The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-04-16
Stealing g. Ballot Box.
One of the Methods by Which Hnrris0n
was Elected Mayor of Chicago.

The Chicago Inter Ocean in an article en-
"Burglarious Politics" has the following to say
OF the manner in which Carter Harrison was
elected mayor of the city:
The people of Chicago are nearly ripe tor a
vigilance committee. If it has come to this
that burglary can be committed with impuniiy
by which the voters of an entire precinct are
robbed of that dearest-bought right. the right
of self-government, then 1t is about time for
what the doctors call "heroic treatment" The
fact that Mackin and Gallagher are at large
seems TO be construed to mean that there is no
real punishment in Chicago for political
crimes.
Some facts connected with the robbery of
the ballot.boxes in the third precinct of the
Third Ward are still unsolved mysteries, but
enough is known beyond doubt to make the
case as whole stand out in bold relief.
That precinct gives the largest Republican
majority of any in the South Town, and as the
city is now divided into voting districts, it is
probably the banner Republican precinct OF
ali Chicago. This fact furnishes ample ex.
planation of its selection by the robbers, and
fixes to moral certainty the political COM
plexion of the joo. 1t is a fact that those
boxes were guarded with precisely the same
care that all the ballot boxes of that precinct
have been for fifteen years. For that length
of time it has been the uniform custom OF the
judges of election in that precinct to leave
the boxes in the private office of Rowland 3
livery stable until such time as all the returns
had been properly completed and everything
was in readiness for the returns to be made.
This fact alone shows that no one was guilty
of any careessness. On the contrary one
would have said that the safeguards wers ex-
ceptionally strong. The door is fastened with
a Yale lock, and there is watchman on duty
all night. This watch was not set for the
special purpose of guarding ballot-boxes but
is regular feature OF the establishment And
it is becarse such q watch is kept that the
place has been selected as depository.
The movements OF the burglars show that
they had no little difficulty in working their
scheme. There is near by an all-night saloon
one of the dives which are tolerated and
fostered in defiance of law. This resort was
undoubtedly the waiting place of the crooks.
1t was before it that the hack they rode stood
done by three men, who visited the stable
three times before accomplishing their pur-
pose; first about midnight then about O'Clock
and last, about 5. The evident intention was
60 look tbs ground over the first time and par
petrate the crime the second time. A plan,
was devised for calling the watchman to AN
other part of the building by one of the trio
personsting policeman in search for stolen
horse while his pals did the business but the
Yale lock or some other unexpected hindrance
baffied them.
This rendered it necessary to either abandon
the job altogether or wait until morning, when
the watchman would be less on his guard The
risk OF being seen and identified was greatly
increased by perpetratiDg the crime at so un-
seasonable an hour. Early cock crow is late
for ghosts and burglars 10 ne abroad. Already
several witnesses have been found who can
| furnish important testimony in the case, who
| would have been sbed and asleep an hour ear
| lier. They ran very great risk far greater
| than Mackin and Gallagher ran last fall. What
| motive had those men for their crime? They
| we're not directly interested in the election.
| Perhaps the proceedings before the South
| Town returning board will throw light upon
this question.
| 1t is not worth while to speculate upon the
| attitade which the Democratic candidates
| may take toward the robbery, but this much
| may be set down as sure, and that is thas the
| attempt to disfrsnchise the voters Of that pre-
| cinct will fail. Returns, sworn to and legal,
| have been made and must be accepted. ii
Mr.. Fitzgerald thinks he Can seizs the office Of
assessor through the aid of burglary, he il
| very much mistaken, The people of Chicago
are in no mood TO tolerate any such infamy.