Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1884-04-23
COMMUNICATIONS.
A High Handed Outrage--Re-
moving a Ballot Box.

hearQ OF tDe outrage peIpeidleu uP'u
the Republican voters of the I'd ward
of Butler borough, by the bosses" Of
the Greer-Robinson ring, through a
catspaw called Howard Colbert. For
the benefit of every honest man IN the
county | will state what it was. At
the election held on the 5th of April to
elect delegates to the State and Ma
ton Conventions, the election board OF
the I'd ward was composed of Capt.
Samuel Walker acting as Judge, and
G. C. Pillow and Howard Colbert act
ing as clerks
After the vote bad been counted, it
was agreed upon by the Judge and
clerks. in the presence of Alfred Wick,
at whose hotel the election was held,
that the ballot box should be left in
care of Mr.. Wick, and should not be de-
liyered by him unless at least TWO OF
the board should call for it. On Tues
day morning, Sth inst, Howard Col
bert, one of the election board, without
consulting either of the other members,
land knowing that Mr. Wick was
away from home) and with his usually
pompous, contemplate, and cynical
manner walked into the Wick House
and asked Mrs Wick for has box-de-
scribingiit to her-Mrs., Wick not know
/ ing it was the ballot box he wanted
handed him the box described, and
Colbert put it under his arm and went
directly to John Greer's Office with it.
From that time to this it has lot been
seen by any person except the select
few of the "Greer-Robinson ring" No
doubt the cats-paw in this nefarious
transaction was ordered to do what
he did by the "bosses" Of the ring, and
be obeyed the command like faithful
subaltron, thinking todo God service. "
The clerks at said election both had a
list of voters with a number to each
| name to correspond with the number
marked OF the ballot when voted, and
there is no doubt but that the bosses
know how every republican in the End
ward voted on the 5th inst. The list
of names kept by Pillow was inclosed
in the envelope with the tally sheet
and sent into the convention, but the
list written by Colbert was put in the
ballot box and the box was then nailed
shut and banded to Mr.. Wick. Capt,
Walker met Colbert on the street on
Friday the llth and said to him, 'let
us 90 to the Wick House and get The
ballot bor and burn The ballots Col
bert answered: 81 did burn them" Il
was passing there and fearing some one
might 'ake it and open it, got it and
burned the ballots" emay have burn
ed the contents Of the box after the votes
and list OF voters had been compared that
the bosses might know how every man
voted in the End ward We have all
read of the way the ballot box is stuff
ed in some of the Southern States, but
this act of Colbert's YVES an outrage
that throws all ballot box removing into
the shade, and has not been equalled
since IA when this same select crowd
counted out honest votes, cast by hon
est men who ddred to vote as they
thought, and that too, despite the fact
that the lash was applied numerically,
that honest men might be compelled to
vote for a corrupt and dishonest can
didate, and that supplemented with
the free use Of whiskey from Harvey's
distillery, and the corrupt and dishon-
est use made Of the money belonging
to the depositors of the now defunct
National Bank. This year the "bosses"
have neither distillery or National
Bank to fall back on for campaign
fund, and they reach their hands into
the County Treasury and take out the
money placed there by the tax payers
of Butler county, and use it to accom-
plish the purposes of the Greer-Robin-
son ring. / wonder if Howard Col
bert's preceptor advised him that be
(Colbert) would not be violating the
law for the governing Of primary elec-
tions, passed the 29th day Of June 1881.
In the name Of every honest man in
Butler county | protest against this
high handed outrage, and ask that it be
inquired into.
A VOTER.
Since the above was in type we re-
ceived the following from Mr. Colbert.
The two papers will explain themselves.
TO THE PUBLIC.
Having been maligned and slandered
to a great degree with reference to the
destruction Of the ballots Of the End
Ward of the borough Of Butler, voted
at the late Republican Primary Flee
tion, without the least foundation, and
/ might say maliciously, now in order
to set myself as well as others who
have unjustly been brought into con-
nection with the matter, right before
the public, and in the interest Of truth
and right, | submit herewith the affi-
davit OF the true facts Of the case.
W. HOWARD COLBERT.
STATE or PENS'A, 90
Go OF BUTLER DO
Before me the subscriber personally
came w. Howard Colbert who being
by me duly sworn according to law
deposes and says: That he was one
of the board for holding the Republican
primary election for choosing delegates
to the State and National Conventions,
in the 2nd Ward in the borough Of
Butler, which election was held on the
5th day of April last That he was
sworn to perform his duties as were the
other members, in accordance with the
act Of assembly in such cases made and
provided That after the ballots were
counted, tally sheets and certificates
made, the ballots still remaining on the
table, be suggested that something
ought to be done with them, In order
to preserve them until after the Con-
vention met, on the following Monday.
Following his suggestion the ballots
were put in cigar box and the box
fastened by him, and at his suggestion
md By him, they were given to Mr..
Wick, the proprietor Of the Wick
l. IL