The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-05-10
VERY IGNORANT VARDENS.
What the 0fhceE Of the First Ward
Did Not Know About their Duties.
MELVILLE BULL BALLOTS LOST,
1he Result Of W iiIiam j. Keenan's
Carelessness and Ignorance = Knew
Nothing About the Law-Wil Go BE
fore the Grand Jury.

Another warden was arraigued In the
United States district court today.
charged with neglect In failing to send
to the secretary OF s'a te 825 ballots for
Melville Bull. The investigation re-
vealed a deplorable amount Of Ignorance
on the part Of the election officers in re-
gard To election instructions.
keenan, was warden OF Ward One, Dis
trict One. at the recent election. On April 5
326 ballots were cast for Melville Bull for
congress. After sealing up the package
to te sent to the secretary OF state, kee-
nan discovered that mistake had
been made. and that Instead Of 326 bal
lots for Bull only one had been placed in
side. Someone suggested that the pack
age be broken open and the r maiuing
ballots insertei. but keenan, had In
some manner become possess of
the BELIEF that such an act would
be contrary to law aud refused 10 allow
it 10 be done The packages were sent
o the secretary OF state in this confess
edly erroneous condition. The next
morning, bright and early keenan, pos /.
60. away to the secretary's office and ex-
plaiped the blunders. That, however,
was too late to satisfy u lcle Law.
A Supervisors Testimony.
The hearing was given bef,rs Com
missioner Blod-e est this NOR ming Sam
uel A Losee testified that he was n super
visor and was present at the D Ills of
District One all day on April lie saw
pare of the ballots counted. Three
packages were done up. tie did not Zee
who aed them.
William +. Clarke. city clerk, testified
that he did not remember the number of
packages sent to his districs. Ilstruc-
tioDs were sent by tue seer tary OF state.
He called at this ward roo OIL April 5
and givs instructions to the warden. He
was questioned as to the disposition of
variou balo.s.
Charles T. Bennett. deputy secretary
of state. testified that he received two
packages from this district for general
officers and members OF Congress ana
p acct tnem properly ia the vaults. He
sent instructions 10 the city and town
clerks. He heard some disc cussion as to
the lack OF Bull ball ITS.
Only One LuIl RaIIot.
George .. RiIe saw the official count of
the general assembly lie found only
one ballot for Melville Bull.
William j. Keenan,, the defendant.
testified That no instructions were sent
him concerning election laws. Davis.
the district clerk, asked the city clerk
He began TO count as soon
as the polls closed after properly tearing
the ballots he and the clerk counted them
ana made out tne certificate. When the
package had been s.a.ed he discovered
that blunder had been made ia the
Bull ballo.s. Next morning he
informed the secretary OF state.
Then came the remarkable part
OF his testimony. lie had never
eveu read the state statutes Oh election
laws. lie did not even read the instruc.
tions on {. Q wrappers. Jonn Davis, the
dis rict CLERK, disclosed similar pro-
fundiiy OF ignor ,nce on the electioa
rules. He, too, had failed to rea all the
statutes bearink upon the duties of his
office, although he had held the position
since November, 1891.
Bound Over in S1, 200.
John j. Finan, "A UniteI States super
visor, was also freed to admit that he,
too, mad never gazed upon the pa les that
define the powers aud duties of an cleo
tion officer. Commissioned Blodgett ex-
iressed his horror at tae lament
able state OF ignorance among
election officers aud. prom. .unced Kee-
mans blunder case of gross al unmltl-
gated neglect. He accordingly bound
him over TO the grand iLry in the sum of
81. LOO.