Daily Republican., 1889-06-12
A B0, D THEFT.
THE ERROR LIST OF WILL
MINGToNvoTERs STOLEN
They Were Abstracted From the Locked
Drawer In Which Deputy Clerk
Osborne Kept Them-Taken to
Destroy Evidence Against
Democratic Voters.

tween friday evening, May 81, and the
beginning OF last week, entered the office
OF tlAe Clerk of the Peace in the Court
House of New Castle county and stole
from the drawers OF Deputy Clerk o.
borne, the books containing the list OF
voters returned as errors and delinquents
for the year 1888 of the city OF Whining
ton
Tile lists were In tho Office on Tuesday
evening before the city election, as they
were perused at that time by Messrs.
Mahatly and Elliott, and when they were
through with them they were handed to
Deputy Clerk Osborne, who put them in
the drawer where they were usually kept
and locked them up. Last week the
books were missing, Clerk Osborne can
not tell where they are and nobody else
seems to know anything about them.
There was, 1t is said, only one key to the
drawer and that was held by Deputy
Clerk Osborne, and the thieves must have
got skeleton keys to open the drawers.
The disposition is to hold MIR. Osborne
guiltless of the offense.
He has acted fairly throughout the
late assessment and nobody accuses him
OF t 10 theft. But the books nevertheless
have been stolen at such an important
period as to show real purpose for the
theft.
| Hundreds of Democrats, whose names
are upon those error lists returned as de-
| linquents for 1883, were registered at the
late registration on the llth and 18th of
May and voted at the city election on
Saturday, the first day of June, upon tax
rece pts issueded during 1888, setting
forth that taxes were paid for that year.
| This oi course was an utter impossi.
bility, as they were returned as delin-
quehts for that year, and could not
honestly be on the assessment nor could
they honestly pay taxes for that year,
aud of course could not honestly vote.
A number of persons thus voting have
beer presented to the Department of
Election and Registration for prosecu-
ton by the department. Simultaneous
with this presentation the error lists, the
strongest proof against them of illegal
registraton and voting, are stolen from
the drawers OF the Clerk of the Peace, the
law Jul custodian OF tho same.
| Fortunately the duplicates Of 1888 have
not been stolen yet from the Office of the
Clerk OF the Peace, but II the clerk does
not lock after them very carefully they
may disappear also. III these books the
names returned al errors and deljnquents
are crossed of the duplicates by drawing
a red line through the name. This name
corresponds with the name ON the error
list books, and shows as well who
were returned as errors as the error book
ITSELF
sImultaneous also with the stealing of
thede books comes the denial In the
Democratic papers that tho persons pre-
sented to the Department of Elections
and Registration had voted legally after
all, as Patrick Neary said their names
were on his tax duplicate of 1888. 1t was
not until after the error lists were stolen
that this report came out through the
DeinocIatic papers with a flourish OF
trumpels. The trick is voted "thin"
one by knowing politicians, and shows
desperation on the part OF some sleek
Democratic political manipulators never
before reached. If, as is claimed by Mr..
Neary, these names are on his duplicate
for 1888, certain questions are evolved
which are OF tremendous interest to the
taxpayers in general aud some political
leaders in particular.
| For instance: How could these names
be honestly on the collectors tax dupli-
catds for 1888 and be on the delinquent
list for the same yeari
How could these parties get these tax
receipts signed by Mr.. Neary and
stamped with the legal county seal with.
out his knowledgel
AS the receipts show that SO much
money was paid for the receipts, who
got the money! The collectors would
hardly turn over the names of dein-
quents and the money they pad Tor
taxes at the same time.
These are interesting questions and
cannot be covered over by political sub
terfuges and questionable resorts of poll.
tlc'hns. 1t is understood that Attorney
Geieral Biggs has expressed himself In
favor of prosecuting any real case of
fraud upon the election laws, but he does
not wish to proceed upon any merely
supposed cases.
The Department of Elections is still
considering the matter of the illegal
voters returned from the Ninth ward.
Meeting prominent Democratic poll
ticlAn day or two ago a representative
OF he REPUBLICAN asked him what he
Thought about Democrats being returned
as 1elinquents and afterwards turning
up with paid tax receipts for the year for
which they were returnedi "1t's all
bosh," said the politician. "Those tricks
have been carried on by all collectors of
all parties for many years past Nobody
can deny that who has been leader In
close political campaigns. All tax col
leCtors have made use oil the error lists,
and there Is no use In any one coming
forward and saying that the names are
on the duplicates when they have been
returned as errors, except In rare excep.
toual cases where honest mistakes are
made" The Democrat continuing, said.
But am out of politics now; 1t has be.
coule too corrupt for me-"