Evening journal., 1892-10-31
WOOTTEN'S AFFIDAVIT
The Document Which Ruins
Senator Higgins.
his WISH TO SEE IT GRATIFIED

]
swears to the circumstances of the
HIggins-smith Deal to steal Sussex
County by Bribing a Democratic Regis
tration Omcer.
Isaac J. Wootten, of Laurel, Democra-
tic registrar for the easternIend of Lit
tie Creek hundred, came to this city on
Thursday night, October %, and under
oath and before Notary Public Harry j.
Crippen, laid bare the bold scheme Of
Senator Higgins and Postmaster Smith
TO steal Sussex county by bribng regis
traton officers of the Democratic party.
Comparatively few persons know Reg.
istrar Wootten and those who were
familiar with his frank and jovial face
had no idea what a thunder clap he was
preparing for the public in general, and
the cOconspirators in particular.
The Damning Document.
He told straightforward story. Il
was as follows:
STATE OF DELAWARE,
NEW CASTLE COUNTY. Is.s
Be it Remembered that on this twenty
seventh day of Octobar, A. d. 1892. per
sonally appeared Isaac j. Wootten, who
being by me first duly sworn on the Holy
Evangels Of Almighty God deposes and
says
My name is Isaac j Wootten and | re-
side at Laurel, SUSSEX county Delaware,
where am engaged as merchant l
am also major in 1st Del. Regiment.
am the duly appointed Registrar in Little
Creek hundred, Sussex County.
On Thursday night, October 18th, 1892.
had by appointment made with George
+, Smith, a meeting at the house Of said
! Smith with Anthony Higgins, U. S.
Senator from Delaware This meeting
was arranged by said George +. Smith
who is the Post Master al Laurel and is
known as one Of Senator Higgins chief
lieutenants in Sussex county.
Smith is very active in politics in Little
: Creek Hundred Sussex County and a
strong worker for the Republicans
About four weeks ago said Smith came
to my store and said he had been want
g ing to see me to have a talk with me
q about politics. He said TO me, what do
you expect 10 get out of politics told
him l didn't expect to get anything
b unless Mr.. Cleveland was elected and if
he was l would get place in the land
Office He went on TO say that there was
Z no chance of Cleveland's election; that
Harrison would be elected and Harrison
would carry Delaware. That if would
o help him they (the Republicans) could
p carry Sussex county and if l would help
I them should have anything | wanted
l. and if / didn't believe him he would writ,
Il TO Senator Higgins and get him dowr
n here He said to me | could hell
% them as registrar by turning down
Is Democrats and he said could be voters
e assistant if / wanted TO be and il
a wanted to / could manipulate the tickets
for illiterate voters so that they wouldn'
know That | could stamp tickets 50
that the Democrats wouldn't know but
e when the votes were counted they
would be Republicans that the voters
u couldn't tell whether / stamped them
Democratic or Republican. l want e
g say that my first impulse was to knoch
Smith down when he began TO show m,
: what he was about, but / controlled my
self and led him on so that he believed
% | was favoring his advances. He talkeC
u to me about my great influence among
IL the Democrats and told him all had
to do was to go out and call for then
:. and they would come. This was about
IN all there was in our first talk. / said
" would see him again and before wen
further / went to Mr. William T. Rec
ords, prominent merchant in Laurel,
U anu hHhfI AlAA W BIC WI AAAAANA AANN
IL iuson at Georgetown. | wanted to know
how they thought l could benefit th'
IN Democratic party. l was afraid thel
might be approaching other Democratic
/ Registrars in similar way and WANTED t.
a. head of such schemes. And Cal Record
ID went to Georgetown and when he cam
w back told me that Mr.. Robinson advise,
to him to lead Smith on and get more on
Of him, to see If could who was prompt
ing Smith and find out all about II
Smith was after me almost every da,
2 but put him of from time to time unit
Id / could consult my friends and when
er did which was the following Tuesday o
n Wednesday l was prepared 70
ct Smith. l then led him on an
ed told him knew coul
be voters assistant il l wanted to
He told me that Mr.. Higgins woul
IA do anything he Smith sa d and h
10 would get Mr.. Higgins to come dowI
a. and see me. told him that WASH
necessary; that | would take his word
of but he insisted that he would get MI
- Higgins to come down and in a few day
"a Smith came to me and told me to com
1~ to his house that night at half-past tel
that Senator Higgins would be there
that he had an appointment with tw
ne other men that night to come TO hi
Id house. One was at half-past eight an
as another at half past nine and he didn
m want me to see them or them to see me
i'd 80 l was to come at half past ten
to made arrangements to hay
,r Smiths house watched that night TO Sc
nd who went in then and at half-past ten {
st. eleven o'clock went up 20 Smiths bac
90 door through his garden as he had r
ill quested Smith met me in the back yar
and took me in the House where | foun
Senator Anthony Higgins waiting fC
me.
IN ~ knew Mr.. Higgins but Smith intr
~ M. duced me to him and Mr.. Higgins wei
~ ~ on TO talk about Harrison being sure {
he election; that the Republicans wou
.ne carry North Carolina, had a fghtin
's. chance in Tennessee, that he believe
they would carry Missouri and
eu was certain OF Connecticut al
~ Delaware was sure for him. 81
n9' 9 God" says he, IF youll do this thir
eu. we're all right. He said he didn't wal
WI to known all about Smith and my a
res S rangements, but whatever Smith sa
u was right and he would do whatever
.ofl 60 mo. 4hof ba xror,1I oat a