The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-12-04
ALLEGED FRAUD.
What Federal jury Pretend to have
Found Out in Chicago

What a Federal jury Pretend to have
Found Out in Chicago.
CHICAGO, Dec. !2.-In the Leman-
Brand case the federal grand jury this
afternoon returned formal report
coversng the investigation thus far
made by it with respect to alleged
frauds IN the sixth district. The re-
port declares that an examination of
the poll looks and tally sheets, how
evidence of fraud. From examination
of the ballots, in connection with the
returns, the report says: alt became at
once apparent TO us that a crime
whose boldness and Wickedness was
only equalled by its grossness
had been committed. In other words,
there had been distracted over 200
ballots cast at the said election and
bearing the name of a candidate for
representative in congress from the
envelope in which the ballots cast In
said precinct were enclosed, after
and on the night of the, election. and
there had been substituted in place
thereof, an equal number of spu-
rious ballots which were never
voted" The jury returned number
of indictments, but the names of
those indicted, have not yet been
made public.
The Journals Springfield special
says the decision of the governor is
very long, TecIting at length the cir
cumstance surrounding the return
of the election judges IN the second
precinct, eighteenth ward; the man
ner in which the fraud was perpe-
trated, as set forth Dy conclusive
evidence, written and oral, before the
state canvassing board. The COVER
nor also used:as basis for his discus
sion the appearance to him of the
second precinct tally sheet and poll
book. From personal examination of
them he expressed the opinion that
the signature of S. H. Shieldssone Of
the judges to the tally sheet, was
forged, as well as that of DR.. Straus-
ser, which was corroborated by expert
testimony. In the latter .caSe he de-
duced from the evidence that the
changes could not have been made for
correction offclericalserro for mani
fest reasons. His conclusion was, that
bold forgery had been committed to
cheat the people of the district out of
their just rights, and the object OF the
erasures was to change the majority
in the late legislature, and thereby
control the election of United States
senator. The opinion declares that it
was the false and forged returns which
the canvaSsing board of Cook county
canvasSed, and not the true and cor
rect returns, and with all due respect
to them, he was of opinion they should
not have counted that return. He
said: "It was not in this case ques-
tion Of going behind the returns, but
it was question of finding out what
were the true and lawful returns. He
said when the judges finished their
labors on the night of election and
that then and there was true and gen.
uine returns and that after that the
forgeries and criminals secured pos
session of the true returns and sub
stituted forged returns. He asked if
the forged returns could be held more
sacred in law than the true and law
full returns. He approved the action
of the state board on hearing the evil
dence presented to them. He thought
that the canvassing boards were
not intended to be mere machines
in carrying the crimes of
forgers and falsifiers, and the governor
| could not be expected to allow him
self to be so used to trauple on the
rights Of the people. He could not, in
judgment and conscience, find that
Rudolph Brand was duly elected in a
| just or lawful manner, or eleHod at
all. and by the genuine returns he
finds Leman's majority 1874 votes, and
therefore elected. lie characterized
in his decision as lacking a PRECEDENT.
a crime by which it was sought to
control the election, as having no
precedent in the state olllinos and
based this opinion s., lely upon the
right and duty of eanvass;ng boards
to canvass genuine returns.