The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-12-24

1 William NJ. Klotz, clerk at Waynesburg,
| Sandy township, was the first witness.
4 He said he knew Charlss 7. HOFFMAN and
that he came to the polls to vote on
November 3rd last. The witness said Mr..
| Hoffman voted at the late election. He
| also said he had the means of knowing
| how Me-. HOFFMAN voted, and that he OBJ
l tanned the information while the judges
we're instructing the voter how to prepare
1 his ballot. Mr. WhitScre asked the JUS
tices to instruct the witness that he was
not obliged to answer the question, unless
| he desired to do so, as he was there in an
official capacity. The justices held that
| the witness need not answer the question,
l it he gained the information while the
| judges were instructing the voter how TO
mark the ballot, but il he learned by the
public declaration OF the voter, he then
had right to answer. The
| witness declined to tell him how
1 sometimes Mr.. Hoffman voted the Re.
publican and sometimes the Democratic
ticket, as to whether Mr.. HOFFMAN was Of
sound mind; lie said that he had had a
guardian appointed.
1 NJ. L. Aungst, deputy probate judge
was next called. He produced the records
of the probate court, which showed that
Charles d. Hoffman was an imbecile, by
reason of habitual drunkenness, and
l that guardian had been appointed.
1 Vinton L. Porter, clerk in the probate
Office and clerk of the county board OF
elections was then called. He produced
L
Mr.. Klotz was recalled and identified
the poll book, which contained the name
ofC. ID. Klotman.
| o. j. Strayer, of Waynesburg, Sandy
township, Republican judge at the cleo
| ton was the next witness called yester-
day afternoon in the Rowlen- Weybrecht
contest. He testified that he did not be-
lieve the mental condition OF Charles T.
| Klopman to be good, and thought lac was
an imbecile. Klopman voted at the last
election, and he believed he voted the
Democratic ticket.
Michael w. Oberlin, a Republican Judge
in Plain township, Louizenheiser precinct,
testified that inmates of the County In
flrmery voted at the last election. He
thought that about thirty Of them voted.
He cav them bring one load to the polls.
saw jackson Pontius, Superintendent
| of the Inlrmary, part OF the time before
the rope and part of the slime back of the
rope that separated the booths from the
outside. Once he was back of the rope to
bring q law book from the city, and once
ho was there to help us make out a name
that we could not. He was there the
greater part of the day. made an ohjec-
ton to The inmates voting, on the ground
that they were not voters in that pre-
cinct Mr.. Andrew Pontius thought they
could vote. There was no decision of the
judges more than those who had been
there long would be allowed to vote
There were seven ballots that were not
counted. l know one OF these was cast
by an inmate of the Infirmary. Mr.
Crane, for the defense, objected to the
witness telling for which party electors
cast their vote.
The justices decided they had no au
thority to the question and the witness
| was told to proceed. / would say that a
! least eight or nine of the inmates were o
unsound mind. jackson Pontius was a.
r the right OF the judge while the tickets
, were counted. He took some OF the bal
| lots and inspected them before they were
counted. do not know how many. There
was some objection raised because of in
r | reference in the counting by people whC
5 | we're not judges. There were no Repub
r licans behind the rope at the time of elec
/. | tion unless you would consider the chal
3 lenger one. On cross examination th
4 II. A., -. a.
4 1 of the Inflrmary were allowed to vote wa
: | because Mr.. Pontius said that it woult
! take three of the Judges to deber them.
acted as judge only during the morning
i In the afternoon took the place of MI
,. | Andrew Pontius who tired of writing tn
8 names of the witnesses on the stubs.
John A. Smith of Plain township wa
the fret witness called. He was at tn
! polls on election day and saw jackson
, Pontius, who was there the greater par
of the day. A great many of the inmate
I, voted that day. Tney came over in tn
y county conveyance, four or five of ther
= coming at time. One man they had t
!, carry into the booth on chair. Jackso
;. Pontius was behind the ropes at the sam
II time the voters were. He remained bC
hind the rope flve or ten minutes at
time. Jackson Pontius assisted In tn
counting of the ballots. After / cam
from supper, got over the ropes an
), staidi there until got ashamed, when
left. was present when an objectio
was made to outsiders being present. Th
judges said they had to have more room
left at IL o'clock and jackson Pontiu
was still there.
'r The witness was cross examined by Nj
L. Crane and said he was a Republican
q Nothing else of importance was eliciteC
THE GEIB-MAUDRU CASE.
At this point of the proceedings, tt
~ taking of testimony In the treasury col
test commenced by Jacob Geib again
Joseph Maudru, was commenced. Cler
20 o. M. Coxen was called and further takin
OF testimony in this case was then cor
tinued until December 80.
CHARLES REED
, was the next witness called in the Rowle
rs -Weybrecht case, He said he was Ca
"a ton mail carrier and resided In Plai
n township. He was Republican clerk
Loutzenheiser precinct at the late electio
Quite number of the inmates of Il
county infirmary voted but not as mar
Ir as at previous elections. The inmat
Is were brought in a two seated carriag
jackson Pontius, superintendent of Il
Infirmary, was present all the time Il
voting was going on. Mr.. Pontius is {
active Democrat. Mr.. Joseph Maud