Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-07-02
Where Ellis and Edwards are
Both Beaten by Love.
The Ellis Delegates Pull Out
of the Convention.

the widest and the most disorderly af-
fair ever held IN the county. 1t was
a contest between the friends of Judge
Z. w. Ellis, the present district judge,
and Judge Loren Edwards, present pro-
bate judge, both candidates for district
judge and both anxious for the en-
dOrsement of Barber county.
The primaries were held on Wednes-
day, 18th ult., and both sides claimed
victory, and it did appear that Ed
wards had majority; but as the re-
suit showed, it was very close contest.
Judge Edwards carried Medicine Lodge
precinct, q delegates, by majority of
Is votes. This was his First blood"
and admitted by everyone to be quite a
victory.
But the fun commenced Saturday
when the county convention met. Both
sides were plumed for contest.
Chairman Noble, of the central COM
mittee, called the meeting to order. He
is the law partner of Judge Edwards,
and the Ellis men were inclined to
watch him very closely; but he evident
ly tried to be fair in his rulings.
Mr.Overstreet nominated Mr.. Grigsby
ofsElm Mills, for temporary chairman.
Mr.. Overstreet was the leader of the
Edwards forces and the fact that he
had recently declared his intention of
becoming resident of Guthrie, Okla
homa, in fact had already opened law
office there, was used by the Ellis men
as an argument why he should not take
a part in Barber county politics.
w. E. Campbell was nominated by
the Ellis men as their candidate for
temporary chairman.
Commissioner Stranathan wanted it
understood that Campbell's nomination
was made by delegate who lived IN
the state.
Mr.. Overstreet recognized that the
dart was directed at him and said that
he lived in the state.
The roll of precincts was called and
resulted in tie vote, 433 for Grigsby
and 43t for Campbell. And here started
the real trouble-the milk in the cocoa
nut was discernible even through a
thick shell.
The Ellis faction had received the
votes of Roundup, and the l vote of
Dry Creek.
Mr.. Overstreet entered a protest
against allowing Roundup or Dry Creek
to vote for the reason that no primaries
were held in those precincts on the day
recommended by the central commit
tee.
In the course of the day and night it
was shown that in Dry Creek precinct
there were not more than three or four
republicans; that on the 25th no prima-
ry was held because Lou Bragg, the
committeeman, had a fellon OH his
finger. The next day old man Berry
went to John Williams house and he
and John held an adjourned primary
and appointed Berry a delegate. He
was an Ellis man.
In Roundup precinct, Nippewalla
township. no primary;was held on the
18th. Committeeman Snoddy went to
the school house but no one else came
and So he adjourned and went home.
The next day, or probably Friday,
MIR. Sample went down to that precinct
in the interest of Ellis. He could find
no delegates and so hunted up Fred
Dudley, and Fred, with several other
men and boys, organized little, prima-
~ of their own and elected Dudley a
delegate; by authority of Committee
man Hamlin, Mr.. Sample signed his
name to the credentials of Dudley.
Several other Nippewalla township
republicans objected to this procedure
when it was too late; and the subse-
quent events show that Dudley and his
wheat field primary won the day.
When Mr.. Overstreet challenged
Roundup and Dry Creek, Mr.. Oliver,
Of Kiowa, challenged the challenger,
claiming Mr.. Overstreet to be citizen
of Oklahoma.
Mr.. Ingraham, of Medicine Lodge,
holding LakeCity proxy said eerhead
was in as bad shape as the precincts
challenged, as no primary was held out
there.
Mr. OverstFeet had q letter stating
that no primaries had been held at
Roundup; and in the course of his re-
marks he pleaded for party harmony
and said that nothing could be more
odious to him than to be called demo-
crat.
Mr.. Steck. of Hazelton, thought that
neither the time or place to consider
the details or manner of holding pri-
maries-the first thing In order being a
temporary chairman who would appoint
a committee on credentials and that
body would then decide who should be
admitted.
Mr.. Sexton wanted to know by what
authority the chairman, Mr.. Noble. was
assuming to run the convention when
he was not even delegate, bnt simply
chairman of the central committee.
Mr.. McAdoo, of Hazelton, a new re.
publican in the county, but evidently a
sensible and bright man, thought the
only duty of the present chairman was
to call the roll and make it possible TO
have Temporary chairman who could
appoint COMMITTEES on credentials.
A general war Of words followed.
Medicine Lodge was challenged and
Mr.. Oliver wanted it to show its Gre