The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-10

Old Man Discovered burning Stamped Bal
lots In the Eleventh Ward.
II the Democrats succeed In carrying In
diana, it will have been by fraud such as
characterized the election of 1856, OWING
to which some of the bright lights of In
diana Democracy were sent to the peniten-
tiary. Tuesday evening. after the polls had
closed, John Adams. of 26S South Tennes-
see street, and ID. J. Helm, of 256 South
Tennessee street, made q discovery that
may yet land one or moro ardent Democrats
IN the Denitentiary. to expiate their crime
against an honest ballot. Thesegentlemenr re-
side in the northumberland precinct,
Eleventh ward, and at the time spoken of
noticed man named Schroeder. living at
go South Tennessee street. Democrat,
burning some paper In the gutter not far
from where they were standing. After
burning one Pile. he went into his house
and In few minutes emerged again with
another bundle of paper. VI ich he lighted.
his so aroused the suspicious of Mr.. Adams
that he hastily went TO the place where the
fire was burning. and to his surprise dis
covered that the supposed refuse paper was
large bunch of ballots. With his feet
Mr.. Adams put out the fire. but not
before the ballots had been scorched
could not be told whether the top of the
tickets had been stamped or not in the
bunch rescued by Mr.. Adams there were
thirty ballots and two of them had been
scratched. One of these bad been stamped
By Republican who had scratched for
Sterling X. Holt and the other by q Demo-
Graf, who had scratched for X. X. Shiel, the
Republican candidate for treasurer. On
both OF these ballots in the right-haud cor
ners the initials OF the election clerk
were discernible. but on the other
twenty-eight the places where the initials
would have been placed were gone, having
been destroyed by the flames. Mr.. Adams
Immediately came to the conclusion that
some crooked work was being done and
being deputy marshal could have arrested
Schroeder had he caught HIM in the act,
but as the old man was gone and he was
undecided what to do he brought the
once taken to United States Marshal Dun
laps Office and that official was made
aware of all the circumstances and will
make afull and complete investigation of
the matter.
One fact that makes 1t look dark for
Schroeder is the fact that he was not con-
nected In any way on election day with any
election hoard. and how the ballots came IN to
his possession. and why he wanted to burn
them. IL as yet mystery. but one which
will be solved as soon as possible. One
theory IS that the Democrats proposed to
destroy the ballots of the one hundred-and-
ninth precinct, ana substitute for
them ballots stamped TO their own
satisfaction. and as if TO bear out this
idea. up to O'Clock last evening the re-
turns from the Observation-Disclosures pre-
cinet had not reached the Journal Office.
And Mother were they printed in the 4
o'clock edition of the News yesterday,
which contained list of about 100 pre-
clncts Whether or not this is tho true
theory for the destruction Of the ballots.
certain ii is that Democratic chieaneYy is
at the bottom of IL.
Mr.. Adams is positive that many more
ballots than those rescued wero com.
pletely destroyed.