The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-11-15

county commissioners were present
yesterday forenoon when that body
met TO tackle the arduous work Of
counting the ballots cast week ago.
Ii. NJ. Russell notified the board that
NJ. j. o'Kane, defeated candidate for
house of delegates, aud W. H. 1arr, de-
fcated candidate for state senate, would
demand recount. Later Leroy Alex
ander, defeated candidate for commits
sioncr in Liberty district, presented a
demand fora recount OF the votes for
that Office in that district. The board
will scarcely reach this order of BUSH
ness before this afternoon, if then.
The ballot bags were opened one at a
time for examination.
In precinct one OF Washington dis
trict the ballots lacked two OF as many
as the certificate called for. Commits
sioner Koch moved to send for the cleo
ton officers and ask an explanation.
In precinct tho certificate called for
but 1877 votes, while 1888 names were on
tho poll list and there were lsS ballots
in the box Doubtless one was blank.
In another precinct there were 2O9
names on the poll books, and only 1875
ballots in the bag, while the tally sheets
and certificates called for but los votes.
These commissioners were also sent for.
In precinct s OF Washington district
the commissioners had destroyed four
ballots which they considered illegal.
This was clearly blunder on their
part.
Washington district was completed at
ll:45, and as each Of the seven bags
had to have the name OF each commits
sioner written on it after being resealed,
THE ten members devoted the rest OF
tho morning session to writing.
In the first precinct OF Madison dis
trict, the returns from which wore
examined first at the afternoon session,
there were 300 ballots, which Tailed
with the poll book and certificate. In
precinct two six tickets were found
endorsed on the back mot counted"
and in all there were 266 ballots cast.
There was some question raised as to
whether the uncounted ballots should
be put in the bag. The law plainly re-
ouires this, so that the names of voters
shall equal in number the tickets on
the string.
The next precinct was all right with
100 ballots even. The next three pre-
cincts were all regular, and the mum.
beers tailed correctly.
YELLOW TICKETS YorED.
In precinct s OF Madison district
funny thing was enacted. Three of the
sample ballots with the card of instruc-
tons to voters, required by law to be
hung up in the voting booths, had been
voted and strung on the string. These
were probably pulled down in the booth
by the voters. and voted instead oil the
regular ballots. The sample ballots are
printed on yellow paper, and the rcgu-
lar ones on white. and the judges that
allowed yellow votes to be cast must
have been color blind, or have over
looked the provision oil the law that
mono but the regular ballots should be
used in voting
In the book of this precinct was re-
corded the fact that 20 defective ballots
were rejected by the judges. The tally
sheets showed that in all 2l5 votes were
cast, yet counting the three yellow
tickets there were only FOG ballots IN
the box.
Madison district was finished at
o'clock, showing total OF 1850 votes
cast
The judges OF election in precinct of
Clay returned go homes on the poll
book, and 226 votes on the certificates.
while only 225 votes were in the bag.
II was suggested about this time that
the discrepancy in fine counts and the
ballots might be due TO tickets pro-
tested, and put in envelopes with the
atfidavits OF those who cast them.
These ballots we're left with the clerk Of
the circuit court and it is understood
that one precinct returned ten such
tickets.
MARRIED BALLOTS.
In going over ono precinct ten tick.
OTIS we're found with numbers on the
back from ono to ten, and another had
on it the name OF the man who voted
it. These were illegal, but it is a ques-
ton whether the votes were inyal-
ldated.
In precinct 8 Of Clay district the first
count made discrepancy OF one, and
it was decided to count again. This
time the ballots seemed ten short, and
they were gone over third time. Still
the counts would not agree, but on a
fourth count there were found to be 23l
ballots, which was right.
In the next precinct 264 ballots were
counted, while the certificates called
Tor 25S A glance over the table
showed that the missing four were there
in an envelope, carefully sealed and
marked: "Mutilated and not counted"
These had been in the sack with tho
others. W. I. English, who was an Of
ticer a; that polling place, was present,
but the board decided to defer the ex-
PLANTATION as to these ballots and so on
with the count.
In precinct one, OF Union, another
shortage was discovered, and Clerk
Mitchell, OF the circuit court, who was
among the spectators, explained that he
had the other ballots in an envelope in
the vault in his office. These ballots
should have been counted and put with
the others. AS it is, nobody can open
these envelopes but the foreman of tho
grand jury, which meets next Monday.
In case oil recount, il but one voter
had made IN. affidavit and his ticket
were in the envelope with 1t, the COM
missioners would at once know how the
man voted.
In the precinct named the certificate
called for 252 votes and but 2S8 were in
the bag, shortage OF l6
II was an interesting study to watch
how the the different voters folded their
ballots Some of'them were folded IN