Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-05-07
TESTIMONY ENDED.
ALL THE EVIDENCE IN THE JEFFeR-
SON-WARD ELECTION FRAUDS IN.
Four Witnesses Examined-Mr. Henr,
Cohn Refused to Appear ARain-Com-
mittee to Report Tuesday Night.


committee of the City Committee charged
with investigating the Jefferson-Ward
frauds Nr. Steve Chasa testified that he
was called in at the Second Precinct the
night of the election and Strengthened out
the tickets into piles after they had been
tailed. He did not examine the tickets
10 see If thev had been called out correct
ly. He thought he was with honest peo-
pie and the necessity Of looking into what
they were doing did not occur TO him. lie
saw nothing to excite his suspicion. lie
was sorry he ever got into the room, but
wanted 10 see the committee go TO the
bottom Of the matter. as tho charges re-
fiected on every one who was connected
with the precinct.
Mr.. John X. Malloy. Jr., said he was at
the Third Precinct, Jefferson Ward, after
1870 or O'Clock on the day OF the primary.
He saw nothing wrong during the day.
After the polls were closed he saw Botto
como out of his place Of business. Wit
ness asked BottO where he was going. and
he replied that he was going INTO the poll
10 see the votes counted. Witness SAID
that he would go IN With him, and Mr..
Low let them in. Mr.. Molloy then de-
scribed how the votes were counted, and
his testimony agreed in the main with that
of previous witnesses. Mr.. Low, he said,
did no calling or tallying and his state
ment confirmed the testimony of Mr. Per
due. although Mr.. Low testified that he did
some of the calling.
CANNON SUMMED Up
Mr.. Cannon, said the witness. did the
summing up and Mr. Royster and Mr..
Cree looked over Cannon's shoulder
Botto did not touch but one ballot, and that
was handed to him. Botto handed the
tickets back and said, You people are
paid to do this work. so 90 along and at
tend TO IT. Witness when asked about
helping young Duke up to the transom
said he did lift him no so he could see over
the curtain. When Duke got down he
told witness that the papers were all over
the table. When witness looked through
the glass above the curtain there were
dishes on the table. but no pa
pers, and the ballot-box was in
the right place. Duke could not have
seen all over the room. He knew
that there were two ballot boxes in the
precinct but did not think the boxes
could have been changed. When he en-
tered the room the ballot-box was sitting
where 1t bad been oil day. II was then
carried into the back room. He saw only
one box He did not see the registration
book during the day. On occasions he
had acted as clerk for Mr.. Perdue ana
always checked the observation-disclosures. In
the last primary Mr.. Perdue and Mr.. Low
helped 10 count the ballots. III there was
any fraud il was without the knowledge
of witness He thought if the names OF
illegal votes had been called he would have
heard them.
Mr.. BoTro's TESTIMONY.
Mr. Botto said be was around the Third
Precinct about half the day. He was not
behind the rail in the poll during the day,
1. Z. H.. Ill a,aI M
Perdue did not set horses" He saw the
reeistration-b book living on the counter
when he voted which was early III the
morning. Heretofore the registration
book mad always been checked. he no.
ticed nothing out of the regular order
during the day.
The testimony Of Mr.. Botto as to how
the ballots were emptied out Of tho box
and counted and tailed did not differ ma
terialy from that of the witness VINO had
preceded him, Witness said he tore up
the surplus ballots drawn out of the box
and handed TO him by Alr. Perdue. one
of the ballots was marked with red ink.
Pretty soon be went to sleep and what
was done after that he did not know. Wit
ness's wife refused to sell ROyster anything
TO drink because she thought he had
enough, and witness himself thought he
had more than a man ought to carry.
MR. PERDUE on GUARD.
There was not O more honest man IN the
city than old man Perdue, Alr. Botto con-
tinued. Mr. Perdue would not, declared
the witness, stoop TO do anything dishon-
est. and if he had caught any one tamper-
ing with the ballot-box he would have
struck at them like u snake. There was no
i'll feeling between blr. Perdue and him.
self. but he worried the old man too much,
and they always got at loggerheads about
4 Il p Er,fs hot
the ballots that were not entitled 10 be IN
the box got there. He believed that par
ties could get on the blind side OF Mr.
Perdue that is the side on which his sight
is defective) and vote illegally, but Us Tar
as integrity was concerned the party
could not get better man.
Tho witness treated the matter of the
burying of the ballot-bOX as a joke, and
said the story was gotten up by Cannon TO
worry man named Balm. Witness also
stated that Mr.. Perdue had been misun-
derstOod about the back door leading out
of the polls. II did not lead into witnesss
place.
WHAT 8IR. FAGAN KNEW.
Mr.. Ed. Pagan testified that he was at
the Third Precinct during the day and IN
tho poll after 10 was closed. He saw no.
thing wrong during the day or at night. His
description os the count aud tally OF the
the vote agreed with that OF other VII
nesses. lie did not hear the name OF any
illegal voters called out. lie could throw
no light on the frauds If he could help
the committee he would willingly do so.
Old man Perdue sat in the poll all night
and did the best he could to see that every
thing was gong on all right
LITTER FROM Nh. COIN.
At the conclusion of MIR. Fagan's testi-
mony Chairman Harrison read letter
from Mr.. Henry Cohn. saying that as he
had not been allowed the privilege OF hear
ing the testimony against him before the
committee he did not think, after due
consideration, that i'll justice to himself he
should be called before the body again.
At the request of Mr.. Cohn the commit
tee had set yesterday as the time for re-
suming the hearing in his case. Efforts
were made to get MIR. Cannon and Sheriff
Gates before the committee. hlr. Botto
stated that Mr. Cannon said he would not
come, and the sergeant-st-arms reported
MIR. Gates sick IN bed.
The subcommittee Will hear no more
testimony, but make their report to the
CITY Committee Tuesday night upon the
basis of the evidence already taken.
uolterc's Comedy "In Maiade Imagi-