The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-31
After Counting All Doubtful Votes for the
democratic Candidate, the Commission
ers Find that He Is Still Behind.
Caleb s. Denny Is Left an Undisputed
Majority of Nine Votes.
fudge Ayres Asked to Restrain the Commits
sioners from Filing Their Report OF
the Ripley Recount.

,moil of Tuesday over his forcible opening of
ballot boxes, yet this did not relieve the subse-
luent proceedings of acts in two or three
instances fully as high-handed and arbitrary IS
those perpetrated in the first and second recount
of the Pritchard- Ripley vote. The history of
the proceedings has been very closely followed.
and the incidents of color differ very little from
those already related, but yesterday there were
developments that add proof to the Democratic
intention to count Cottrell in. if it could be done
by hook or crook.
Yesterday morning. when the commissioners
began their work, only three wards remained to
be counted. Denny then had a majority Of
twenty-eight. There were one or two gains for
Cottrell in the Twenty third and Twenty-fourth
wards, but these formed an Offset by his own
losses on one or two gains for Denny. When
the First precinct Of the Twenty-ffth ward was
counted, another gain of ten appeared for Cot
trell, but like the ten in the Third precinct of
the Sixteenth ward, they were in excess of the
number of names on the poll books and the tai
lies of the clerk. Like them, too, the tickets
were of n straight Democratic character, differ
ing, in size, paper and type. from the regular
ballots. Here was a gain of twenty, for the
w OuOuEh
to resist Coy's dictation ON this point. The votes
were counted, but no satisfactory explanation
was offered for their presence. AS in the Six
teenth ward, the judges and clerks knew moth
ing about them.
BOSS COY TAXING A HAND.
A reference to the mode adopted by the com
missioners in asserting the tickets is valuable in
this instance. When the ballots were taken out
of the bags, the Democratic commissioners
would take and divide them into piles before
counting them. Sin Coy remained near at
hand, with one Democratic commissioner be-
tween him and Ross Hawkins, the watcher for
Mr.. Denny. Mr.. Hawkins took particular pains
ito keep an eye on Sims movements and those of
the commissioners. When the First precinct,
Sixteenth ward, votes were assorted, and again,
when the First precinct, Twenty fifth ward, bal
lots were dealt with in like manner, as well as
on other occasions. Mr.. Cottrell would come for
ward between the commissioner and Mr.. Haw-
kins. Placing a hand on Hawkins's shoulder. as
he bent over the table, Cottrell would
bend on the same line and ask
Hawkins how the vote stood. Whenever Haw-
kins would drop his head, SO as not to lose his
line of sight on Coy, the commissioners and the
tickets before them, Cottrell would drop his.
Cottrell would likewise raise his head when
Hawkins tried to look over his (Cottrells)
shoulder. Taking UP the Second precinct of the
Twenty-ffth ward this performance was re-
peated, but there were no ten votes in excess of
the poll-book and tally-sheet. The precinct was
found correct, as was the Third and last.
Coy, the count being completed about 3
o'clock. came into the Judges private room,
where two reporters and Caleb S. Denny were
talking. Sim was not In the best of humor, as
the count showed Denny thirteen ahead. The
Eighteenth ward patriot had his watch in the
left hand lower pocket of his vest.
The pocket had lost its smoothness. 1t
swelled out with contents other than
the watch. Just above the line of the pocket
appeared a piece of white newspaper exactly like
that on which ballots are printed. Coy took a
cigar from the left-hand upper pocket of the vest,
when one of the reporters, jumping up and run
ming towards him, said: 'Sim give me a cigar"
at the same time putting his hand in the pocket
from which the cigar was taken.
keep out of that pocket" cried Sim. stNo
you don't. There is no cigar there, but here is
one"
Coy Immediately afterwards left the room.
when the reporter said: II felt a bundle of
tickets in that pocket, or something so near like
them that [ would almost swear they were tick
cts" This was canvassed by the party of three
as a singular feature of the recount, in connec-
LlUu Will tu0 tACtSS " L JULIUS III GIo OlXl0GDUu
and Twenty-ffth wards. In the next room the
commissioners were arguing as to
what disposition should be made
of the double tickets folded together, four all
two in the Third precinct of the Sixteenth ward,
six in all. Coy returned to the Judges room,
when Mr.. Denny asked him what they were do
ing in there.
Discussing those double ballots"
What are they going TO do with them2n
Count them, of course"
"By what right}n
by the right that a Democratic affidavit is
just as good as a Republican one. But d-n the
afidavits The court is the place to hear them.
We have nothing to do with afidayits; we don't
need them now"
The commissioners decided to count every one
of the six for Cottrell. in the face of afidavits
from clerks, judges and others present in those
precincts that the votes were not counted
the night of the election or by the official can.
vassers. The proof from both Democrats and
Republicans was positive that they were not
counted then. Besides, the Third precinct. Six
teenth ward, tally sheet had a note to this effect:
tive ballots folded together not counted" This
reduced Dennys majority to seven, when Coy
again came TO the front in the Jud ge's room, and
going to the telephone sent a message to John
i. Sullivan to come ND Immediately, he having
left the courthouse about a half hour before.
During the wait for this important consultation,
Coy was asked what the next move would be.
an tell you. he theoretically replied; I'VE
have enough votes reserved to count Cottrell in.
Here they are: One each in the First precinct of
the First and Sixth wards, one in the Second
precinct of the Twelfth, one in the First precinct
of the Tenth, one each in each of the two pre-
cincts in the Twentieth ward. two in the First
precinct and one in the Second of the Twenty
first, and three in the First precinct of the Ninth
in all, twelve votes.n
What is your claim on these ballots
"They, were evidently Denny tickets
scratched"
THE RFGUIT OF THE PErnrrNr
1t was evident, however, that the tickets were
mainly defaced by handling. But to go back and
unseal the bags, take out the tickets of these pre-
cincts and count them would be in violation of
the agreement renewed after Tuesdays proceed
3ngs. At the request of Mr.. Denny and the