Bridgeton pioneer., 1884-12-11

Rep. maj ..1o1 Rep. maj'y.121 Dem maj y .ss54
This 254 apparent majority for the
Democratic candidate for Senator in
the Second precinct of the ward, in the
face of an acknowledged majority of
121 for the Republican candidate for
Governor, gave Brand a plurality of 8
in the Senatorial district. This would
give the Democrats majority in both
branches of the Legislature, and prob
ably result in the election of William
r. Morrison to the United States
Senate
The original figures in the poll book
had evidently been erased and changed
in favor of Brand. A tally sheet was
presented that agreed with the latest
figures on the poll book All the re-
turns, however, including those sent
to the police, bore the signatures of
the poll clerks.
This discovery caused great excite
ment in Chicago. Two of the poll
clerks said that the returns in the poll
book had been changed because the
figures were wrongly entered in the
first place. One of the judges of cleo
tion, however, declared that Leman
had really received 420 votes, and that
the change was fraudulent. A meet
ing of citizens was held. AS the bal
lots had not been destroyed and were
in the keeping of the Democratic
County Clerk, Republicans were de-
tailed to watch them until the case
could be brought before the courts.
The Clerk refused to allow anybody to
see the ballots. They were locked in
the safe in the basement of the Court
House. The indignation of the people
had no effect on the Democratic Board
of Canvassers. That Board decided
on November 22d that it would not 60
behind the face of the returns, and
that the vote would have to stand as
returned on the tally sheet and the
poll book.
This iron-clad decision increased the
popular agitation. On the same day
an application was made before the
United States District Court for an
attachment to compel the County
Clerk to lay the ballots and the poll
list before the Federal Grand jury.
The Canvassing Board and the County
Clerk were summoned before the
Grand Jury and ordered to produce
the ballot box and the poll list, but no
attachment was issued. The County
Clerk appeared before the jury, saving
UllhG ny dCNlCe Vi CouilSel lie u6cllDeU
to produce the ballot box. Meantime
closely watched by detailed Republi-
cans and squad of Carter Harrison's
police. On the following day, Nov. 90,
a great mass meeting of citizens was
held. A committee was appointed to
wait upon Brand and request him not
to take his seat nor countenance
frauds, and measures were taken to
prosecute the alleged perpetrators of
the fraud. One of the poll clerks had
admitted that his signature to the re-
turns laid before the canvassers was a
forgery. Others were kept out of sight
by leading Democrats.
On Nov. 25 United States Circuit
Judge Blodgett issued an attachment
and the County Clerk was forced to
produce the ballots before the Grand
Jury. The ballots were recounted,
and, to the astonishment of everybody,
they agreed with the tally list and poll
book on which the County Board of
Canvassers had based their decision.
One hundred and forty-siX Republican
ballots were found with the name of
Rudolph Brand printed in the place of
the name of Henry w. Leman. This
discovery was made all the moreTas-
tonishing by the fact that, although
only 220 ballots bearing the name of
Leman were found in the box, 1926
citizens living in the district swore that
they voted for him. No respectable
person could be found who had seen
any bogus Republican ticket on the
day OF election, and United States
marshal who had overlooked the
counting on the night of election
swore that he saw no such ballot taken
from the box.
A flag or banner with radiating lines
was printed at the head of the Repub
lican ticket. 1t was neatly and finely
executed. The names of the candi-
dates were printed in peculiar kind
of type made exclusively by Farmer,
Little & Co., in use in not more than
two printing offices in Chicago. The
cut of the flag on the bogus ticket was
coarse and evidently counterfeit.
The Grand Jury began searching