The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-02-04

out by said Board. l told you SO on TN
K evening of theIelection. Mr.. Underdon
l. had taken the books and refused to Civ
a them up, be not being a member OF tn
Board.
Mr.. Charles Traynor, a member of tn
Q Board, said he was not obliged to Civ
L testimony to crimioate himself, and re
, fused to testify.
Mr.. UnderdOnk, in answer to tn
Iquestion, chow came you by the books ]
0 said that Etchison and HawH were botl
n tdrunk, and therefore be took charge 0
them.
= Mr.. Hezekiah Roderick, o member o
T the last Board, being interrogated, SAT-
= that the books were so scratched aDt
I scribbled over, that they were not fit Il
be sent to the polls.
: Mr.. Lebbeus Etchisop, an important
y witness, it was said, could not b'
!. found The jury were nearly unani
NOUS for an indictment, but it beiol
late in the day, and Court having ad
ourned and the witnesses not all ex
. amined, we reported to the Judge &C
coIdingly, who discharged US without
our being able to finish our work.
Messrs. Joseph D. Holmes and Wash
ington Spangler, members of the Grand
Jury, say:
| Mr.. Fayman, acting as Clerk of the
Board of registration, testified that the
books were sealed and locked up ready
for sending to the respective townships,
, and Mr.. Underdonk came and demand.
ed the books. He (Mr. Fayman) asked
him where he got his authority, and
Mr.. Underdonk replied by saying, "pll
have the books" and also threatened
to put him in Jail.
The testimony Of Mr.. Underdonk was
that they were not the proper parties
to have the books. He was asked If
they were not the proper Board Of reg
istration, and he answered, eyes" The
question was then asked, "Why did you
demand the booksp He answered by
saying they were all drunk. He there
fore took the books home and locked
them mp.
The testimony of Mr.. Traypor was
that he could not answer the questions
without committing himself,
The testimony Of Mr.. Roderick was
that he had his commission in his pock-
ct with the Governors Dame signed.
He was asked, "Who gave you your
commissioDp He answered, 81 hardly
know, but I've got it," He was asked
if the books were sealed up when he
got them. He would rot answer the
question, but replied that they wore so
blotted he could not make any thing out
of them. He further stated that the
books he sent out to the respective
townships were the books that he re.
1 Tha nla oh nI
whether Mr.. Washington Molar's name
was on the book when he received it.
He answered that it was not; that
neither Mr.. w. Molar's nor Mr.. Dukes
ever should be. am member of the
Board and intend to remain one.
The testimony of Mr.. Hawn was that
he was a member of the Board of regis
tration and still remained 30. The
question was asked of Mr.. HawD, "What
do you know about tho books ~ He
answered that they were signed aud
sealed and ready to be sent out to the
respective townships the next morning.
The question was asked, "Was Mr.. w.
! Molal's name on the registry books ~;
He answered, Yes; l put it on" He
was asked the question, "Did you see
the books at the eleetiOnT He an
swered, II only saw two" "Were they
the same books that you helped to sign
and sealp He answered, "They were
not" The question was asked, "Were
you drunk when the books were signed
aud sealedp He answered, 81 was as
drunk as am now; l never was drunk
but once in my life
The above testimony leads me to in
quire first, were the parties, ROderick
and Underdonk, properly authorized to
take possession of the books after they
were made upi Mr.. Underdonk, al
though formerly q member ofthe Board,
was not one when he aided in seizing
the books. The records in the Govern
or's office show that his successor was
appointed September 18th, 1869. But
had Roderick an official right to con-
troll of the booksi Roderick, in his tes
timony before the Grand Jury says that
he had commission from the Governor
as a member of the Board, but on No
vember 25th, 1869, the records in the
Governors office bore no evil
deuce of his appointment. On
that day the Governors book
showed that Messrs. Hawn, Etchison
and TIaynor composed the Board. But
for all this, it is not to be denied that
Roderick received his commission be-
fore he aided in seizing and altering
the books of the Eoaid. l have since
ascertained and now state that blank
commission was sent to certain parties
in Jefferson county, just before the
election, and that Roderick's name was
then filled in and he was commissioned,
not by the Governor, but by another
person to whom the power was dele
gated. 1t is clear to my mind why the |
Governors record on November 25th
bore no proof of this appointment. The
Executive had not then been inform |
ed who had been commissioned by his
deputy. Since that time, l find,
the information has reached him
and the record has been amended and
dated back to cover all contingencies.
But have in my possession letter
dated November 25th, from the present
Clerk of the House, Informing me that
after examining the Executive journal,
he found the history of the Beard of
registration in Jefferson county for the |
year 1869, to be as follows:
September 15th-W. B. Chambers ap- |
pOlnI60 CtCc OuuoIuOuk, lTAyuOT anu
Turner Reconnaissance.
October llth-J. z. Hawn appointed
vice Turner.
October l5th-Etchison appointed
rice Chambers.
Hswn, Traynor and Etchison were
therefore the Board. There is no men,
ton of Roderick, who says under oath
that he had q commission signed by the
Governor, given him he knew not by
whom. The amendment in the Execu-
tive Joui nal referred to, confirms his
testimony and show that other persons
besides the Governor were concerned in
the commissioning of Roderick and that
the Executive did not know who had
been commissioned until loug after the
election was over.
The testimony of James Stephenson
before the Grand Jury in question, was
that he was registrar for Bolivar town.
ship, that the book for that township
nayer reached him and that he was in.