People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-02-03

the fifty-seventh district His vote was illegal.
A. J. Lester testified that he had voted in
Council Grove at the November election. 1899;
that before he voted, one "Bill Coslin said to
him that he (Coslin) would pay him Lester for
voting for II. Z. Richter" Lester testified that
he had voted the Peoples party ticket with the
exception of one" that the exception was that
he had voted for II. Z. Richter for representa-
tive. 1t is due to Mr. Lester to say that on
cross-e1amination he testified that he was not
Influenced in his vote by Mr.. Collins offer to
pay him il he would vote for Richter; but the
fact that Mr.. Coslin offered to pay for the vote
OF an elector is one that should not be forgotten.
and one that should suggest to the proper
prosecuting officers of Morris county an exam
nation Of section 2l5 Of the act relating to.
crimes and punishments.
A. NJ. Borne testihes that be is 9 years Of age;
that be moved into Council Grove township on
Saturday, the 18th Of October, ls92; that he
voted in that township on the sth Of November,
lSS2, and voted the straight republican ticket"
Mr.. ii. Z. Richter was the straight republican
candidate" for representative at that election.
Mr.. Borne's vote was illegal.
James Gaskins is q years of age and unmar-
ried; he testihes that he first came to Kansas on
the 18th or 18th Of February, ls92; that he
stopped at the Commercial hotel In the Second
ward OF the city Of Council Grove, and was loaf
ing and wanting job" and remained at that
hotel until the Sd of May, when he went to
Council Grove township and worked for and
lived with Mr.. Watkins until September o;
that he then went to Mr.. Allison's. Where Mr..
Allison resided, he did not know, but he testified
that he did not reside in the Second ward Of
Council Grove, with the exception Of three or
four days. Gaskins worked for Mr. Allison,
cooking for him and living with him until the
I'd day Of November, when be returned to the
Commercial hotel in Council Grove, and on the
18th day OF November he voted in the Second
ward OF the city, and voted for H Z. Richter. On
cross examination by Mr.. Rchters attorney,
Mr., Gaskins said he had had mo residence In
Kansas since February. 1899, except at the Com
nercial hotel, " where he had left his trunk and
Clothing; but it appeared that he had not paid
his hotel bill in full which very likely explains
why his trunk was retained there; but your CON-
mittee are satisfied upon the evidence that he
acquired no residence in the city Of Council
Grove other than any transient guest ACQUIRES at
any hotel where he stops for few days. His
vote was illegal.
n
Respecting the fraudulent conduct Of the
judges OF election, the testimony shows that at
the November election held In Ohio township.
U Ia. Thomas d, Brooks and H. H. Bailey were
the judge of the election. Mr.. Thomus took the
tickets from the box and handed most OF them
to Brooks to read, and Bailey strung them. Dur.
ing the counting OF the votes, ballots were
lying all over the counter" where the ballot
box stood and Thomas had ballots in his hand
from time to time which he had taken from the
table, He was seen to fold up such ballots, and
his actions attracted such attention that he was
openly accused Of changing ballots, that Is. sub-
shutting tickets taken from the table Of those
taken out Of the ballot-box. Mr.. c. H. Titus
testified that he was present during the count
ing OF the votes, and that Mr.. Bailey, one Of the
judges Of the election openly charged Mr..
Thomas with changing ballots, using the follow
ing words:
Here, Thomas, you must stop that changing
ballots; that Is tlDO or three / haze seen you
change"
Mr.. G. W. Campbell testifes to the same or
similar transaction during the same counting.
He says the following colloQuy took place be-
tween Bailey and Thomas:
Bailey: II want you to quit changing those
tickets"
Thomas: :" am not changing them "
Bailey: "You did; saw you; there Is another
ticket lying there folded up"
Mr.. Campbell states that Thomas hesitated
awhile. and then said he had folded up the bal
lot to throw at the boys" Mr.. Campbell also
testified that the ballot which Bailey had
charged Thomas with substituting for ballot
taken from the ballot-box was a republican
ticket" and was counted,
MIR. Bailey, one Of the judges Of said election.
also testified. He says that Mr.. Thomas did
change the ballots, and the remarkable story OF
fraud and corruption which he tells should be
repeated in his own words that the people not
merely Of the Fifty-seventh district but Of the
whole state may understand how they are robbed
and defrauded Of their votes and how the ballot
box is robbed by men who pose as its protectors.
Mr.. Bailey says that he was sitting with his face
toward Thomas, having his hat down over his
eyes, but so adjusted that he could plainly see
both Of the hands Of Thomas, and watched
Thomas movements. Wequote from Mr. Bailey's
testimony as follows:
Thomas took the tickets out of the box.
Brooks read them, and strung them.
The hrst thing that attracted my attention he
was taking the tickets out OF the box long before
it was necessary, then holding tnem down In
front Of him under the edge Of the table and
opening them enough 80 that he could see the
heading OF them; then he would fold them hack
and throw under the right hand; then he would
put his right hand under the left and was work.
ing with the ticket until Mr.. Brooks would get
ready for it. Then he would unfold the ticket
and hand II to Mr.. Brooks. Then as soon as Mr..
Brooks commenced TO read the ticket he would
take another one out OF the box and go through
the same motion as he did before with part Of the
tickets. | noticed him do this for four. five or
six times. The desk the ballot-box stood on was
about four inches lower than the table the clerks
worked upon and projected over the table the
ballot-box stood upon about three inches. There
were two tickets lying under this projection
folded up the same as ballots In the box. He
took ticket out of the ballot-box, held II down
in front Of him under the edge OF the table and
opened it enough TO examine the heading, placed
il in his right hand as before, put il under the
other land and worked it under. the same as he
had before. His left hand was within an inch or
two OF those two tickets under the projection.
Then he worked the ticket that he took out Of
the box back under his hand and took one Of the
other tickets that lay there. Then be unfolded
that ticket and handed il 10 Mr.. Brooks to read.
The ticket that he took out Of the box at that
time was Peoples party ticket The one be
took in its place was republican ticket. The
way / know that the first one was Peoples
party ticket was that saw the heading OF IL;
and OF the one that he put in its place being re-
publican ticket, saw II and heard Mr.. Brooks
read il.
when discovered what have Just related, I
demanded OF Mr.. Thomas 10 hand Mr.. Brooks
the ticket he took ont OF the boz. He said he
did. | told him be did not, for saw him change
IT, He said that he did not change IL / told