Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-11-06
A FIGHT TO 4 FINISH.
The Largest Vote Ever Rolled in This own-Democrats Working Tooth and Nail-Ofhcers Watching the Republican Doodle,

The Largest Vote Ever Rolled in This
 1own-Democrats Working Tooth and
 Nail-Ofhcers Watching the Republican
 Doodle.
 By the time this reaches the eye of most of our readers the ballot boxes will be closed and the greatest election the world ever saw will be over. Here in Waterbury the battle has been desperate one and the largest vote in the history of the town has been boiled.
 When the polls opened at 6 o'clock this morning there were crowds around each of the four boxes. Workingmen with dinner pails on their arms patiently awaited their turn. At 7 o'clock about 400 votes had been boiled in the fourth ward. In the first the boxes contained nearly 300 tickets, and the other two districts also did good hours work. Fully hree-fourths of the tickets deposited the first hour were democratic.
 It is Impossible to find anybody to give an unbiased opinion in regard to the result in Waterbury. The leading democrats are not saying much, but it is evident that they are working all the same. The re- publicanS claim that Cleveland's majority will be less than 450 Four years ago the vote stood Cleveland, 2,652; Blaine, g. 161, democratic majority of 491.
 Wilcox has been scratched and pasted to a certain extent and in few cases David E. Sprague pastors have covered the name of John O'Neil on the democratic ticket. Nicholas Staub of New Milford, the demo- cratic candidate for comptroller, is also being roughly handled.
 At 8 o'clock about :, 200 votes had been boiled as follows: first ward 1,119, of which the democrats claim 535, allowing | = the unusual number of 1,150 votes had been boiled, giving a majority of about 300 for Harrison and Morton. In the third about 1900 ballots had been de- posted and the democrats claimed to have d majority of 250. The gallant fourth ward tally sheets showed that 500 votes had been cast before 3 o'clock and of this number the most sanguine re- publicans only claimed about 400. From these figures it is evident that Cleveland will have a majority of from 600 to 700 in Waterbury.
 Roger Connor and William Leary came home to vote for Cleveland
 The amount of the republican corruption fund is said to have been SS,000.
 United States Marshal John F. OBrien kept a close watch over the probate office.
 Several of the factories closed this after noon on account of day being election day.
 The Naugatuck road employees did con siderable changing around to-day in order to give all a chance to vote.
 The republicans worked hard for the Canadian vote. Nevertheless many of the French element voted the straight dem ocratic ticket.
 One crank with far away look in his eyes had furnished himself with a set each of democratic, republican and prohibition tickets which he offered to passers by on Bank street.
 Chief Egan and his officers were to be found everywhere. Only one supernumer- ary was on duty, nearly all of the regular force being distributed about the polls The best of order was maintained every where.
 It was openly rhaI ged this morning that tie Ofnce of the judge of probate was being used for illegal purposes by the re- publicans. John Fitzpatrick proceeded to make an Investigation He passed the outside guard all right and was we'll inside the room before he was discovered. Put him ont, put him out" shouted $. P Will Hams. Several laid hands upon Mir Fitz patrick, but retired in disorder when he displayed his badge of authority as United States marshal. An officer has been watching the room all day since the occurrence.