The New York herald., 1875-11-12

BALLOT BOX FRAUDS.

THE RETURNS OF LUZERNE COUNTY TANPERED
WITH THE NIGHT AFTER ELEcTIoN-INDICT-
MENTs FOUND AGAINST THE PRoTHoNoTARY,
HIS cHIRF CLERK AND PETER WALSH.
wILKEsBARRE, Pa, Nov H. 1875.
Election frauds in Luzerne County have become so
and notorious that their annual occurrence
only passing remark. II is now three years
ago when the last notable event in the way Of cheating
the people out OF honest expression OF their will
took place in this quarter, and on that occasion Gen.
eral Harry NJ. Hoyt, tho present chairman OF the
Pennsylvania Republican Executive Committee and
Hon. Iazerus D. Shoemaker, republican candidate
for Congress- figured with considerable prominence 10
being claimed that the election Of the latter gentleman
secured by illegal and the corrupt use OF
money There was considerable exhibition OF popular
indignation and show Of judicial determination 10 bring
the offenders to justice, but nothing came oft Hoyt,
Shoemaker, o. +. Gaines then United States Revenue
Collector at Pittston @. NJ Miller, Receiver,
OF Taxes; James Slocum, Postmaster at Scran-
ton, and other prominent republican pohtcians
in this county were charged with unlawfuly tampering
with electors and were called upon 10 defend themselves
in O JUSTICES court BY some hocus pocus the cases
disappeared from public knowledge and tho
wide meshes OF tho law Two years gave US
quiet elections, and only the minor corruptions,
dcred at But this year the climax Of election frauds
seems TO have reached, and Luzerne county
stands abashed and ashamed al the turpitude mani
tested by her election returns' manipulators.
THE FRAUDS
Under the old regime or return judges alteration OIL
the return could be practsed with impunity, those4
officers having power TO inquire into the legality OF
the records submitted to them By the provisions OF
the constitution, however the returns from alt
the districts the county must be filed In the ofce of
the Prohonoary the day succeeding the election and
thus placed In direct control of the County courts.
This done Wednesday OF last week and II was,
discovered Wednesday morning that the ballot boxes
had been tampered with, their contents altered and
forged documents substituted for the genuine ones BY
this arrangement IL was made to appear that all tho
democratic county officers had been elected The fraud
was two glarng TO escape scrutiny and was once
suspected that the officers In tho Prothonotarys oco
had been guilty Of q most grave crime.
rHR INVESTIGATION.
An investigation held yesterday which resulted
In binding Prothonotary DR.. 8 w. Trimmer. Michael
Gaughan, his Chief Clerk and Peter Walsh In tho,
sum Of $4,000 each for their appearance at
court II clearly proved that the parties
were In tho Prothonotarys oflce nearly all
night Wednesday, the night succeeding the election
and we're the most likely persons TO perpetrae tn0'
frauds To-day the Grand Jury returned true olils'
against thom upon charges or altering, deiacing.
destroying and forging election papers The evidence
Is considered very strong against them ana ~ VIII DO
miracle tf they escape proper punishment Prompk
action OF the Court urged and 10 trusted that az
prompt Justice will be meed out to the Offenders Tho
reign OF political fraud and corruption M fennsylvann
NAV as well find check In Luzerne county As ese-
| where especially when such good material for
sautary example has been furnished right 70 the handa
! Of the Court