The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-12-17
The Pecf. i'm the ROckbridge Election
Case.

The Facts i'm the ROcLbridge Election
Case.
The following synopsis OF the essential
facts established by the evidence in the
contested-election case from Rockbridge OF
Frazier and Lady against Leech and Dun
Ian is furnished us by legal friend, who
had occasion to examine into and silt the
case
The yolumnous testimony laid before
tbc House OF Delegates in the contested
election case from Rockbridge county Of j.
A Frazier and J. b. Lady rs. w. b. +.
Tepch and II. X. Dunlap, the sitting mem
bors. clearly establishes that the election
held in said county OF ROckbridge on the
Sth Of November last for delegates to the
House was q full, free, and fair election;
that the conduct Of the judges and clerks
conducting said election was above re-
proach /; that Ill said Judges and clerks
were duly sworn according to law save nj
Rockbridgc Baths and ut Smiths Mill, at
both OF which precincts maiorities were
Given for Frazier and Lady, and counted in
their behalf by the County Board OF Can
yassers: that no Irregularities or omissions
occurred at any OF the precincts which in
tcrfered with the fairness and fullneSS OF
the election, or which were notamcndablc,
or which should not have been corrected
by the County Board that the polls Of the
precints OF Campbell's Mill and the Natu-
raj Bridge should not have been rejected
by the County Board. but that the
irregularities at said precincts should have
been allowed to he corrected and said polls
counted i'm Justice 10 the voters OF Rock
bridge: that bad this been done the ma
ioritv on he whole poll OF the county Of
Iccch over Frazier would have been SIXTY
cigEt 0GSl, and the majority OF Dunlap over
LADY eightu-Seuen (S0 instead Of thirty
seven an for Leech i'm the one case and
fffy-Mree lj3l for DunlaD in the other, as
rcported and certified 10y the County Board
in awarding them the seats. The preten-
sion - Frazier and Lady that the poll at
IIartsoobs shop should be rejected by the
House because the polls were not opened
there until three hours after sunrise Il sus-
famed neither in law nor equity, inasmuch
as il is distinctly proven that the delay.
which was occasioncd 10y the absence OF
clerks. did not cause the loss Of a single
vote TO Frazier and Lady. nor to any one
else. but that all the legal voters who az
negred there that day voted, and that the
poll was an unusually large one.
II further appears that the claims Of the
/ contestants QraZier and Lady,, based upon
the alleged admission OF illegal and rclec-
/ ton Of legal votes TO their prejudice at
some OF the polls, are only established rs
follows: Ii i proven that At Lexington
eight cadets and five students, thirteen IN
/ all. voted for Lccch and Dunllp. AT Cedar
/ hin from fifteen TO twenty railroad hands
arc said by one illitcratc witness 10 have
! intended 10 vote for Frazier and Lady, and
that they were rejected, but the chairman
/ of the Rcadjustcr County Committee,
tcstiiying 10 the same point, says about
fifteen transfers were in his hands for rail-
road laborprs. but that he did not i11OU for
whom they would have voted il admitted,
nor !. there the least particle OF evidence 10
show that they were legal voters. At Hart
( socks shop from twelve TO seventeen rail-
road hands are proven 10 have been re-
fused permission TO vote, but There IL
again not particle OF evidence 10 snow
for whom they would have voted, nor tnat
they were legal voters. 1t l. proven
that cighteen OF twenty employees OF
the furnace or railroad near Goshen Noted
ot Goshen on electiOn-day, but there Is no
evidence tending 10 show how more thah
FIVE Of them voted. Three OF these are
said 70 have voted the Democratic-Conser-
yative ticket. two others OF them are sup
nosed TO have done 20, rs they were WORK.
inc for that ticket, butt is nowhere shown
,bat these men were not legal voters, or
that they were improperly admitted TO
vote. Al Fairfield it is proven that SIX
votes were cast for Frazier and Lazy on
transfers 10 Augusta county, ana were
therefore clearly Illegal.
ON the point Of bribery and intimidation
sought to he established 10y the contestants
in order to yitiate the election, there Is not
one word OF evidence 10 connect IN any
manner. directly or indirectly, Lecch ana
Dunlan with any such transaction. Inc
dono.itions OF some fourteen witnesses,
Generally utterly iiteratc men. were taken
on this point-of these, ten actually Noteu
for Frazier and Lady, two did not vote al
all. and IL does not appear whether me re-
NAMING two did or did not vote, but II does
ndf apDear that any one OF them Noted lOi
Dunlap or Leech. a.,
Conceding, then, that the votes OF inc
thirteen students and cadets were lilegan!
cast for Leech and Dunlap, although The
WEIGHT of authority would seem to show
that AZ least seven OF them from virginia
were legal voters. and without taking any
account Of the six illegal votes east nj Far
ccId for Frazier and Lady, the said Leecl
and Duulap were undoubtedly elected
ofter deducting the votes Of the students
and cadets-by majority OF not less thaI
twenty-four votes in the case OF Leeeh ana
sortv in the case Of Dunlap, even rejecting
the Campbelrs Mill and Natural Brldg'
precincts, which should not be rejected.
Since the above was written the head
busters. by a strict party vote, have un,
seated Leech and Dunlap, and this they dc
by rejecting the vote at Hartsooks shop
on the ground OF the lateness OF the houl
at which the polls were opened, although
il was proven, as above stated, that not
vote was lost there on election-day TO any
one.