Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-12-21
The Facts in the ROekbrldge
Election Case.


The following synopsis Of the es-
sential facts established by the evil
dence in the Standardization case
from Rockbridge Of Frazier and Lady
against Leech and Dunlap is furnished
us by a legal friend, who had occasion
to examine into and sift the case;
The volumiOous testimony laid be-
fore the House of Delegates in the
contestcd-election case from Rock
bridg county of J. A. Frazier ard j.
B. Lady VS.. w. B. f. Leech and R.
X. Dunlap, the sitting members. clear
" establishes that the election held
in s:id county of Rockbridge on the
Sth ofNovember last for delegates to
the House was a full, free, aud fair
election; that the conduct of the judges
and clerks conducting said election
was above reproach; that all said
Judges and clerks were duly sworn
according to law save at Rockbridge
Baths aud Smiths Mill, at both Of
which precincts majorities were given
for Frazier and Lady, and cuonted in
their behalf by the County Board of
Canvassers; that no irregularities or
omissions occurred at any Of the pre-
cincts which intertered with the fairr
ness snd fulIness of the election, or
which were no. amendable, or which
should not have been corrected by the
County Board; that the polls of the
precincts Of Campbells's Mill and the
Natural Bridge should not have been
rel ected by the County Board, but
that the Irregularities at said precincts
shonld have been allowed to be cor
rected and said polls counted in just
tice to the voters of Rockbndge; that
had this boen done the majority on
the whole poll Of the county of Leech
over Frazier would have been sixty
eight (GS) and the majority of Dun
lap over Lady eighty-seven (S7) in
stead of thirty.seyen CD for Leech in
the one csse and fifty three (53} for
Dunlap in the other, as reported and
certified by the County Board in
awarding them the seats. The preteu-
sion of Frazier and Lady that the
poll at Hartsook's shop should be
rejected by the House because the
polls were not opened there until three
honrs after sunrise is sustained neither
in law nor equity, inasmuch as it Is
distinctly proven that the delay. which
was occasioned by the absence Of
clerks, did not cause the loss of q
single vote to Frazier auG Lady, nor
to any one else, but that all the legal
voters who appeared there that day
voted and that the poll was an
unusually large one.
II lurtber appears that the claims OF
the contestants (Frazier aud Lady,
based upon the alleged admission OF
illegal and rejection Of legal votes to
their prejudice at some of the polls, are
ONLY established as follows; Ills proven
that at Lexington eight cadets and
five students, thirteen III all. voted Tor
Leech aud Dunlap. AT Cedar Hill
from fifteen TO twenty railroad haDds
are said BY one illierate witness 10
bave intended to vote for Frazier and
LADY. and that they were rejected, but
he chairman 0: tbs Readiuster County
Committee. iesifyiug to the same point
SAYS abJut fifteen .transtera we're his
hi, hands scr railroad labOrers, but that
h. did not kns5e .or Shom they would
lave voted ifadmitted, nor if there tie
lea.t PARTICLE OF evidences 10 ,n"" ihal
lley were legal voters. At HaitsooN
.ho, from, Twelve 10 seventeen Railroad
hands are ptoyoa to have been refused
n4rmis.ioa To- vote, but thcrc IS again
rot q particle Of evidence 10 shc" loI
whom they would have voted, Tor tHa'
they were LEGAL voters. Il IS proven
that eighteen or twenty employees OF The
} furnace or railroad near Goshen votet
At Goshen on election.day, bat there
is no evidence tending 10 show no"
more than five Of them vO.cd' Three
lof these are said 10 have voted the
Democratic-COuseryatiye ticket. two
lotheis OF them are supposed TO nave
done so. AZ they were working tJr 'ha
licke,. hit it IS nowhere shown tia
these men were not legal voters, or tina
the, were improperly admitted to vote
IAtFairGeld it is proven that six voi e'
were cast i,r Frszier and Lady on trans
fers to Augusta county, and were there
fore clearly ills-ai.
On tie point ofbribery ami rni!mlda
ton fought to te established by The
contestants iu ogder to yitiate the cleo
lion, there is not one word oi evidence
to conuccL in au, manner, directly 81
iudrcutlr, Leech and Dunlap With any
such transaction. The dispositions o
some fourteen witnesses. geueiaill
utterly illiterale mea. we're taken o,
this loiut-of these, ten actually voted
for Frazer and Lady. two did not vote
at all. aud It does not appear "helhei
the remaining tNo did or did rot vote
but lt does not appear that any one o