Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-05-30
ROLETTE'S ~"ELECTION."
st. John Beats Dunseith-Talk
with the Combattants.

st. John Beats Dunseith-Talk
with the Combattants.
"We shall proceed to establish a
county government at St. John forth
with" said Barrister Tillotson to the In
TERI OCEAN Sunday evening. Mr.. Tillotson
ran for county attorney at the late spe-
cial election in Rolette county, receiving
756 of the III votes claimed to have
been cast at St. John AS his competitor,
MI. Grow, didn't show up but 6O2 votes
lowing to some kind of an oversight on
the part of the Dunseith managers) Mr..
Tillotson claims that he is therefore the
duly elected county attorney of Rolette
county, in proof Of which he. exhibits
the following proclamation issued by
Gov. Pierce:
EXECUTIVE PRocLAMATIoN-To whom
it may concern, greeting: Whereas, an
approved March 10, 1885, provides for a
special election in the county of Rolette
to fix the temporary location of the
county seat and for other purposes; and
whereas, an election was held in said
county on the second Tuesday of May,
1885, under the terms of said act, and the
vote cast thereat as canvassed and certi-
fed by the Auditor of said Territory,
was as follows, to-wit:
For location Of county seat at St. John
1857 votes.
For location of county seat at Dunseith
SOB votes.
Now, therefore, I, Gilbert A. Pierce,
Governor Of the Territory of Dakota, in
compliance with said act of the legisla-
ture, do hereby declare that a majority Of
said votes as canvassed and certified to
me were cast in favor of st. John; and
the temporary county seat of said coun-
ty is located at said town of st. John un-
til changed according to law.
Given at Bismarck, the capital of said
territory, this ed day of Maya. D. 1885.
GILBERT A. PIERCE, Governor.
By the governor,
JAMES H. TELLER,
Secretary of Dakota Territory.
Mr.. Tillotson was on his way back
from Bismarck, where he went with one
Of the poll-books of St. John. in compli-
ance with the act ordering the special
election which provided that the auditor
of the Territory should canvassthe vote.
ut is charged Mr.. Tillotson that a
great many illegal votes were cast at St.
john"
ri have no knowledge that any illegal
votes were cast. 1 have numerous aft
davits, however, that there was illegal
voting at Dunseith, They voted a babe
in arms, and a ten-year-old boy is said
to have voted seven times"
"Wha course will you pursue on
your return?"
1--WE shall make q demand for the
county records now at Dunseith, the old
county seat. If they refuse to deliver
them we must g. on with the county
government the best we cam"
Suppose Dunseith begins a contest"
"Thcy may do SO on the ground of
illegal voting. In that case we shall
deny that there vas illegal voting at St.
john and Charge illegal voting at Dun
seth. The burden Of proof will be upon
Dunseith, and they must show that
there was illegal voting at St. John.
TIL" OTHER D
Mr.. J. D. El:>!l, W:.o went to Bis
marck with the Dunseith poll-book, wa
also in the city Sunday. Being asked
what his people proposed to do about it:
he said Dunseith would contest the cleo
ton. He stated that there is positive
proof Of illegal voting at St. John; that
the return was falsifed, and there
would be no trouble about showing up
the whole thing.
The case excites much interest here.
If Dunseith contests the trial must
take placei in the Bismarck district. TO
prove illegal voting many witnesses must
be summoned, and the expense will be
great. DISTINGUISHED persons, baslng
their opinions upon the fact that nearly
l4OO votes were registered as having
been polled, when the land office records
here show but little over 400 filings in
Rolette county, think that the entire
proceeding should be set aside as illegal,
and the men who falsifed the returns
should be punished according to the law
pertaining to election frauds. This Mac
kin-Gallagher business in Dakota should
be stopped.
THE TICKET
which St. John claims IS elected by the
same vote cast for the county seat is as
follows:
Commissioners-John Cain, Frank
Promo and A. Natrass.
Treasurer-Thos. Hesketh.
Attorney-T.T Tillotson.
Sheriff-Barney Cain.
School Supt.-John Brown.
Probate Judge-H. Wood.
Auditor-Andrew Smith.
Assessor-Alfred Bourrase.
Coroner-Theo. Covenant.
Surveyor-G. Hamilton.
Justice-J. j. Ullman.
Constable--Phil Cardinack
West End News.