New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-22
EXPOSURE OF THE MINE FRA UDS.

EUGENE HALE REVIEWS THE RESULTS or THE IN
vEsTlGAuNG COMMITTEES wORK-DECEPTIoNs
AND FoRGERIES WHICH WERE CLEARLY EsTAB-
IIsnrD
Eugene Hale, of Maine, is in the city with
| his family, on hrs way South He Is somewhat worn
down by the hard work Of fighting and exposing the
conspiracy steal tie Government Of his state. and
intends TO take advantage OF the interval between the
adj 1ournment of the Maine Legislature and the active
opening of the Presidential campaign 10 recuperate a
iue. lie goes. with his wife and children. to sdyan
nah by scu, and viii probably make Aiken, c. his
resting place. His report the Fusion conspiracy was
completed and presented before the Legislature ad-
10urned Friday last. In conversation with repre-
sent tive OF THE TRIBUNE at the Fifth Avenue Hotel.
Yesterday Mr Hale reviewed the principal points devel
oped b. the investigating committee. and spoke OF the
amusing appearance OF ignorance and astonhmcnt
sumed by Governor Gircclon. when confronted w the
undenabe evidences Of erasures, alterations and bare
faced forgcrcs III the returns.
"Dd you come to the conclusion" Mr.. Hale was
asked. "tnat the frauds deliberately planned IN
advance and the work OF the master mind u
MY belief ~ that the Fusion leaders first thought
they could count the Republican majority tcchui
cal points, where thev could claim, as Garcelon tried 20
do for time, that they Oaly executing the law,
but that, finding this not practicsbc and getting
more desperate they progressed with their undrrtak
ing they fnaly grew reckless and determined 10 stop
al nothing TO secure their ends There was no doubt
uqster-mnd on side the Governor aud Council pushing
them orward-I refer 10 Pilspury; but DO not know
that any one member Of the body which manipulated
the returns ought to assigned the rank OF chief VII
lain In fact. fraIds Of such varied nature
that they sugges' q variety of intellectual effort"
Some Of the Democratic papers suggest that the
erasures additions and forgercs may have been made
after your c0mEittee got he returns IN oGcr u Justify
your charges
These papers may think that suggestion shrewd
dodge but tIcy forget that we have the tabuatlons
made by the Coancil aud that they agree with the
altered returns and that cdtcs issued based
upon the result OF these alterations. such talk s
,u ri.c. some OF the cxpcdients TO which Glrccon
his Council rcsortc1 to manufacture Fusion majority
IN the Legislature amazing for their lack Of decent
consistency and the utter recklessness. For example,
they laid down rule that when initial used in
stead the fun first name of candidlte on portion
Of the tickets such tickets should be counted II
for another THIS they applied to the Republican
candidates, bu' refused TO apply 10 the Fusion candi
dates The course pursued III regard %
trnng errors lii names Thus in oxford County Of
tle Republican candidates for Senator Francis w.
Rodlon, and In the town Of Hanover the Repubhcau
vote AS shown bv the return for Francis W. Red
ioud The Governor aud Council refused to CONT the
vote for Mr. RedOn AM he lost the OF the town.
But in Lincoln Plantation In the same county while the
Fusion candidate Charles Rankns. the vote Of the
plantation was thrown for Charles Rankin, aud the
Gov,ruOr ard Council tabuatcd and counted 10 for
Charles Rankms. In Cumberland County one Of The
Fusion candidates for senator was Isaac T. Qmmby. bat
Inc Ncw-G gloucester and Raymond vote thrown for
Lane T. Q uuby. The Governor and Council tabua,cd
,,d .ru,,trd tho vote for Isaac f. Ouimby. while IN
Arao,took County, where III the Ashland Dstncl John
Burnnam was The IcpuD can candidate for the Legis-
9iuIe and The vote Of Ashland was returned for John
Burnam, the Governor and Council refused TO abuialc
II Tor john Bulnbam
"Wnat did Gdrcclon say when you questioned him
obouf tnese pef foruancesi'
:" put the cases of Qdiinhy and Burnlam to him. his
eXcusc that he dd not know any family IN the stale
by the of Quinby, he ordered all The votes tabu
lated Tor Qoimby but he knr" there were BuInams ns
wei Bnrnlams ~ he STATE 50 he directed the srp&
ration OF the vo;c. VIII give you one more example Oi
the way they disregarded their rules. They had n
that the returns must be signed by elch OF the town
officers individually Under tins rule, because The sig
paiurea Oh the return from NewShdrOn bore some re-
scmbance to each other ihe return was e)erted and
although The town officers Forwarded am taNs cstab
saing the that each officer had written his s
nature. Republican repIrSent1tiVe was thrown out
In ~ town OF SomciVic, in Lincoln County, where
the signatures o. all the scltclmcn and the town clerk
arc ptlny aud undeuidby IN the handwriting Of the
town clerk and when the town clerk tcstihcs that nc
Fnsl0n majority Of eleven and Senator depended Oh
that vote the return was received ana ana upon
II certificate issued Isaac T. IObsOn, the FusOn>t
candidate"
Will You give me one two examples OF the for
One of rbeir trcs was 10 alter the middle initial Of
Republican candidates names on portion OF Tue re-
turns ana then count alterations II they were
returns another person. Thus III the Rcprcsentn
tive return from Hancock the letter r. IN the name OF
Oliver l.. Bracdon changed TO b. In the Senatorial
return from Berwick the H. In the OF George II.
Wakefield was converted into an A. These alterations
we're made with different kind Of ink from that used
in the Original returns and the clerks who made the
turns swOre the made after they left
their hands II would weary you to hear repetition of
AL The frauds discovered AT the last minute when
we thought had TO the bottom OF the business
we found that Republican Representative had been
counted by false footing in the abulaed return OF
about TWO hundred trck sOsimple that had
Neglected to look for H."
We're there any Fusionist members OF your Tnvcsti
eating COmmiteeP
o.. Yes there were two-Mr. ingalls, and Mr. Hill"
What did they say TO the facts developed r.
"They made a minority report, IN winch they said
that hey could deny that the facts IN the majority
report were substantially Ia accordance with the evil
Tence out that they unwilling to give their assent
20 al our arguments and conclusions. They presented
no conclusions their Own, however They regret in
their report the members OF the Council did
IN 10 appcar before the committee invited to do
so and they say explain the irregularities which
seem TO exist"
We're YOU able 10 Ak the fraudulent tampeTing with
returns lpOn any more members OF the COuncP e.
No: we traced them 10 the Council Chamber. Who
did the work inside were not able 10 establish"
.sWlll the matter be pursued In the courts ~
81 think tuere will be trials for the purpose OF
bringing out testimony though IN the present state Of
uoliilcal feeling 1uries VIII probably disagree"
What Will be the effect OF the exposure on the