Blue-grass blade., 1891-06-06

Acqwiltal In Two Minutes.
The farsical character of the elec
tions held in Lexington was never bet
ter illustrated than in the trial to-day
of ID. B. Saffarans and Charles Robert,
for frauds in Ducks precinct at the
last August election, when John j
Sullivan was counted in over Letchel
Lusby for City Marshal.
Dan Saffarans was Sheriff and Chas
Roberts Judge at this election and
were tried together, William McNa
mara, clerk, and Dan Scott, the other
judge, asking for separate trials.
Messrs. Wellington Payne, B. p
Carpenter, E. B. Hayman, w. f. Hib-
Ter, and l.. P. Young swOre upon the
stand that they did not vote for Sulli.
van; that they did not know he was a
candidate, and that his name was not
on the tally sheet when they voted.
The tally sheet, signed and certified
to under the oaths of the defendants
as officers of election, was offered in
evidence, and showed that all of these
gentlemen were recorded rs voting
for John j. Sullivan for City Marshal
Dan Scott and Dan Saffarans testi-
fed that B. j. Welch, Chairman OF
the Democratic County Committee,
called at the voting place about 10
o'clock on the day of the election and
instructed the officers to place the
name of John J. Sullivan OH the tally
sheet for City Marshal.
The polls had been open long enough
for the clerk to fill about one page
with the names of voters, none OF
WHOM were recorded az voting for any
car1 date for City Marshal.
lhour later, according to the tes-
timony Of saffarans and Roberts, Mr..
Welch returned, and pointing to the
first page of names said in substance
"BOys, fill up that page for Sullivan,
and make him equal with the Demo
cratic ticket"
William Mcnamara, the clerk, was
put on the stand, but he could not re-
member anything about the election.
He did not even know whether it was
in August: He did not remember
whether Sullivan's name was put on
before or after the polls opened, and
could not tell the jury by what author
ity men were recorded as voting for
Sullivan who did not know he was a
candidate, and who would have taken
great pleasure in voting against him
had they been consulted.
The poll-boOks were shown him and
he admitted that Messrs. Payne, Young,
Carpenter, Hibler and Hayman were
recorded in his handwriting as voting
for Sullivan for City Marshal, although
these men testified OH oath that they
did not so vote.
Mr.. Roberts, one of the defendants,
testified that he had never acted az
Judge before; that he had been forced
to serve against his will, and that he
signed the pOll-bOok in good faith
without examining it to see it the clerk
had properly recorded the votes. He
said he had not taken any part in fal-
styling the record, and had signed the
sheet AZ matter of form, supposine
everything was all right. lie had
heard Mr.. Welch give his instructions,
but said he did not know that the
clerk had committed any fraud.
Mr.. Saffarns said he had been acting
as an officer of elections for twenty.
five years, and had never known of a
case of judge or sheriff examining
the poll-bOoks to see whether every
thing was all right before signing and
certifying to the record.
Il. b. Hayman testified that as he
went to vote Mr.. Saffarans said
"COme in, we've got some good Dem
Ocrats for you to vote for" 81 went
inside," said Mr.. Hayman, "and
looked over the book to zee who were
running. indicated who wanted to
vote for, and am sure Mr.. Sullivan's
name was not on the tally-sheet, and
was not voted for by me-"
Mcnamara, on cross-examinatiOn
by Judge Jewell, said he supposed
when the chairman of the Democratic
Central Committee ordered him to
put Sullivan's name on the ticket he
thought that was enough authority
for recording all Democrats for him.
Mr.. Watts Parker, in his statement
to the jury for the defense, contended
that the officers of election had in
tended no fraud in carrying out tht
order of Mr.. Welch To run Sullivan
even with the Democratic ticket. liz
said that the judges had committed
no crime in permitting the clerk u
enter up all the Democrats m voting
for Sullivan; especially rs there wa
but one candidate running ut the time
lie admitted that tho conduct of thu
officers was technically wrong, buI