Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-16
SOME BIG SURPRISES.
Three Important and Lively Primary
Elections in Allegheny.
PROMINENT CANDIDATES BEATEN.
Chairman Hunter Gets There, Notwith
standing Hot Fight.
PETER WALTER, JR, ALSO WINS

The liveliest primary elections ever held
in Allegheny occurred yesterday and were
attended by many surprises. "Sure win
ners," as some candidates were alleged to
be, discovered that they did not have q
ghost of show when the ballots were
counted. Charles W. Gerwig, formerly
of the County Controllers Office, q promi-
nent Grand Army man and candidate who
always won, and almost always led the
ticket was defeated as nominee for Common
Council in the Third ward. Eight men
were nominated, and Mr.. Gerwig was the
ninth on the ticket, lacking 20 votes Of
nomination.
Primaries were held in the Second, Third
and Fourth wards, and never before in the
history of the city was such interest taken
in them. At the suggestion meetings,
places to receive the returns were designated,
and an order was issued that no re-
turns be read until all were in. This was
evidently done to prevent holding back re-
turns in certain districts and fixing" them
in the interest of certain candidates. The
order was not obeyed strictly, and some an
nouncements were made, but the definite
result of the election cannot be given.
The headquarters for the Second ward
were in the Health Office, and Delinquent
Tax Collector Sam Grier was in charge,
with Water Assessor Barton Grubbs as his
assistant The Office was
CROWDED WITH RESIDENTS
Of the ward, and It was almost an impossi-
bility to obtain standing room in the corri-
dor Of City Hall. The, Third ward head
quarters were in Squire McNulty's Office,
and ex-C City Solicitor William B. Rodgers
was in charge. The Fourth ward returns
were received at the lower schoolhouse by
Street Commissioner William Meese.
They we're so slow coming in that
two districts were still out ut midnight,
but the persons who held the official count
would not announce the vote until all the
districts were represented. Unofficial re-
turns were received at all places, but the
only correct returns received at midnight
were in the Third ward, where the result
was as follows:
Select Council lone to nominatel-H. D. Rem
wick 258; VIM. Wettach, 90; e. Wertheimer,
go CommSS on Council !eights t te no%TnstelnJ'
ia; c. w. Gerwig. 6S5; II. Stockman. III; Theo.
Striepeke, sr., 7lS; B. F. Rynd, 7gS; VIM Swim
dell. S74; T, G. HARRISON, so2; c. W. Simon, 7ss;
]. H. Ebaok 272
When the result was announced it was
received with howls of delight by the per-
sons whose friends had "got in," while the
dissatisfied people quietly walked away.
The saloons in that vicinity did a good
business during the evening.
The "reformers" in the Second ward
spent great deal of money to defeat Chair
man James Hunter, of the Common branch
of Councils, while another clique, composed
of different Glasses, tried to elect and prob
ably succeeded, George j. Parkin to the
vacant seat in Select Council.
THE PENNsY BEHIND HIM.
Mr.. Parkin is the foreman at the outer
depot shops, and was backed by many of
the workingmen in the ward, number of
politicians and backed also, it is said, BY
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
Henry c. Lowe, young business man,
who has never been in politics before, was
Psrkin's opponent, and may be declared the
winner. The vote at midnight, with the |
Seventh and Ninth districts to hear from,
stood as follows: Lowe, 6O5; Parkin. 531. |
The Ninth district is Mr.. Parkin's home,
and is always the last to be turned in. This |
ludl Vic IcSulS. EOllOWlHk are Lue
returns for Common Council, with the two |
districts named left out:
Common Council (nine to nominate)-Wnl- |
lam A. CruiKshank, S7l; William ]. Mcdonald. |
BIS; Frank Curry, 789; simon Drum. TAT; Thos, |
A. Parke, 7l9; James Hunter, III; David Win |
ters, 855; John McKirdy, 655; James S. Bell
20; James P, Gregg, 6S2; Henry H. Bueule, !
j97; ]. L. Miller, 579,
1t is likely that the first nine names men,
Toned will be the nominees William A. !
Ford and Lewis McMullen were nominated
Tor School Directors; John L. Gullets for
Poor Director, and probably John r. Ragen
for Constable.
In the Fourth ward the returns from all
but the Sixth, Seventh and Tenth districts
we're received with the following result:
Select Council-Willlam NJ Kennedy. 1863:
". K. Fried, 226; Common Council, seven to
elect William Bader. 445; Peter Walter Jr.
81; John W. Stacy, 387; u. H. Stouffer. S5l:
Iohn Vogler, S43; II. @. Robson, 334; Hiram
-andis, 303; Jacob Ehmann, 299; David Martin.
55; John H. Short 252; Andrew Lyle, 224;
lanes w. Prescott, l7S
The first six named will undoubtedly be
elected and there will be a fight between
Iandis and Ehmann for the seventh place.