The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-09
Republican Motions Voted Down, and
Returns Canvassed Over Protests.
A Scheme to Throw Ont Precinct Defeated
by Neat COunier-Plsy-Hope for Had.
ley, Wagner snd Tinchers Election.

OF AL the inspectors and township trustees, VINO
by vhtne of their Office served as such, met in
the Circuit Court room yesterday morning, at 10
o'clock, to make a canvass OF the vote cast in
this county Tuesday The board Of ninety
members was Democratic with two exceptions,
Charles J. Many. trustee Of Center township. and
w. A. Ketcham. VINO represented j. NJ. Watts,
trustee OF Franklin township The county
clerk, by virtue of his Office, was clerk Of the
board, and named VIM. K. Sproule and George
Buskirk a. enrolling and counting clerks, and
John Scsley as reading clerk. Edgar A. Brown
was chairman. This is the position which the
convict " F. A Bernhamer, held two years ago.
Mr.. Sullivan attempted to shift the responsible
ity in the count by proposing that j. L. E.
Steeg, former business partner of Bernhamer
act as reading clerk, but Mr.. Ketchsm objected
on the ground that the county clerk should be
held responsible for the correct reading of the
returns. Only about half the county candidates
were present when the board was ready to begin
to work. Several of these were represented by
attorneys Il was 1920 o'clock when the work
of going over the vote began, and ow-
ing to the length Of the tickets very slow prog
ress was made. The day session was not
marked by any features Of particular interest
The changes were very few, and affected no can
didate materially they worked both ways.
Two inspectors, Robert Remington, Of the Sec
ond precinct Of the Twenty-third ward, and Mr..
Sinner, Of the first precinct of Warren town
ship, pleaded sickness and at their request their
returns were csnvassed before the rest
taken up in regular order. Mr.. Kennington's
precinct was taken up first The count showed
no change, but Mr. McCrsy as attorney for Fl.
It. Tincher candidate for prosecutor on the Re-
publican ticket. offered a protest against count
ing the vote OF the Union Labor party as it APP
pearsd on the sheet The returns, he held, did
not represent the ballot The precinct board
had credited votes for individuals whose names
we're on more than one party ticket, and
had not added them. The Republican attorneys
objected to this manner OF counting, because it
was possible that the Labor vote had been added
20 the regular party vote by the precinct board
Chairman Brown held that the votes would have
to be counted they appeared on the returrs.
and that the inspector could not be asked to ex-
plain what the sheet WAS intended to show.
The first precinct of Warren township did not
reveal any changes, but the returns offered
attorney ketcham an opportunity to protest
against the vote given John V. Hadlsy for judge
on the returns. He stated that he was informed
that two votes cast for John A Hadey had not
been counted. They were obviously intended
for John V. Hadley. and thoughtit would be per-
tecb!v rlgDL lor tno BOARD TO count the votes
for Hadisy. lie also stated that Mr..
simmer bad afidavits stating that two such
votes had been cast but not counted. Mr.. Sinner
said be had the afidavIts with him. but at that
iuneture w. II. Corbaley deputy sheriff. and an
inspector. objected. and declared that the board
lad right TO go behind the returns This
the same question which Mr.. Bern
Damer. two years before, permitted the forged
tally sheets to pass, and there WAS considerable
eurio:iss to see what position Chairman Brown
would take.
There can be no controversy as 30 the law
said the chairman, I'VE must be controlled by
the official documents before u.s. Frank Ian
ders stated that the tally sheet should contain
the facts. Chairman Brown said Mr. Sinner
had probably not understood the law, as his affi-
davits should have been in the bag with the bal
lots. the two votes were not counted, and
Mr. ketcham filed formal protest. which means
contest IN case of close vote. he also filed
another protest against the returns of that pre-
cinct, embracing a written statement signed by
the Republican judge and watchers. declaring
that votes were counted for Osborne, the third
party candidate for county commissioners, when
they belonged TO the Osborn running for the
same Office on the Republican ticket The
protest further alleged that one Democratic vote,
which all the Presidential electors bft
Thomas r. Cobb scratched was counted
for the whole electoral ticket. When the count
of this precinct had been concluded there was
so much irregularity apparent in the recording
of the Union Labor vote that M. McCray gave
notice that ne would file protest against the re-
turn of every ward in which q vote for the
Union Labor ticket had been cast.
After these two precincts were disposed OF
the First ward was taken up, and the canvass
proceeded as rapidly as possible There were
changes Irregularities noted The in
spector In the first precinct of the Second
ward was not present when called, and rule
was adopted that when inspector passed
he should take his place at the foot of the list
There were no changes in the count Of the Sec
onG precinct of this ward Tincher made gain
OF two votes in the third precinct, and esrpr
was discovered IN the vote returned for Bynum.
On one sheet 1t given as eighty-six, aud on
the other, eigbty-three. AS the latter figures
appeared on the taliy-shset, it stood in the
count; There were no changes OK
nAined the same as returned In the second
precincts Prohibition tickets designed for Io;pt
Representatives, but cast for Represen taiives
were. upon the ruling of the chairman, not
counted The Fourth ward was passed cor
rect and the vote of the Fifth ward disclosed no
errors. Walden Republican candidate for Rep
Issentative, gained ten votes In the first pre-
cinct of the Sixth ward, but no other changes
made. In the second precinct of the
Eighth ward Mitchell, for prosecutor, gained
from the Prohibition column, and Wagner,
for coroner, one from the United Labor ticket.
The votes had not been added to the totals
There were no changes in either precinct of the
Ninth ward.
While the vote of the first precinct OF the
Tenth ward was being eanvassed. the readi g
clerk read lbf votes Tor hoOker, When IL should
have been 162 The mistake about to pass
when City Attorney Taylor discovered the error
90 The rally-sheet Ii looked very much as
though the clerk had purposely misread the
vote, and the Democrats were indignant because
Mr. Taylor had discovered the error. Had the
l67 stood, DIR. Wagner would have lost all hope.
IS his claim TO election was only three or
four votes During the count OF the next pre-
rinct IL was moved. and carried, that no %.
sn official connected with the count had an
right to be looking at the tally-sheets while the
vote was being canvassed. Mitchell gained on
cote In this precinct, IL coming from the Union
Labor ticket
Hsdley and Tincher. Republicans, coming
out of Hendricks county with large majorties,
The former with l,2ll and the latter with ], l55,
saused what especial interest there was 20 the
canvass to center around their vote in this
county This interest was strengthened by the
absences of the vote coroner. A precinc,
thrown out would settle the question 10 favor
Of the Democratic candidates for circuit Judge,
prosecutor and coroner. and when the second
precinct of the Thirteenth ward was reached II
appeared as If the time had come
for the Democrats inspectors to re-
peat some OF the practices that
made the board OF 1856 infamous. To that pre-
ciuct Frank T. Hord on the morning of the cleo
ton came 10 serve as inspector, he having been
appointed by the county commissioners. AS he
had not been q resident freeholder and house
holder IN the precinct for one year preced &c
the election, he could Ut legally accept the
place. When i, having the baiiot-box with
me- Mr.. Hord said TO a Journal reporter last
night, got to the polls, George Merritt showed