Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-02-19
OF FRAUD!
HOW THE FUSIoN1sTs
STOLE A SENATOR N LINCOLN
COUNTY +!
A Beginning Of the unrayelling
OF the Plot to
STEAL A STATE!

Mr.. Hale's investigating committee conf
menced their serious business Tuesday night,
and took testimony which convinc;ngly shows
the manner in which Gov. Gsrcelon and Coun-
ell stole the Senator from Lincoln county.
The committee is now in possession Of all
the returns upon which the Governor and
Council based their count. Sawyer, who
claimed to be Secretary of State under the
Fusionists, delivered up the returns for Sem
ators and Representatives, and the county re-
turns have recently been found, as we have
already stated. The committee have also pos
session Of the tabulations made up by Garce-
Ion and Council in finishing their count. Mr..
Bisbee, the committees clerk has been for
hunting up the evidences of the fraud and
conspiracy. Tuesday night he brought be-
fore the full committee the case of the SEN
atorial returns from Lincoln county. The
the entire Senatorial vote discloses these
facts: The republican candidate for Senator
in Lincoln county. was Andrew X. G. Smith.
and the fusion candidate, Isaac T. Hobson.
shown by the tabulation, was 2G09. The
democratic vote was 24+G, giving Smith
majority Of 1863. Gov. Garcelon and Coun-
Gil threw out Smiths entire vote in Noble
b0rO, 40 in number, because the Clerks re-
turn gave these votes to Andrew X. c. Smith.
But this still left Smith elected over Hobson,
by % majority. Another town was needed to
secure the election of Hobson, and the COM
mittee Tuesday night found ont how it was
got. The witnesses before the committee
were the selectmen of the town of Somer-
vile, and the Town Clerk The tabrlations
show that as at first made up, Andrew r. G.
Smith was credited with - votes from Somer-
vile, and Isaac L. HObson with 81. But the
~ has been erased, leaving blank, and the
~ votes are carried out in another column
and given to Andrew A. X. Smith, and this
would elect Mr.. Hobson by 43 majority, and
under this he was certificatcd, took his seat,
and acted in the fusion Senate. The testi-
mOny of the Selectmen and the Town Clerk
show up the whole proceeding. The original
return Of the Senatorial vote in Somerville
was made up in open town meeting
by the Clerk, and it gave the
y votes cast for Andrew r. G. Smith, which
is the proper name of the republican candi-
date. The Clerk himself so testified, and
another witness testified that he saw the re-
turn made up. and called attention to the
fact that DIR. Smiths name was correctly re-
turned The Clerk testified that he delivered
this return. with that of the other officers
voted for in the town, on, the day succeeding
the September election into the Office of the
Secretary Of State in person. The return
upon which the Governor and Council acted
shows clearly that the votes were cast for
Andrew A. r. Smith. This return is entire
" in the handwriting of Bowler, the town
Clerk. and he was summoned to explain the
substitution. He is a man whose politics
have been ''mixed,' voting sometimes one
way, and sometimes another. but Is an inti-
mate social and business friend Of the noto-
rious Capt Black, Who beaded the armed
fusion guard Mt the State House. He testified
when confronted with the substituted return,
that it was in his handwriting. and that
the signatures of all the Seectmen
were made by him without authority. This
was confirmed by the selectmen themselves,
who alsn testified to the facts. Bowler was
an unwilling witness. but on being pushed by
both republican and fusion members OF the
committee, confessed the following facts
About the middle of December, and just pri
or to the counting out by Gov. Garcelon and
his council, he received from Augusta blank
return for senatorial votes for the town of
Somervlllc. to be filed out and returned,
with letter of instructions accompanying.
He declined to show the letter of instructions
to the committee, or to give the name OF the
marty signing it, claiming that he had mis-
laid the letter. and had forgotten the NAME Of
the person signing it. But on pressure from
the committee he admitted that the letter had
an official heading, like others shown to him
coming from the Secretary OF State, and that
it was from Augusta. He testified that he
was at his house when he received the letter
with the blank return. that he sat down at
once with the book of the town records, with
the letter which he had received, before him,
and filed up the blank return, signing the
names of all the Selectmen. though neither
was present and neither of them
knew Of the transaction. The page of the
town record which was open before him.
as he SAYS. when he made out the second re-
turn, shows plainly that the ~ republican
votes for Senator were given for Andrew X.
G.. Smith, but the return so made up at that
time, and in that manner, in the handwriting
of Bowler. shows with equal planness that
Smith, and il is upon this return that the
count was finally made up, and the certificate
given BY Garcelon and Council to Isaac T.
HObson.
The appearance of the witness was bad.
Both republican and fusion members of the
committee were convinced that he substituted
the name Of Andrew A. II. Smith for that Of
Andrew X. G. Smith, in accordance with the
letter of instructions received by him from
Augusta. which accompanied the blank, and
that the plot originated there, and not with
Bowler. But Bowler declined to produce
the letter, and in response to all enquiries
persisted that he had mislaid or lost it, but
he admitted that the return on which Smith
was counted out, was made by him in the
manner before described, showing clearly
that whoever was the author of the scheme,
4 fusion Senator from Lincoln county was GER
tilted by the Governor and Council on a sec
ond and substituted return received by them
Is late as the middle of December, after they
had tabulated the returns in favor Of the re-
publican candidate, and that to change the
result they were obliged to change and erase
the figures and tabulations and to substitute
the returns made by Bowler in December,
and to destroy the proper and true returns
delivered BY Bowler into the ONCE on the day
after the September election.
49, AZ 49, <1xSvHru .