The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-14
FORGERS FOR INSPECTORS
Condemnation of the Outrageous Action
of the Democratic Commissioners.
The Weak Defense They Offer for Responding
IS Inspectors Men Who We're Indicted for
the Election Frauds Committed in 1886.

The Democratic County commissioners AZ
their desire to express condolences in the
inspectors Of the notorious canvassing board OF
1886 BY re-appointing them for like service
this spring, were severely criticised yesterday
for this outra goous action. Democrats who
have their wits about them recognize in it
bad starting off for this years campaign.
but the Commissioners seek to defend their
course on the ground that Bernhamer, Mattler,
and Couuselrnau had not been tried when they
were selected TO act as inspectors for the town
ship elections They were under indictment at
that time. however. and when this fact was told
TO Commissioners Reveal yesterday, he said.
sWere shey7 But if it were so everybody 10
presumed TO be innocent until he 10 proven
guilty"
'sThen you would appoint any to Office
indicted for heinous crime who had not been
tried77 reporter suggested
II don't know that 1 would. In this matter
we only followed the custom of years. Every
June you know we have to revise the list of cleo
ton inspectors. and we aid SO in this instance
'And continued men who, when forgeries in
tally sheets were clear daylight not only ac-
cepted them as correct, but signed the canvass
sheets which the forged talies were trans
ferred," bystander said:
Commissioners Thompson did not wish to offer
any explanation for the action of the board. II
don't care" he said, ''any one can make all the
capital out of it he wishes 1t is stated by
some in defense of the Commissioners that they
did not intend their action g final revision.
the list would be subjected to changes within
ten days OF the election. There is nothing to
show that they proposed TO change the list
terialy. as they did not do it when the men
were first appointed in June 1886. The list of
four men who did not serve in the
first instance. "What could we do"
said Commissioners Reveal except to reap
point the old inspectors7 None OF them had
signed and there Were vacancies" Acting
upon the supposition that the reappointment of
the objection able inspectors at q time when
there was no political excitement in June of
last year, would escape notice, the Commission
ers no doubt felt secure in renewing their al
leglance to Coy. who, with BerDhamer and Coun-
selman, then under indictment for perpe-
trAtlnR the forgeries which the inspectors par
tic ularly Endorsed The record of this action is
plain that it cannot be explained away, for
prefacirg the names of the inspectors published
yesterday Is this ORDER 1T is ordered by the
Board of Commissioners of Marion county, State
of Indiana, that the following persons be and
are hereby appointed inspectors of the various
precincts IN the wards of the city of Indianap-
oils and the townships of said county for the
election to be held on the first Monday in April,
the year 1888
The list following this action contains the
names OF those who served can assers in
1856, which some of the friends of the Commits
giOners question by saying that ali who were ap-
pointed III that year did not qualify. But there
is record In the auditors Office showing that
every one named took the oath, and renewed
their poll-books and papers from that officer,
except Frank A Maus, in whose place Allen
Hisey acted as inspector for the second precinct
of the Thirteenth ward, John j. Costello. who
q substitute for Patrick Marley in the
second precinct of the Fifteenth ward and A. w.
Feldkamp. who took the place of Conrad Russo
TV,cv g. - g. -
teenth ward. Russo, however, served on the
board of canvassers, and signed the footings as
correct which were based on the forged returns.
That sheet furnishes further proof that
the inspectors for the spring election are
the men who stood by the conspirators
1t was signed by the following: VIM. Schultz,
George e. Myers, Samuel N. Gold, Frank Nc
Quiddy, John Michaelis, NJ L. Rhinehart, j. g.
Bonn barger. Daniel Monninger Theodore
NJ h Field, Geo W. stumpf, John Helm, G.
H. Schwier, Felix Deitch, Christ F. Meyer
w. F. Christian, Joseph Becker, Dan
lei A. Lemon, Daniel Burton. NJ.
B. Corbaley. Michael McGiynn. Andrew P.
Bletzinger, John j. Costello, James Renihan,
bailey, returning judge, J. G. Fahrion, Henry
II. HAbeney, John Edwards, Conrad Russo,
Daniel A. Kirk, VIM #. Reasner, Peter Spitz
faden, John w. Hoppe, Samuel L. Morrow. c.
Henry Rosebrock. Henry StoIte, @ L. sinner.
Will +. A. Bernhamer, chairman and inspector
second precinct, ward Twenty -sscond; Ernst
Aattma0S august weber, august Som merS
James n. Nelson, James Johnston. Pat Kelly.
VIM. Flynn. John w. Foltz, Frank Craft,
Elisha J. Rowland. Patrick Conlon. VIM.
Stolte. Pat Kelly, Joel A. Baker.
The Sam n. Gold in tho list is the Demo-
cratic candidate for township trustee. His Re-
publican competitor, Charles ]. Many, was also
an inspector by virtue of his Office but his pro-
test and that of John H. Furnas. VIM. H. Nor
rison. FL. G. Griffith. and Henry NJ. Henlng to
the correctness of the count is Endorsed on the
canvas sheet as follows:
III SIC he
above return correct except as to the votes
therein counted and canvsssed for the Demo
cratic and Republican candidates for Judge of
the Criminal Court. of Marion county, for coro-
nsr of Marion county, and as to these we object
and protest against the counted in this re-
turn not being the correct return made by the
election boards, and as showing persons elected
to said Offices who we're not elected thereto"
The sheet also bears the protest of Lorenz