The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-10-15
THREW THEM OUT
The Voters of the Tunnel Dis
trict Virtually DisfranChiSed.
FIXED BY PARTY BOSSES
The Decision Of the County Commission
erS Dictated by Politicians.
Beaten at th~ Polls. tho Republicans Of
silver ssD~ Try tn Gain 20 Point
by Fraud In the
Count.
special Ia the standard.

InorntI1g tlts ilitIIS III ttt' Oil ot "eTe
throngcd with people anxious tn learn at
the earliest possible moment what the
decision of the county canvasscrs would
br, on which hung so much. The board
met, but Immediately adjourned until IL
o'clock at the request of Judges Dixon and
Mcconnell. The buzz of excitement ron
tinued during the hour. the crowd i'm
crcasing rather than diminishing. The
bell was still tolling the hour of IL when
William NJ. Jack, Judge Irvine and Will
lam Hall, the commissioners, filed into
the county commissioners rooIn. followed
by the lawyers OH each side and all the
spectators the room would
Judge Mcconnell arose tn speak.
'Just wait a. moment IL You please"
said Mr.. Jack, rising, ~ wish to say "a
word before you, begin, and what l have
to say will he addressed to the democracy.
I see that threats have been made against
the canvassinG board. The Anaconda
says that il is talked openly i'm
the streets. And I know further that hat
is true. I know that the lives of members
of the canvassing board have been threat
encd by n man who IL elected tai the lcGis-
lature on the democratic ticket. l learn
that he is among those who have said hat
some fine morning, the ~canvassers, IL
things don't go right. will Inc found hang
ing tn n telegraph pole. 1 have lived i'm
this territory 25 years and l am not tn be
b,lldozcd. Furthermore. I am somewhat
surprised also that my friend Mr.. Booth
here h AZ threatened that IL the board does
certain things he will be - IL he will
sign the certificates of election"
YOU know that to he u fact:" inter
rupted County Clerk Booth.
swell, l am told 3d." said Mr.. Jack.
TIo" shouldn't, make such S'a,sme n.
Booth.
"Mr. Irvine told me that you made that,
want To do what IN right. My goods In my
ardware store are my own. and men who
make public speeches in the streets, as ]
Epss.xv hnS tNaSsss slnnA thnf fInS.y will min
pole, won't have any effect on me. I pro-
hurts, and no matter i'll have tn go around
town with "a body guard. l ann very much
ch surprised a. the thrcats that have been
"Docs anybody. hold the Democratic
arty responsible for any such assertion ?'
inaHired Judge Kirkpatrisk.
~ don't Doubt" said Mr.. Kirkpatrick,
'but that l can go among angry republic
rams and hear just such threats from
"Well," said Mr.. Jack, ~ expect to go
10 New York in a few days and will pro-
Mr.. Booth said he was not to he bull
dozcd amy more than Mr.. Jack, and
plain as MIR. Jack.
The argument thus p~roccedcd. Judge
Mcconnell. read aifadavits from w. A.
Pendercook and John Morrison, certify
precinct; that Mr.. Pendcrcook did the
clerical work Tor the clerks because he IL
AN expert penman and the clerks wished
il; that they counted i'm the tent where
the polls were cast until IL o'clock when il
to u house Immediately adjoining the tent
and there remained until the count was
votes and MIR. Pcnicrcook tailed them;
that no one was excluded from the house
except "a deputy sheriff who was drunk
number was found i'm the ballot box.
An affidavit was read from Thomas
O'Kcefe. One of the clerks, saying that he
had been present from the beginning to
the end. thai the election was conducted
in a perfectly open and fair MANNER, and
that after the polls closed he requested
MIR. Pcndcrcook to- make out the tally
list because the afiiant was n w~orkingnian
and not familiar with the pen. William
the republicans Saturday night, furnished
another stfidavit. saying that the count
they adjourned from the tent to the house
because of the cold at II o'clock.
Thompson Campbcil said that IL the
board finds amy evidence of fraud it has
discretionary power tn exclude thc vote,
and that counter afiidavits in the matter
wers. of no consequence. because men
were expected to certify falsely to save
themselves from the pcnitcntiary.
Judge Mcdonnell said there is not the
reInotest indication of fraud. One of the
Judges happened To he AN expert penman
and had taken. the place of the clerk by
request. The books WERE perfectly kept.
in fact the most accurate of all the RE-
turns that had been sent in. There is 10
doubt of their gc~uuineucss. III theirs. IL
any fraud the courts must settle that the
duties of the board are purely minis
tcrial.
Mr.. Campbell thought there was IA little
too much particularly about these re-
turns. Mr.. Mcconnell said that the stat
utes do not require that the count be open
and public, but only directs il. Ii is not
obligatory.
Campbell has charged an excess
of votes, irreuularity and fraud" said Mr..
kirkpatrick. we have produced our afiida-
Wits. He has charged the officials with
fraud. We have shown there was no fraud.
Now there is one supreme test hy which
We can decide the question of fraud and
we ask IL for the sake of fairness and JUS
tice. The test is the ballot box. We ask
here in public that IL brought here and
the box counted to vindicate thess. Judges
from an attack made by the other party.
Open the ballot bax and let us see whether
these charges are true or not"
MIR. Campbell objected to this ON the
ground that the box had been in some
body's possession for two weeks. He said