The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-09-26
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from this record the documents which
show that the proper notices of the aelec-
tion were given.
Mr.. Augustus f. Gerrish was next
called He said that he was chairman
of the Board of Registration, which con-
sisted of himself and Messrs. M. A.
Blanchard and A. d. Sweetsir. The
Board had prepared list of the regis
tered voters of Ward One, previous to the
city election last Spring, and he identified
the list as that presented to the jury.
Mr.. Clifford began the battle with this
witness, walking up close to the witness
stand and beginning vigorous cross
examinationseven.b before the County At
torney was through with the witness.
Mr.. Gerrish also identified the check
lists of Ward One as those prepared by
his board for the election of March 9th.
The witness also testified that the vari-
Gus lists were by his Board turned over
to the city clerk.
Ex-C.ty Clerk John S. Russell
was called next, and there was visible
sensation as this all important witness
mounted the stand. He testified that
he was city clerk of Portland on the
9th of last March, and until the 18th of
that month. He identified the various
lists of voters as having been received
by him from the Board of Registration.
Then the list which is posted outside
the wardroom was shown to him, and he
identified it as the one which he had
delivered to the constable to be posted.
This list, which is the one posted out
side the ward room, was somewhat torn;
and Mr.. Clifford tried to make point,
by asking the witness if he could identi-
fy it torn as it was. The witness main
tanned that he could.
Then Mr.. Russell was asked in regard
to the check lists used in voting, and
testified to delivering them to War
den Harper. After the election
they were brought back to the
city clerks Office where they
remained, except that they were put into
the auditors vault at night and re-
manned SO far as he knew until Friday
following. With this exception the lists,
SO far as Mr.. Russell knew remained,
in his possession until he handed them
over to his successor.
The county attorney then went to an
other branch of the subject, asking the
witness in relation to the ballots.
The witness testified that on the morn
ing of the election, beside the check lists,
there were carried toward l, 1000 ballots,
and after election 833 were returned,
unused, besides seven returned as de-
fective.
At this point the interest in the audi
ence reached high pitch, which was
further increased when Mr.. True asked !:
what happened to those unused
ballots.
Mr.. Russell replied, "A package of one
hundred disappeared.
Then the examination proceeded-Sub-
seuuently to the election did you go over
the Ward / check list with any one?
Yes, on Friday following, with Mr..
Thompson and Mr.. Foss. These were the
lists had received from Ward 1. They
had been in my possession since the cleo
tion, except that over night they were
kept in the office of Mr.. Deake, the auditor.
Mr.. Russell was then asked in reference
to the Ward ballot box, and said:-The
ballot box was opened by me and certain
ballots were found. They were counted
and put back into the box, which re-
| NAMED in my official possession until
turned over to my successor.
Mr. Clifford then began the cross-ex-
animation, and he plunged the probe into
the wound at once by his first question.
Will you please state the circumstance
of the disappearance of those unused
| ballots In your office.
| They were brought into my office about
o. clock, should judge, by one of the
ballot clerks, and left there. Somewhere
between six and 8 O'Clock he returned
and said they had made a mistake in the
| Ward | vote and he wanted to see the
| ballots
Who was this?
Mr. Asa Russell. -
Continuing the witness told how 83a
| unused ballots and seven defective ones
were found in the package which he and