The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-01-15
Mcrcilcssly Scored by 5S Atkinson's
CounsclTsnodgrass Comes In! for 2
hlsShhreofthe Cnsti igation..NIr.,'Ss, s,5
WV lI.I ft-si Nsil g. Ey- p sF7Hsl lllf
Russell Great cs n Sensation. as
Special Dispdich 10 he, In.eliiotnnee,r,., =

illegal votes Tor Pendleton were claimed
second, tho Wctzei county post election
frauds. 33t T. s
THE wETzEL FRAUDS. VIZ ~ II
On the first point he went al length
into tie evidence of Illegal votes and
quoted from decisions upon former
election cases before tho House. But,
he said, queations Of law between tho
two parties were few in this case; there
was sinplyl!a question OF @ facts. Il He
would make the chief point on Archer's
Fork and Martins school house distric,
frauds In sWntzel, w here land II votes
had BEEN deducted tfroms "A tkinson' s
vote, or enough to give P Pendleton, his
opponents q majority OF nineteen.
A recount had been demanded by the
contestee. The State and district Were
close and this recount had been protract.
ed after all other counties had reported
to see how many additional votes would
be needed. He took up the pretended
illness ot Judge Earnshaw's 8 wife and
Wells bogus telegram, and explained
fully concocted scheme in all this to
delay tho count. s;t$
~ THE SCRATCHED BALLOTS. 4 tb;9s =
G Then he came to how the ballots were
kept in the Court House and made 4
complete expose Of Lee Snodgrass' VII
lainy. lie related the history Of the
combination lock which a everybody
knew; how beer was kept in the vault.
The ballots from these two precincts
were open and Snodgrass had access to
them for three weeks, and finally when
it came to the recount twenty-five bal
lots were found with fAtkinson's s name
scratched ! of. ss The unanimous testi-
mony;of the County Commissioners was
that the ballots were not scratched at
the time of the first count, aud nobody
was produced swho did scratch any.
The similar marking OF all was dwelt on.
Then came the history of Snodgrass'' at
tempted dealings with Chairman Cow
den. "a Every. feature Of his yillainy and
deceit was mercilessly handled, and the
FIRST part OF his argument as concluded
by saying that whether the entire pre-
cincts were thrown out or only 25 votes
the result;was the same in effect.
E u. JUDGE -GooDE' s ARGUMENT. 3 "
Judge Goode likewise began BY an
nouncing that the issue was on facts not
law. He nevertheless devoted by far
the greater; part OF his argument to dis
cussions OF what constituted unsound
mind in the meaning ;of the law, tho
question Of non-residence,5 intention Of
voters and finally came to the defense Of
the thirty-fve votes in Braxton county,
challenged by Atkinson; as cast out Of
the proper district. I;
,5 Lacey, Of Iowa, asked il this was not
the same question presented in Brooke
county and the Gubernatorial Commit.
tee had thrown them out. 81 s
Goode replied he would try to show
the difference. Y The claim in the Brax-
ton case was that y district lines were
changed before the slawE required the
notice to be given ,iand that the County,
Court had power to make the change.
In Brooke the Circuit Court had under
taken to do this & that was the differ.
ence. H 81 "
nnEroRlc NOT FACTS. ,fiS
The ;Wetzel case was entered on with
fine rhetorical i display. \. The: judges
had simply made an innocent mistake
they had merely overlooked y the
scratches; they we're sleepy and \ tired
and the4 light was poor. 3ssy As: to legal
matters the different Z members OF the
committee took, turns in bothering coun'
sci considerably, and the best. claim he
could make was that there was only q
suspicion oil criminal intent. Ho paid
his respects to Snodgrass rs follows: MI !
. am not here to defend Snodgrlss hes is
worthys;of the EXTREMIST contempt. .ol
any mau.sE Ono who is so lost to moral
sense as to see no wrong in putting s., ,OO0
OF othcr peoples money in his pocket, !
would not defend in! tho slightest.
a. As to the: condition Of the ballots in
Z the vault he first claimed they were safe,
but the chairman called his attention to
( the testimony rs to the number soi tpor.
sons having the combination and lie
then thought they:were safe in the box.
Time was here called Son him. It wat
/, very evident hc did not like the fcondi.
: ton OF the testimony about w etzel and
would have touched til even more light.
er than he did had It been possible. 4
THE SENSATION OF THE DAY.5EassSjSliiI; q y;
In concluding his argument for Atr
1. Atkinson,i Mr., Russell made, the sensa 9
ton Of the day BY declaring ! himself /.
Democrat and Sas voting for Pendlcton
hut he could notstand the}W }Wetzel infamy
and did not!want to sic Pendleton seated
He concluded .by saying 7 that Ehayint
/ proved bySevidence that fraud on thu
ballot had been committed { in Il Wetzel
1t was immaterial to- the contestant who
lad committed it. s8Al II that was askee
was an examination Of tile evidence sub
initted. 81 Altogether, the hearing was tn
most satisfactory from "a Republican
i standpoint. Tho arguments were closel!
Y followed Saad the questions showed re
= ,narkable familiarity on, the spart Oh tn
various members of the committee, no
only with the West Virginia Guberna
sorial situation butespecally the Nrs 1rt'