, 1890-04-22
THE STRAIGHT STORY.
Some Inside Facts Regarding the
HatrOna County Election.
The Big Bogus Vote PoIIed in the
Town of Bessemer.
Republicans on the Ground With
Doodle for the Boys.

political capital out OF the misrepresenta-
tons in regard to the late ~clestion in Ma
trona county.
In view of the gross falsity of these
dispatches the Democrats have deemed it
Just to the party and the people Of our
county, as well as to the temporary county
commissioners, to make a plain statement
of the facts in relation to said election,
which you may publish with the assurance
that every statement will be verified by
the afidavits Of responsible men Of this
county.
The facts in relation to the canvass Of
the official returns by the board of county
commissioners are these: On the after
noon of April 10, two DAYS after the elec.
ton, the commissioner were all together
in the Office of the Wyoming Lumber
company, waiting for the returns to come
in, but having adjourned to the 18th of
April were not 10 session as a board.
Mr.. G. w. Eads OF Bessemer came to
the office and said he had the Bessemer
precinct returns and tina he had been in
structed to have them canvassed at once
and IN his presence or to return them to
Bessemer, and wire from Casper to MIR.
SchicklY at Geneva Neb.. for an injunc
ton.
The commissioners promptly informed
clerk OF election, he had no business with
the returns and would make no terms
with him of any nature, but would pro-
coed with their canvass when the returns
were all in, and that unless the returns
were received by shutdown they would
send a messenger Tor them.
Mr.. Eads having concealed the returns
at various places around town, was some
what afraid of liability to fine, and a lit
tie before shutdown gave the returns to
the chairman of the commissioners, who
gave MIR. Eads his receipt therefor and
locked the returns in the safe with the
returns from the other precincts.
On the next day the commissioners
met at the appointed time and place,
with open doors, and proceeded with the
canvass of The returns.
When Bessemer precinct was reached,
they found a large paper sack. sealed,
and presumably filed with ballots; also
the regular official returns envelope, ad-
dressed to the chairman of the board of
county commissioners of NatrOna county,
Wyoming, and marked official returns
Of Bessemer precinct. April s, $780,
On opening this they found that the
Judges and clerks had omitted to make
any oihelal returns. The two pages in
the tax poll book, headed with the proper
certificates as provided by Sec. liza OF
the REVISED statutes oil wyoming, were
not even solled by thumb marks. As to
whether 1t was a mistake or a 'prsar-
ranged overnight people difcr IN Their
gnesseS'
Certain 1t is there was nothing before
the commissioners Tor them to canvass
and on motion the canvass proceeded
without bcssemer precinct"
Many suspicious IN regarl to the
bessemer returns had beer aroused by
the peculiar action OF MIR. EAds and also
by the Tact that certain Republican candr'
dates were Offering to bet on their cleo
ton alter 1t was known that, had they re-
ceiVed any ieRa' vote ia Bessemer, they
had no chance Tor election. No state
mcnt oil the Bessemer precinct could be
oD'alhed from bcsscmcr people and this,
coupled with the TACT thai the two chal-
lengers regularly appointed by the chair
men oil the county central committees;
one a Republican acting postmaster at
Jasper ana the other a prominent Demo
crat' were violently elected from the
election room at 4 d. IN. by the Judges,
although they both showed roper ere
dentlal-' made suspicion almost certainly.
These chalIengers took the name OF
every voter at bessemer as they voted
and entered 1t IN a book provided for the
purpose. Alter being elected they slaid
as near the polls as possible and took the
names 81 ten voters. AT the time oil
electnent i0rty-t"o votes had been cast
making a total OF hity two votes cast.
Inc chaIiengers waited at bessemer
uhal II D N ior inc count oil the vote
when one oil the Judges coming out III
formed them that the other Judges ana
clerks were so drunk they could not count
the vote until morning Inc poII-boOk
returhed 10 the COMMISSIONERS 'u"Y sus-
. ta1nE ms statement. and one oil the