Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-01-03
The Legal Steps in the
GubernatOriaI Contest.
NOTICE SERVED ON GOFF.
Ten Hundred and FOrty-TwO IL
legal Votes Contested.
DEMOCRATIC COUNSEL CONFIDENT
Tha. The Final Result Will Prove the Truth
o., Judge FlemiDgs ElsctOn-Thsir
Case is Unanswerable---The
Situation at Charleston.


special Tsegraus 10 te Register.
CLAREsBUR0, W. VA, January o.
Attorneys for Judge Fleming served the
notice Of the gubernstorisl contest on
GoG ia person here to-day. The notice
was served by Hon. J. W. ST. Clair and
includes a complete statement Of ths DEM
ocratic case. The contestant relies solely
upon the rejection Of illegal aud fraudu-
lent votes, and docs not make a single
technical specification. The notice
charges that ,O42 illegal votes were cast
for Con. aud names each person casting a
frludulsnt ballet, and outlines the
sources OF proof by which it is expected
TO make the statement good. The great
majority cf these Illegal ballots were cast
by cololed repeaters 10 Kanawha, Mercer,
Mcdowell and Fayetts counties. These
men were natives Of Virginia, but were
brought to the polls in thiDly populated
districts and voted by the score. A con-
siderable number Of fraudulent ballots, It
is a,o charged in the notice were pOlled in
Mineral c,unly.
In addition 10 these, the notice further
alleges that nineteen legal Democratic votes
were thtosn out in various counties, and
charges that this was done through fraud
and conspiracy in General Gofas interest
Lack OF time prevented a full inyestiga-
ton of the gross electoral outrages COM
mit.ed by the Republican managers IN the
third congressional district, but the coun-
sci for Judge Fleming sre confident that
inconroge. THE evidence has been secured
10 clearly establish biz right to the seat
10 is expected TO prove by eomPetent wit
nesses that every one Of the 1912 men
named ;u the notice voted Illegally and
voted for General Gof
The representative OF the REGIsTER met
one OF the Democratic counsel to-day, and
la response to an inquiry he expressed the
utmost confidence that the result OF the
legal proceedings would establish Judge
Fieming's election beJoad the shadow Of q
doubt He said 1--WE would not have
entered into this contest unless We believed
that We could make = complete ard uuan-
swerabls cae. Grave suspiciOns OF fraud
were entertained, aud We determined TO
sift them 10 the bottom. The RESULT was
startling. even % MS. The Investigation
was pursued and il has resulted 10 this
notice to-day. Il does net include more
than one-hslf Of the cases in which fraud
ulent votes were at for the Republican
ticket. There was great difficulty in socur.
iog competent testimony to establish fraud,
bat in each OF .hese 1,Oi2 cases, on which
the contest is based, We have a complete
chain Of evidence and will establish all We
charge
"The attorneys for the contestant in this
matter have good reason to believe that
the people Of West Virginia are with them.
Oar honest voters do not desire that any
man shall take a seat obtained by fraud or
corruption. They want the right clearly
established, and that is exactly what we
propose 70 do in this case. If Gen. GOfi is
able to reiute the facts upon which our
contest is based, We will willingly concede
his election, but until be does do 30 We
claim that Judge Fleming is the fairly
chosen Governor Of the State