Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-12
THE RICHLAND CASES.
TESTIMONY FOR THE GOVERN
MENT BEGUN.
Alleged Use OF Tissue BaIIOts-A
Specimen Deputy Marshal
Another Special Attorney Sent
Down.

CHARLESTON, April lin the United
States Circuit Court to-day, Judge Bond
presiding, the case of the United States
against Bates and others, manager and clerk
of the election at Acton precinct, Richland
county, at the election of 1880, was resumed.
Before going into the testimony the District
Attorney stated the case to the jury, and
read and explained the several counts Of the
information. The charges, in brief, he said,
were that the defendants at Acton precinct,
with intent to affect the election and the re-
suit of it, disobeyed the law Of the United
States in their conduct of the cleo
obstructed and hindered, and neglect
ed to assist the United States Super
visor In the discharge of his duty, in that
they did not open the ballot box and in
spect it, or allow the Supervisor to inspect
it, to see that it was empty; in that they
placed, or caused to be placed in the box,
and suffered tc remain In said box, num-
Der of tissue ballots, which had not been
voted by any legally authorized voter on
that day; that they did it knowingly and
with intent to affect the election by having
said tissue ballots counted In place of
genuine ballots voted by legally authorized
voters.
The examination of witnesses for the
prosecution then began. j. W. Scott, of
Richland, was the first examined, and pro-
duced ballot box given to him by the
Deputy Clerk of the courC for Richland
county, as the Acton box. NJ. G. Robertson,
chief clerk of the Secretary of State was
next examined, and produced the papers
pertaining to the election at Acton precinct,
filed in the Office of the Secretary of State
Addison j. Forrest, United States Marshal
at Acton precinct on the day of cleo
tion and Hugh P. Kane, United States
Supervisor at the same, both testified that
the managers upon request of the Super
visor opened the box in the morning before
the voting began, but did not open it wide,
that the election proceeded quietly all day,
and that when the box was opened sixty
eight more ballots were found in the box
than there were names on the poll list;
that the managers, In accordance with the
State law, drew out the excess from the
box through the medium of the clerk, who
was blindfolded, and destroyed them Both
of these witnesses testified that they had
seen strings sticking to the lid OF the box
when 1t was opened and claimed, and that
the box produced In court was not the box
which had been used at the election. Kane
oG cross examination testified that he came
to this country from Ireland in 1867 with
his mother; that he came to South Carolina
as the body servant of Ex-Governor Frank
lin j. Moses; that he mad never been
paturalfzed; that he had nevertheless taken
the oath as United States Supervisor and
voted at Acton on the day OF election in
1880.
At the conclusion OF Kane's testimony the
court adjourned until 10 o'clock to morrow
morning.
PHILADELPHIA, April 11.-W. W. Ker,
special assistant TO the Attorney General,
will start tomorrow morning, by direction
of Mr.. Brewster, for South Carolina, to take
part in the election fraud trials. He does
not know what particular work he is TO do