me and said the.
wanted to go to Centre county tor ten days
saying their object was to carry the election
they said it WAS u Republican hole, and the.
intended running in enough votes to carr
it | took the men to Gentle county Col
Skelly's gang also went; all that were a
work went; the men east OF me went; i
and around Philpsburg there were abou
100 men the day of election; they wer
quartered at Mr.. Keplar's, Mr.. Gray's, Nj
uarris's ard Mr.. Donehue's WAS in Phi
lipsburg all day, most of the time at tn
polls the polls are in the same building
/ gave two men Democratic tickets Sheri
Berks and Mr.. Lede distributed tickets
Lede was walking boss on the road
saw them giving the men the tickets Sht
riff Berks borrowed sheet of tickets trOu
me to have others printed the tickets wei
t all Democratic; about all that were on tn
r ground voted; all had naturalization pI
, pers obtained them, as was said, in Lit
zerne county this one on the table is sim
lar to those used F; they were colored th
men said they obtained or arranged for til
= papers two miles out of Clearteld, on Satu
day evening before the election, in a shant
kept 10y Mrs. Lynch they said two lawyer
came from Philadelphia, and after the
were sworn Lede took possession of til
| papers, and that be colored them with co
fee the day of the election the men wei
/ handed the papers Mr. Lede at the sam
time furnished the tax receipt a receir
shown witness, and identified similar I
5 those used did nothing while | was
Philipsburg | did not vote; saw all vot
; that named had no Republican ticket
Cross-examined-l never agreed to vo'
my men on the Republican side; never sal
for 500 | would do so; received none
: the day before and day after; of Mr.. Chris
, man S25, of Mr.. johnson, day after, $50. ,
E Sheriff Perks, $l2 l received OF Rev. Fath'
!, Tracy $780, The $500 W,