Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-12-04
REPUDIATES 1T.
REPUBLICANS CAN MANIPULATE APPI-
DAVITS AS WE'LL AS VOTES.
Mr.. J. D. BrUOko7sr's Sworn Statement Given 10
L.E. Hart Subjected 70 Some Sort Of
Juggling Before Being Printed.
Fraudulent in one thing, fraudulent in

Fraudulent in one thing, fraudulent in
all.
Having detauchsd the ballot boxes
wherever the work could be doue in safety,
throughout the State the Republican bosses
are heeitsting at nothing to preserve TO
them whatever advantage has accrued from
thtir unlawful work
This post-electiOa crooksdness has taken
q number of forms, and comes TO hgnt IN
manifold disguises.
From down in Weizsl the intelligence
comes that in order 10 bolster up tneil
false cry Of fraud, raised in order to divert
public attention from the real rascals'
they have STOPPED 10 the iniquity OF Cd
timing tina signatures Of reputable clu-
zsns 10 false ard distorted ~afidavits, In
the hope Of convincing the people OF the
State that their assertions regarding the
counting and ceriication Of the ballots
cast down there were true in at leass some
measure.
The Mtetigencer published a bracs Of
these sfidsvlts last Saturday, and upon
them based q long rigmarole to the effect
that "frod" wag cOnclusively proved, and
that all they had ever said or limited at
regarding the croOkedness OF Weizsl u
ty Dsmcc tats had been fully substantiated
aud justified.
OF course, il wss su'pscted, Immediately
upon the publication OF thess afidavits,
that they we're merely the result of some
further sharp practice by the Republican
managers, and Investigation has justified
the suspicion.
In the affidavit signed by Mr.. j. D.
Brookoyer, ore Of the commi ssiOners of
election 81 Archer's Fork precinct, pub
lished in the HnteIigeneer, that gentleman
was made to say:
II think that G.. ". Atkipsou's nsme
was scratched on one ticket and Pendls.
tons name written, and think that Pen
dleton's name was scratched on one ticket
and Atkinson's written in. | do not re.
member having seen any tickets on which
the name Of the Congressional candidate
was scratched, and none written i'm
This affidavit was procured by J. f.
Hart the editor Of the New Martinsvils
JOiunteer, a rank partisan newspaper.
Upon Mr.. Hart had deyOlvei che duty Of
holding mp the Weiz:l county end of the
Republican c~roOkedness, and he addressed
himself to tie work with energy. visiting
the interior of the county, and after resort
ing TO no one knows what methods, re-
turned with the sworn statements, Of
which Mr.. BIcokOyeI's is a specimen.
As soon as Mr.. BTOokover read the state
ment sppealin ing over his name in TIE IN
teLigenccr, he denounced it as rot correctly
representing him, and while in Mounds
vile Yesterday he made tie following
deposition:
State Of West Virginia, County Of MarshaH'
NJ
Personally appeared before me, this 81
dsy OF November, 1855, j. ID. BIookoVer, 3
reputsble citizen of Wetz:l county, who
being first duly sworn, deposes and says:
Mr.. J. E. Hart, of New Martinsville, was
at my place on Thursday, November 29sb,
to obtain my affidavit relevant TO tie
scratching of tickets at Archer's Fork pre-
cinct Of Weiz3l county.
| told iim that l saw two scratched
ticksts, but that there may have besn more
which | did not SIC, but when the affidavit
was published in the hteHigencer, of Sat
uriay last, it stated the matter differently.
This l say to set myself right in the esti-
nation OF the people generally.
J.. d BROOKOvER,
One of the Judges at Archer's Fork Precinct.
Sworn toand subscribe before me, anotary
public in aud for the county Of Marshall,
State of West Virgins, on this Sd dag OF
December, 1888.
]. N. hurley.
Notary Pubic.
In a subsequent conversation with a
merchant of his vicinity, Mr.. Brookover
said:
"Wha I told Hart was, that I remem-
bsred eeeing two scratched Republican
tickets, and that there might have been
eight or ten others. Mistakes would have
been very easy, SIS we were compelled to
work by q very bad light, afforded by a
lantern and an Indifferent lamp"
Mr.. JolIiff, of the firm of Jolhft Il Co,
of Littletou, who was in Wheeling, yestsr
dav, also STATED that he had had 4 con-
ve,sation win Mr.. Brookover. sincs his
affidavit appeared in the htenigeRcer, and
he was very indignant over it, saying it
did not correctly give his ideas.
The inference 10 he drawn from al THU,
is that Mr. BrOOkoVer was made the victim
Of some sort of jugElery in signing the pa
per appearing in the MteHigencer. 1tlOOks
ss if either one papsr was given him to
read, and then his signature Obtained TO
another, or the affidavit signed by him
was changed altar ne had siliked his signa-
tuIe.
But the accusation of manipulation Of
the tickets in the recount must be sup
ported at all hszards, evea if reputable
gentlemen are published to the world as
swearing to matters which do not exist in
fac, end a stigma is thrown upon the honor
ard v~eracity and integrity of the officials