Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-06-26
THE HER AID
A NEW BALLOT BOX.
A Contrlvanee which Makes BailOt.BoX Stuff
ing impossible.
anon lhs nrookIIa az. Y Edo


Yesterday, by the inventor ballot
box which has been patented in
England and the United States and |
which is now being brought to the
attention Of the authorities Of states
md cities. By the application of
tNo simple principles, which will be
explained, absolute safety against |
the opening of tina ballot-box, except
by the authorized parties, has been
secured, Nobody can get into the
box without leaving the plainest
evidence of violence to betray himself
behind him, and the collision Of an
impossible number Of persons is nee.
essary to effect an entrance to it, be-
side which every one of them would
betray himself in the effort This
invention does not, Of course, pre-,
vent fraud But it requires any
fraud perpetrated to be done either
before tho ballots 60 into the box
or after they come out-in the
counting of the votes. Frauds Of
that kind are preventibIo by vigil
lance. The kind which has been
nearly always successful when
committed, has had to do with
stuliing the ballot boxes, for which
end they have been opened with
duplicate keys. Access TO the con-
tents of this ballot-box is obviously
impossible, as we will show; so the
chances TO commit the kind Of fraud
known as ballot-box stuffing is out
Of the question.
Let us explain. The box is now
exhibited is Of sheet iron, tho mater.
ial easiest for transportation. The
boxes can DO made, however, of
glass, or e any material thought
beat The box is an ordinary cube
in form, the top side being the lid.
which fits down close and tight, like
the lid Of teakettle. Internal
shoulders run up from all sides to the
top Of the lid. On the front side the
lid slopes, and on tho slope are the
very simple but perfectly secure
fastening. Upon this incline which
tho lid makes il 4 sliding panel shut
ting with a catch, and oponablo bv
provision on the handle Of the key.
When tho panel il released or slide
from its position covering the key.
hole, square Of thin glass, about
soven, oights Of an inch by ono-six-
tconth thick, IL slipped into q "snug,"
which accurately fits. The panels
(there arc three) are thon shot back,
AZ once fixing themselves and the
~ Ia 80.
the keys in the locks without smash-
ing the seals all to pieces, and flaw
In any one would show that tamrer-
ing had been attempted. If these.
seals were imitabe, their likes could
ho substituted but they are inimita-
HE, and are rendered 20 by the fus-
ion Of red aud white glass blown in
70 shoots OF panos. On each sheet.
whi!o in fresh state, is spread
papor, asphaltum is applied TO the
glass surface. Ii eats away of the
red glass, pretty much all, except
whore the devices are penciled.
Those it leaves intact in red, with
here and there separate, eccentric
streak OF red, different in every case.
These svuares are thon cut by dia>
m0nd and become the seals. The
seals are photographed, and while
tho same processes gone through
With would not produce any such
seals at all, the photographs Of them
preserve thoir resemblance intact.
These photographs are posted in
blank books, and ono book each con-
tanning the seals on each box at a
polling place is given to tho officers
OF election, TO each candidate or TO
the representative of each commit,
zee. Every book>holder thus be-
comes check on all the rest. If
the seals are smashed that shows. If
the seals are changed each book
shows. And without smashing the
seals no human being can got into
the box except by breaking the en-
tire thing all to pieces. The panels
thus covered by the seals faston the
It'd and box together by screw on
the inside, just as the knives of
Iackplain are screwed together.
MIR. Horny Marston, the patentee.
aud resident of Washington,
though citizen Of this state, patent.
81 tbs arrangement in England last
spring. Ho took the box to the Of
lieo OF the London Times in tho fall.
That paper stipulated in advance.
m noticing the box, that it should
To given over in the custody of ex-
perts whom it picked for three
months, to 500 is they could get in
sldo the box without breaking the
seals Two hundred and fifty pounds
were put in side ~ an Incentive.
The experts tried for time spocif.
cd, and could not broak the seals.
and could not make others Just like
them tor substitution. On Decem-
Der g. last year, the Times stated
those facts in an exceptional and
quite favorable article upon tho in
vontion. Since then the box has
boon patented in the British Empire
and the United States, and has been
exhibited TO the authorities of sever.
a. cities and of tho District of Cot
umbla, securing from all attestation
OF It's complete security and admira-
ton for its simplicity Its general
introduction, indeed its compulsory
adoption by law, is only question
OF time, because it entirely neutral
ICES baIiot-bOx stufing, and by 40
much is about the best aid to pure
poIitlck and free government which
mechanical genius has yet supplied
TO the world.
ITALIAN SLAVES IN THE IJNrrFn
STATFs.-A seeminplv authentic AZ.