The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-12-12

ney. during the noon recess q pfoml
nent Republican presented to the Prose
cutting Attorney a long list OF names fol
a like purpose and was told, II will moi
lend my aid in contesting the election
before the grand jury" A few minutes
afterwards the Judge was told by the
Prosecuting Attorney what had occur
red and that the gentleman with his list
had been referred to him.
So patent were the intentions Of the
court that the Prosecuting Attorney, in
conversation with his brother, r. G,
McClaugherty, Judge.elect OF the Ninth
judicial circuit, said he was going to re-
sign, but was persuaded by his brother
not TO do so. The grand Jury received
further charges from the court, directing
them to have summoned before them all
the candidates for county Offices, the
commissioners OF the election, the asses.
sor for the county and the operators oi
the coal mines. The assessor was re.
quircd to produce the assessors books
the operators OF the coal mines to bring
their books and pay rolls and the clerks
to produce the poll books. The grand
jury was also charged by the court that
unless the names OF the voters appeared
upon the assessors books and II was not
proven before them that these voters had
q permanent residence in the county, il
was Pyima facie case Of illegal voting and
to indict them.
A FUNNY GRAND JURY.
The grand jury did not fully comply
with these instructions, but devised the
plan to take the poll-books, the testi.
mony Of the assessor and other persons
supposed to know all who were entitled
10 vote. A mark was made opposite the
names OF those known to be legal voters,
and those whose names were unmarked
were indicted. This occurred after the
testimony was given TO the grand jury
by the assessor that he had been fur
nished with list of $50 names by Mr..
John Cooper, or one OF his clerks, TO be
assessed, and that this list OF names was
lost by him and none Of them placed
upon the assessors books. Upon testi-
mony OF this character about 260 per-
sons were indicted. These all voted ut
tue two strongest Republican precincts
in the county. Nowhere else was the
vote questioned in this way, although
The number OF votes cast at other pre-
cincts in the county were largely in ex.
cess OF the number OF names upon the
assessors books.
now IS THIS?
The 2G0 indictments above mentioned
were returned by the grand jury on the
Ith day of December but the Democratic
State Executive Committee seems to
have been apprised Of the facts six days
before, to wit, on the S0th. day OF No.
which may be seen by refer.
snce to their address. At that date no
indictments had been returned by tie grand
inry and not more than three or four
had been made for this otiense, and these
against Democrats, which fact it would
have been impossible to have been
known at Charleston except by teIe..
,ram. Where were the conspiracy and
fraud" and who were the conspirators?
Evidently in Mercer there were accessor-
es, hence the effort to induce the grand
Jury to "indict many persons for illegal
voting" Was not this promised to the
Executive Committee before the 30th
lay OF November? On that day these
had not been made and the
records OF the Mercer Circuit Court
show that this is true. 1t was nothing
but Il conspiracy OF their own and the
charge OF fraud and conspiracy charged
in the address is but to hide their own
tascality.
WHAT CAUSED TIE CHANGE.
The change in the political status in
Mercer county referred to in the address
has been brought about by the action Of
the Democratic party upon the tariff
Every Congressional contest made by
the Democrats in convention in Mercer
county has resulted in the choice OF n
who was in favor OF protec.
ton, and this change has brought about
the result in the late election. Thacon-
test now going on here will not leave
more than shadow OF the Democratic
party. d. W. .MCCLAUGHERTY.