Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-11
cARL|StE-TH0EbE,
Contest Begun Before Committee for
the Speakers Seat.
Counsel Sypher Presents the Case for
the Contestant,
He Charges Returns Were DELAYED Till
the Result Was Known,
And That Then Those From Certain
Counties Were Falsified.

And That Then Those From Certai
Counties We're Falsified.
Investigation Asked by q Select Com
! mittee in the Election District.
WASHINGTON, January 6.-There was
full meeting Of the House Committee o.
Elections to-day to consider the Thoebe
Carlisle contested election case. The cor
testant Thoebe vas present with hi
counsel Messrs. Sypher and Steever of thi
city. No n formally represented tn
Speaker. Sypher began the presentation,
of Thoebe's case taking up first the brie
already submitted with the record which
assumes az the basis of the case hat the
State election laws were violated in tn
appointment of judges of election. Thi
infraction of law he asserted was sufficient
to warrant q favorable consideration O
Thoebe's claim, but if the committee die
not agree in this view he was prepared te
HASSOAS NSANV w UIC vi Ill
| clients election. The record alone would
not reveal the facts in the case and it wal
the duty OF the committee to seno
a subcommittee to the district to ascer
tain the facts. Important papers had beer
destroyed as he proved by afidavits. TAX.
ing up the details Of the case Sypher said
that on the night OF the election it became
apparent to the judge of election at Coving
ton that Carlisle had been defeated by
more than 1000 votes. At one O'Clock
they sent for Carlisle, and brought him to
the house OF a friend. He (Sypher) could
give the name OF thefriend and the location
of the house, but would not do SO unless
the committee urged him, as b. did not
wish to state all he knew at this stage of
the case. After consulting with Carlisle,
they t~elegraphed to have the returns of
outside counties withheld.
Who are they" inquired Heard.
"'They,' why friends of Carlisle" replied
Sypher. He said it was a fact that the
returns OF six outlying counties were with
held for five days, and Carlisle had publicly
confessed he wal defeated.
you do not attach any importance to
this point" suggested Heard.
mo; just mention it,. replied Sypher,
a n | think he ought to have stuck to
it,"
sypher said that in seven of the eight
precincts OF Carroll County the poll books
we're written, signed and certified as to all
the NJ in handwriting, and it was
evident that all must have been written
after the election by one man, as he could
not have been in all the precincts at once
on election day. Sypher next read the af-
fdavit of John J. Pierce. Pierce
tells that the signatures on the poll
books were in one hand, q peculiar
hand, while the signatures of the election
officers were in q different handwriting.
said that Carlisle had failed OF
through neglect. In some pre-
cincts no tickets were printed until 3
o'clock, and there was virtually no election
held in some precincts. In one case only
three judges voted, two for Carlisle and one
or Thoebe. In Boone County 200 votes
we're cast on election day, but the returns
inally showed 567 votes. In Carroll
Jounty there wal practically no election.
could show that the voters had failed
10 60 to the polls on election day, but when
hey found that Carlisle had been
they voted next day. Not
'nly was this the case in Carroll
onnty, but in every one OF the outlying
ounties. Sypher quoted from a state
nent by j. J. Buckley, who was, he said, q
Democrat and attorney of
to the effact tnAk +-enty.four
ne OF the poll books after the signatures
the judges had been affixed. After the
lection seven OF Carlisle's friends met and
emit for Col. R. w. Nelson. They told him
arlisle had been defeated and wanted him
o assist in devising some means of chang
the result. Thereupon, Col. Nelson left
dare not contradict this, gentle
,en," said Sypher. Counsel next took an
by the contestant to the effect
1at Carlisle's friends had corrupted his
rhoebe's) attorney, and induced him to .
oandon the case and suppress
'stimony. Sypher said that they
ad been given the name Of
man who had purchased an attorney
Nood) and if their informants told
le truth that man was a relative of
The price named for Wood was
Touching Carlisle's refusal to Join
m In taking testimony, Sypher said: He s
q not dare to meet me. He dare not :
go into that district and take testi. d
ony.' Thoebe's affidavit was next read v
1ere he accuses Wood of delaying testi- t
ony, and with telling him (Thoebe9 there !.
lght be money in it for both of them if he f.
'uld withdraw from the contest. Sypher q
clared there was enough evidence in his o.
let to warrant the committee in seating q
} client, but if it did not think &
certainly there was at least c,
ground for re-opening the case. Il
With what is he (Carlisle) here Def re the
mmittee? Nothing, not even a certif. in
10 OF election. Even he knows he has h;
t q case, or he is going to throw himself &C
the mercy OF the court" In conclusion nj
old the committee that it was known IL
those interested that both of the old Ii.
rtles had been coquetting with the in til
'trlal party. both seeking it's votes for the til
It campaign, and the committee could TO
AFFORD to refuse to investigate the ri,
OF this workingman (Thoebe) in the Sc
3 OF the disclosures he had made to the co
Thoebe next made a state. an
Mt to the COMMITTEES, said be was born tr
ne same county with the Speaker forty
years ago. After the election he had We
I Wood that il Carlisle had one more Or
g than he (Thoebe) had, he ought to m,
e the a In one county witness was y
rmedh he had received thirty-fve votes, ha
when Wood went down there he was his
that no votes had been cast for Dir
!. In July, Wood, referring to witness tb,
}, said: II don't know what can be ste
e abou it," Wood also told him on q '
raj occasions that money could be ga,
lie out OF the case. Other persons had 70
him the same thing. Two Demo. oh,
ic workers, one OF them the th,
less' brother-ir-law, had called upon nm,
and had remarked hat if he would his
push the case, he could make money lon
Of it. and 1000 was a good thing to :.
,. If the case were re-opeped' r. wo
Id be feundt that ne was elected by 600 Z"
ority. He (Thoebe) has been a strong alo
ocrat, but for the last three or four inc
9 had been an Independent. II the blaa,
.ittee refused to reopen the case, as {
would say: Had Thoebe :.
a Democrat, or had he been a LAWYER eral
would have listened to him." Let the We
nittee show the millions of toilsrs that Nv
r Ihoehe was elected or a not spes
ed. II the case was decreed against "a
ne would go back to his factory and too
4. but would not quit voting. TIM
o9per: IF things are as you say, of ]
asS Sne usT OF Young boy
u Ana'is "f-at say. and
her presented a resolution that the
70 in the case be printed and referred
'elect committee to be charged with -.
of the Congressional II
in the Sixth District of Ken. agai
with
committee then went into secret ses- +hot
In secret session the proceedings Lnr.
ond ~;tba.nns e.seraio Vi Inc AM have
agreement upon the proposition sub weel
y oy Ihoebe's counsel, the commit. c;etv