San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-10-12
A STARTLING SURPRISE.
The People Voted Yesterday on 5000
Instead of 5000 900.

D uSl DtiOIc the polls C4OStu yes
aerday evening startling surprise
was sprung that once attracted the
interest of the main leaders in the
bond election. Everybody in gen
eral had supposed that the subject
ON when they were voting was
( whether or not the Issuance OF a
series of bonds aggregating 100000
was to be issued for road aad bridge
improvements.
Mr.. galloway and Mr.. Fritz
RuSSi on one side and Mr.. Nat
Lewis and Mr.. Banks on the other
had metaphOrically been tearing
their shirts in their efforts on be-
half and against the proposition
respectfully and all worked harder
than the TrOjans when Troy was
beleagured.
All day hacks had been hauling
the SutTragans to the polling
places and the work was as haru
and as earnest as it would have
been had a general election been
in progress but at the half past
eleventh hour was the time when
the surprise came.
1t came in front Of the court
house when Mr.. Lewis remarked
to Commissioner Joe DWyer:
"Why Joe are you feeling so bad.
ly. Don't look 50 mad and J will
show you something"
The commissioner from the
primal precinct remarked that he
never was more serene and less in
dignant in his life where upon Mr..
Lewis pulled from his pocket
copy of decree ordering the elec-
ton and when it was inspected it
showed that all Of the commits
siOners and the county Judge had
ordered an election to vote on the
issuance of only 5000 worth of
bonds instead Of 100000 worth.
Commissioner Dwyer was electri-
fled. Mr.. galloway was dumb
founded and grave fears were felt
for the life of Mr.. Russi. A repOr-
ter for the LIGHT went into the
county clerks office to see the
original and ascertain if it Veri-
fled Mr.. Lewis disclosure while
Commissioners DWyer went to the
residence of the county clerk and
got him to come forthwith to his
office. Thad Smith could hardly
believe his vision when he read
plainly written in the handWrit-
ing of the county Judge 1.-TWO
hundred dollars" each word spelled
out instead Of in figures. When
however the matter daWncd on
him he laughed long and loud, in
the mean time the reporter found
the county attorney who had the
order of election drawn up. The
document was typewriter except
a blank space had been left for the
insertion Of the amount.
County Commissioner Dwyer
said: "Bart, that is one on you"
Mr.. Dewitt replied: "NOt much.
Don't you see that it is in Bryan's
handwriting. Tackle him about
it,"
Dwyer and Dewitt then had a
hearty laugh over it. The unani-
nous conclusion was that it was a
blunder that had been uninten-
tiOnalIy made, but one which
would have invaiidated the whole
election if the proposition had car
ried.
The reporter asked Mr.. Lewis |
how he had come to work SO hard
against the proposition when there
ht1t It.,I Inl
vOlVed and he himself had made |
the discovery. He replied: BE
cause, if | had not some one else
would have suspected something,
and it was my program to work as |
though no such error existed. |
Again, if the proposition had car
ried and the election would have
had to have been called, over again |
when the Illegal election came the
other having gone in favor of the
proposition it would have gone the
same way. My intention was to do
all | could to defeat the PROPOSE
ton at the invalid election, and in
doing so prevent the likelihood of
the commissioners calling another,
in the face Of defeat, as they would
have done in The event Of vic
tory"
1t is not probable that another
election on the subject will be
called soon by the commissioners.
a reporter for the LIGHT called
on County Judge CaIlaghan this
morning and asked him if he had
been informed of the matter, when
he replied: 81 had not heard of it.
| know that my proclamation for
the nlnctinn FOOD for &0NN 600