St. Paul daily globe., 1886-05-06
THE JUDGES STORY.

The reporter visited Merriam Park and
called at st. Thomas college for the purpose
of interviewing Father O'Gorman, who, it
is charged. instructed the students to vote
for Robbins Father O'Gorman could not
be seen yesterday afternoon, and Thomas
Prince and W. E. Chamberlain, who acted
in the capacity of judges, were next seen.
Mr.. Chamberlain is merchant at Merriam
Park. and in connection with his grocery
trade, conducts the affairs OF theP ark post
office. He was found at his desk and eX-
pressed considerable surprise that the
judges had been charged with fraud. When
interviewed he said:
I'm not afraid of an investigation. I can
swear, as far as l am concerned personally,
that did not know that man voted who had
not a right to. The students of St. Thomas
college, to the number of twenty-five or
thirty. voted. H. w. Topping, who was the
first representative in the city council that
this ward ever had, stood in this room with the
judges and as the students came up chal-
lenged their votes and when asked what he
did it for, replied, with smile. that he might
possibly catch one on the fly. There was only
| one Of these students on whom Mr.. Topping
| refused to withdraw his challenge and he was
sworn in. The majority Of the students voted
| for Robbins but several of them voted for
Long. In regard to the men voting in the
| room where the judges were, the first five
| men who came to the polls came into the
| judges room, presented their atidavits and
voted. Mr. Topping, who was present,
| objected to others doing the same and the five
| men were sent out of the room and the door
| locked. No others were allowed inside. The
sick man who drove up and had his ballot
placed in the box was A. j. Douglas, an old
and respected citizen, who has lived here for
years. He drove up close to he baloting
window and said he wanted to vote, but was
suffering from lnfiammatory rheumatism and
was unable to get out of his wagon. / asked
the judges if they had any objection to my
! taking his vote and placing it in the box,
| and they said they had not. I went to the
wagon took Mr.. Douglas ballot, and carry
| ing it inside in full view of the other judges,
| placed it IN the box. The charge that the
vote was cast after the box was closed is alb
soutely false 1t was just 5:27 O'Clock when
| Mr.. Douglas drove up, and the box
was kept open fully minute after
l placed the ballot in it. 1 thought
up to the last minute that Mr.. Long was
elected, and was surprised when / heard that
| he was beaten. I'm Il Republican, and voted
for Mr.. Long last spring. Personally I've got
nothing against the man, but we wanted q
| man in the council who was not supporter
| of saloons and bawdy houses, and Mr.. Long
| has supported this element. The disgusting
| sight that Merriam Park citizens are com
| PEELED to witness at times when the low
| women and sports of ST. Paul and Minneapo
| lis drive out here, are enough to sicIen any
| decent man. If we had no saloons here there
would be no attraction for these people. AS
| I said before / am not afraid of an investiga-
! ton, as, to my knowledge, no fraud was per
| petrated here. Ii the students of st. Thomas
had no right to vote it is something that
| ipu al