The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-01
The Rascally Work of the Ballot Thieves Re-
Yealed by the Tally Sheets in the Fed
eral Grand Jurys Possession.
Judge Irwin and DR.. Wagner Both
Proven 10 Have Been Fairly Elected.
How Scheme of the Democratic County Com
miSsiOners to Take Unfair Advantage of
Coroner Elect Wagner Was ThWarted.

The United States grand jury has taken no
vots Sc yet on ipdictng the persons who perpe-
tresed the Marion county frauds, but it is so
near to that part os the investigation that the
result may be had to-day or tomorrow. 1t has
been season of anxiety TO the few cog
pizant OF when and how the changes in the
taiiy-sheets were made, and while they have for
aday or 80 enjoyed the hope that nothing OF an
iudietable character could be discovered, the
latter part OF the examination has
been suggestive of uncomfortable probabilities.
There are mysterious illusions by some, who
Claim to know what the jury will do, but the
Jurors and the governments attorneys are sp-
proachable every other question but this.
Yesterday there seemed to be sensation work
Ing somewhere, and the nearer one reached the
gfAnd jury room the stronger became the sup
position that that body had reached bottom
facts 1t will not do to promise too much, but
She jury regards it's session Of yesterday and the
one to come to-day as of more than usual i'm
porfance
Judge Woodss order permitting the attorneys
employed in contests arising from these frauds
70 examine the altered tally sheets and their
duplicates in the bag of ballots, was accompa-
candidates interested we're not to have this priv
ilege until the grand jurors had frat made their
examination. After hearing the testimony of
D witness or two they had the ballots,
poll books and tally-sheets referring
70 the precincts on whose papers the alterations
were made brought before them. A careful
comparison was then made. occupying several
hours, bat in keeping with the the order of court
tho tally-sheets with the pollbooks, and certif-
oates. and duplicates Of each. were taken
TO the district attorneys room. The
papers were in the care of United
States Clerk Butler ex-County Clerk
McLaIn. the assistant district attorney and
Messrs Ochiltree Horton and Tomlinson of the
jury. OF the attorneys and their clients. Ferd
Winter aud Dr. Wagner. John B. Elan and W.
r. Irwin. John S. Duncan and H. N. Span,
were present, the last two appearing for Albert
Ayres. Captain Ritter WAS also present as tn g
representative of the committee of one hundred.
The inspection revealed that the tallysheets
used by the canvassng board had been changed
in the second precinct of the Fourth ward, sec
ond of the Thirteenth, first of the Seventeenth,
second of the Eighteenth, and first of the
Twenty third. In no instance did they agree as
to the vote for Irwin with the
duplicate certificates and tally sheets
found in the bags of ballots. The
duplicate tally-sheet and certificate of tho sec
ond precinct of the Fourth ward showed that
Irwin had received 2sl and Ayres 161 votes. On
the tally-sneet and certificate used by the can.
wasting board appeared the stealing of twenty
one votes from Irwin and the increase of Ayres's
vote by that amount or 2l0 for Irwin and 1872
for Ayres. As plainly appeared the fraud on
the taily-sheet of the second precinct
Of the Thirteenth ward used by
the canvass ing board 1t gave Irwin
only 100, when the certificate and tally sheet in
the bag showed that he had received FOG. Ayres,
cp the aforementioned sheet. had l75, when
che uualtered sheet and certificate gave him 1862
While sixteen votes were stolen from Irwin, but
thirteen were added to Ayres's talies In the
first precinct of the Seventeenth the forged sheet
and certificate gave Irwin 13l, when the duplicates
showed he had six more votes. These stolen six
were given to Ayres as the duplicate credited
him with l44, while the forgery raised the vote
10 100 The same proof of crime was forthcom-
Ing in the second precinct of the Eighteenth
ward the duplicates not agreeing with the
taily-sheets and certificates from which the
eanvassers counted Irwin ought TO have had ZIG
votes when he got but no. Ayres proited
only by Ave of these votes, his number being In
cFeased from 181 to 1856 The first precinct of
the Twenty-third ward offered its evidence of in
Ihmy IN. the SleSLS tdInporou Win, allowing
Irwin 100 when the duplicates proved that he re-
csived l36. Ayres's vote was raised from 262 to
27S
On the vote for coroner Dr. Wagner lost by the
fraud twenty seven votes, reducing his number
from lat to l20. while Morrison's was increased
from 25l to 278. In this change the perpetrators
were Ia such hurry that they made the reduc
tion of Wagner's vote only on the tally sheet
and not on the certificate, which agreed
With its duplicate and that OF the
Tally sheet in giving him l47 votes
Again. Morrison's vote was increased on the
tally sheet alone, while the duplicates and the
certificates Of the poll book used by the eau.
vassers proved his vote to have been ISL
While these discoveries were expected, the
force with which they established the existence
OF crime caused feeling of indignation only
eausled by that expressed on the night of the
count
Democratic Scheme Thwarted.
little scheme Of the Democratic County
Commissioners was ohstructed yesterday with