The daily gazette., 1877-09-26
FIRST EDITION!
The Eighth Ward Contest.
THE VOTES OPENED AND COUNTED
BY COUNCIL-WM W. SIMMONS 81
DECLARED ELECTED .,'f5

DECLARED ELECTED. ~
The City Council held special meet |
ing last evening, President LIchtenstein
in the chair, for the purpose of deciding
the contest of VIM. W. Simmons, Repub.
lican candidate for Inspector in the |
Eighth Ward, against the election of
Taylor Gill, Democrat. All the members
were present.
The chair stated the object of the meet
ing, and the grounds of the protest, and |
hoped that the verdict Of Council, what |
ever 1t might be, would be unanimous.
At the suggestion of Mr.. Taylor, the
petition Of Mr.. simmons was read,
Mr.. Baker moved that the Inspector
and Assistants who held the election in
the Eighth Ward ON the 4th instant, be
called before Council and examined in
relation to the count of the ballots.
Adopted. p ~
Mr.. Paynter called for the reading of
section % OF the city charter which was
read by the Clerk. 1t provides the man
ner and form in which election contests
shall be decided by the City Council.
Walter Cummins, Esq, then arose and
stated that he represented the respondent
in this contest, but Mr.. johnson promptly
raised the point of order that he had no
right TO speak at that time.
The chair declared the point well
taken.
Mr.. Paynter moved that Mr.. Cummins
be heard.
Mr.. Baker thought the subject was one
for Council to determine, and that no
lawyers were needed to tell the members
what to do.
Mr.. Taylor thought it was proper in all
contests or investigations for the parties
to be represented by counsel if they de-
sired.
After Sine further discussion Mr..
Paynter's motion was lost by strict
party vote, as folio ws:
| Yeas-Messrs. Guthrie, Hazlett, Knight
Lynch, Maxwell, Norton, Paynter, Tay-
lor, Townsend-9.
Nays-Messrs. Adams, Baker, Chandler,
Conrad, Davis, Downing, Evans, John
son, Jones, Price and President Lichten-
stein--11.
George W. Hepbron, the Inspector of
) election in the Eighth Ward, was then
called, and was qualified by Esquire
O'Neil.
The witness was questioned by Mr..
Baker, and testified substantially to the
following effect.
That at the recent election held in the
( Eighth ward, there were certain ballots
cast containing the name of Joseph W.
, Wells for Inspector, and that these bal
lots were counted for Taylor Gill, the
) Democratic candidate. These tickets
; were Democratic splits, with the name
of Francis Vincent for City Treasurer
e and also had the names of the Inspector
and Assistant transposed, the former
where the latter ought to be and utce
cersd. Witness said there were about
o three of these tickets, and that none OF
! the election officers objected to their be-
: ing counted in accordance with the evi-
nent desire Of the persons voting them
Also that he wanted to count them as
9 cast, but Mr.. McAllister, the Republican
!, Assistant, proposed to count them fol
d Mr.. Gill, r....f. ~rt.t5f.f
Mr.. McAllister was next sworn, ant
, testified that several split Inspectors ticl
d cts were voted, and that he proposed tC
: count them exactly as cast, but the 9th
q ers objected and said there was no use il
q doing so. Witness said that Mr.. Hep
P. born told him there were three of those
70 tickets, and then he asked the clerk how
J. the vote stood. The clerk said five ma
e iaority for the Democrats and witnes!
then thought the three votes " ould maxi
no difference in the result. The mex
,r afternoon witness saw the result of the
vote in the newspapers, noticed it Wa'
close, and then began to think there wa
more than three OF the doubtful ticket
voted. He thought the election was a
fair and peaceful as any ever witnessed
~ ~ Thomas DonneIly, the Democratic AS
slstant, was next sworn and testified tina
he put all the tickets back into the bo
as they were counted.
s, VIM. II. Foulk, Clerk of Council, tes
80 tilted that the box had been kept in hi
er Office since the election, and had not, t
the best of his knowledge, been tampel
ed with.
Then, on molten of Mr.. Baker, Cour
Gil proceeded to open the box and II
count the votes.
Messrs. Baker and Paynter were al
%, pointed tellers and Messrs. Windle an
a. Maxwell clerks. .,
" After counting all the ballots, the tel
10, ers and clerks reported the following
40 the result:
VS. For VIM. W. Simmons, "a
,v For Taylor Gill, ~
y For Joseph w. Wells,
p For James NJ. Watson,
NJ. Blank,
The report was unanimou sly adoptes
"a Mr.. Baker then moved that VIM. "
ao Simmons be declared elected, by the PR
visions of the city charter, Inspector
election in the Eighth ward, Thirteent
Ok lz Election Districe Adopted unanimous
Sc, ly by yea and nay vote.
Messrs. johnson and Norton were al
oS pointed committee to return and r
seal the box.
3s, Adjourned.