The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-05-04
FACTS coscERNING FENDER COUNTY
ELECTION.

As great many voters OF Sofai
Carolina have heard of, and read il
different papers that there would bt
case of contest between tho Demo
cratic and Peoples party candidates
| for the Offices Of Sheriff and Register
OF Deeds of Fender county. and
whereas the case OF contest has beer
nonsuited, we feel If our daty as q
public journalist to give the cold IN
vanished facts concerning the elee-
ton, in a non-partisan spirit, and LET
our readers Judge for themselves
whether il was right to declare the
Democratic ticket elected.
The returns from every precinct
were all made out in due form and
duly signed by the Registers and
Judges of election.
The returns from Rocky Point had
the following statement written on a
blank space: Upon comparing the
vote with the poll book, we find too
many votes intwo boxes, viz. County
and Legislative. This statement
was not signed by any one. In Top
sail township complaint was made
on the returns and signed by John
b. Davis, one of the Democratic poll
holders, and was as follows:
THE undersigned poll holders of
Topsail Township, Pender county
respectfully protest against counting
the vote in Topsail Township owing
to the fact that ballots were secured
from persons in my opinion not
legally registered, after they We're
challenged Signed,
JNO. B. DAVIS,
Poll Holder.
The ;:bove were all the complaints
which were made on the original re-
turns. =
When the Board of~~Ganvassers
met and proceaslssl 70 call for returns
from tine different townships, each
member handed in the returns and
announced that his township was all
right, with the exception of Rocky
Point and Topsall At the conclu-
sion of the call, however, Jno. T.
Bland County Attorney appeared be-
fore the board and lodged com
plant against the returns from Bur-
gaw township on the grounds that
there We're two illegal votes cast.
That there were two votes more
found III the boxes than there were,
voters recorded as having voted, and
that the poll holders did not keep
poll book. Whercupon Mr.. NJ. NJ.
Moore the member OF the board
from said township Ga Demoerat
protested against any action against
said township, all glug that the cleo
ton had been fairly and honestly
held III said township, and that there
was no excuse to Justify the board in
throwing out said precinct. The
Board proceeded to examine R. N.
acting registrar of Bur-
gaw township, who stated in regard
to the two votes found in the boxes
than there were names recorded as
having voted, that the poll holders
had examined the poll list, and dis
covered, as they thought, that they
had found the two men who had
voted and whose names had not been
on the poll books. But a
later examination Of the poll list
showed that one of the parties had
been recorded. Upon this evidence
motion was made to throw out the
and was carried.
The poll holders at Burgaw did not
keep record of the votes on a regu-
lar poll book, but recorded them on
legal cap paper, one sheet of this
paper disappeared before the board
met, and has not been seen by the
public since. The Board was re-
quested to put in writing the reasons
for which it threw out the township,
which were as follows:
"Burgaw precinct is rejected on
account of illegal voting"
The members of the Board from
Rocky Point, Mr.. D. S. Black com
planned about Rocky Point saying
that the ballots Of the Peoples party
were on colored paper. He was
asked In regard to the more votes
in the boxes than were voters re-
corded. If the registration books
showed more names than were bal
lots In the box; to which he answered
yes. He was then asked if he and
the otner poll holders did not keep a
close watch on the boxes all day and
II he thought it possible for any one
to slip ballots N the boxes without
their knowledge Of it. To which he
replied that they did keep a close
watch and that he didn't think it
possible for ballots to be put in with
cut their knowledge of the same.
With no further investigation of
the Rocky Point case a motion was
made by J. 7. Johnson, son of the
Democratic candidate for the Legis-
lasure, to throw out Rocky Point
township which was done. The
grounds for which action as re CARDS
Rocky Point township, as reeorded