The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-01-07
THOEBE-CARLISLE.
THE INVESTIGATION COMMENCED.
THOEBE AND COUNSEL BEFORE
THE COMMITTEE.
Thoeb Makes = Statement-His Majority
Was GOO-sI, 900 Was u Very
Good Thing tn Have.

| WASHINGTON, January 6.-There was
a full meeting of the House Committee
on Elections to-day, to agree upon the
| line of procedure in the ThOebe-Carlisle
| contested election case. Contestant
| Thoebe was present with his counsel,
| Messrs. Sypher and Hoover, OF this city.
| No one formally represented the Speaker
Mr.. Sypher began the presentation OF
| Thoebe's case Immediately after the COM
| mittee had been called to order, taking
| up the first brief already submitted with
| ths record, which assumes as the basis
| of the case that the State election laws
were violated in the appointment of
| Judges of election. This infraction of the
| law, he asserted, was sufficient ID war
rant the favorable consideration oil
Thoebe's claim, but if the committee did
not agree in this view he was prepared
| to present evidence to satisfy them of
his clients election. The record alone.
he said, would not reveal the facts in
| the case, and it was the duty of the COM
mittee to at once send a committee to
the district to ascertain the facts while
it could be done. Already important
papers had been destroyed, as he was
prepared to prove by affidavits.
Taking up the details of the case,
Sypher said that on the night of the cleo
tion it became apparent To the judges of
election at Covington that Carlisle had
been defeated by more than 1900 votes
| At o'clock they sent for Carlisle and
brought him in a carriage to the house
| of friend. He (Sypher) could give the
name of the friend and the location of
| the house, but he would not do so unless
| the committee urged him, as he did not
| wish to state all he knew at this stage Of
the case. After consulting with Carlisle
| they telegraphed to have the returns of
| outside counties withheld.
"Who are 'theys" inquired Heard.
"'Theyr Why, the friends of Car
lisle,r replied Sypher.
| RETURNS WITHHELD.
Counsel said that it was a fact that
| the returns of the six outlying counties
were withheld for five days, and Car
lisle had publicly confessed that he was
| defeated.
| "You do not attach any importance to
this point" suggested Heard.
''No, just mention it," replied Sy-
pher.
Hayes, / think, confessed defeat at
| first" said Heard.
"Yes," replied Sypher, land 1 think
he ought to have stuck to it,"
Counsel said that in seven of the
eight precincts of Carroll County the
poll books We're written, signed and GER
titled as to all the names in one hand
| writing, and it was evident that all Of
them 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.
| PIERCES AFFIDAVIT.
| He took the affidavit of John j. Pierce
| in support of his statement. In this
paper Pierce tells that the signatures on
the poll books were in one hand-a pc
culiar hand while the signatures of
| the election officers to their oaths were
| in different handwritings.
| WHY CARLISLE WAS DEFEATED.
Counsel said that Carlisle had failed
of the election through neglect. In
some precincts 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 for Thoebe. In
Boone County 200 votes were cast ON
election day, but the returns finally
showed 567 votes. In Carroll County
there was practically no election. He
could show that the voters had failed to
go to the polls on election day, but when
they found that Carlisle had been de-
feated they voted next day. Not only
was this the case in Carroll County, but
also in every one of the outlying coun-
ties.
NAMES ADDED.
Counsel quoted from statement by
j. j. Blakely, who was, he said, prom
inent Democrat and an attorney of Gov
ington. to the effect that twenty-foul
names appeared to have been added tc
one of the poll books after the signature:
of the judges had been affixed.
CAN PROVE BY WITNESSES.
Counsel then said he would stat
something which he had no affidavits t.
support. but which could be proved 10y
witnesses. After the election seven o
Carlisle's friends met in conference a
the Federal Building to endeavor to saw
Carlisle. They sent for an eighth gen
tleman-a very prominent and honorable
gentlenan-Colonel II. w. Nelson
They told him that Carlisle had beel
defeated, and they wanted him to confe
with them and devise some means o
changing the result. Thereupon Colone
Nelson took his hat and left. declarin
L that IL they were I'M To ANYTHING of tina