Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1893-02-09

the Fifty-sovonth district. His vote was illegal.
A, j. Lester testified that he had voted in
Council Grove at the November election, 1885,
that before he voted, one "Bill Coslin said to
him that he (Coslin) would pay him (Lester) for
voting for II. Il. 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. IL. Richter for representa-
tive. 1t is duo to Mr.. Lester to say that on
cross.examlnation he testified that he was not
influenced in his vote by MIR, Co.lins offer to
pay him il he would vote for Richter; but the
fact that Mr. Coslin offered to pay for tho vote
OF an elecor is one that should not be forgotten,
and one that should suggest to tho proper
prosecuting officers of Morris county an exam
nation of section 2l5 of the act relating to
crimes and punishments,
A. M. Borne testifos that he is % years Of age;
that he moved into Council Grove township on
Saturday, the 10Th of October, 1882 that he
voted in that township on tho sth of November,
1892, and voted the straight republican ticket"
Mr. H. II. 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 testiies that he fret came to Kansas on
! the 18th or 18th OF February, 1892; that he
stopped MT 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 Il Mr., Watkins until September o;
that he then went to Mr., Allison's, Where Mr.,
Allison resided, he did not know butho testified
| tIot hn do L., ND 10
Council Grove with the exception Of three or
four days. Gaslsns worked for Mr., Allison,
cooking for him and living with him until the
I'd day of November, when he returned to the
Commercial hotel in Council Grove, and on the
Sth day of November he voted in the Second
ward of the city, and voted for g. Richter, On
cross examination by Mr., Richters attorney,
Mr. Gaskins said he had had mo residence In
Kansas since February, 1892, except at tho Com
mercial 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's but your COM
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 u few days. His
vote was Illegal
Respecting the fraudulent conduct of the
judges of election, the testimony shows that at
the November election held in Ohio township,
G. L. Thomas d, Brooks and H. H, Bailey were
the iudgca of the election Mr. Thomas 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, SUBJ
shutting tickets taken from the table of those
taken out of the ballot-box Mr.. c. II. 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 tloO or three haze teen you
change"
Mr.. G. W. Campbell testifos to the same or
similar transaction during the same counting.
He says the following colloquy took place be-
tween Bailey and Thomas;
JOA plbpO
tickets"
Thomas: VI am not changing them
Bailey: "You did; Isaw you there is another
[ticketl 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 republican
ticket" and was counted,
Mr.. 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 rs 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.. Baileyi
testimony as follows
"Thomas took the tickets out of the box
Brooks read them, and l strung them. !. :.
The first thing that attracted my attention he
was taking the tickets out of the box long before
it was necessary, then holding t em down in
front of him under the edge of the table and
opening them enough so that he could see the
heading of them; then he would fold them back
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 it to Mr.. Brooks. Then as soon as Mr..
Brooks commenced to read the ticket he would
take another one out of the box aqd 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 tho ballot-box, held it down
1 in front of him under the edge OF the table and
opened it enough to examine the heading, placed
it in his right hand as before, put it under the
, other hand and worked it under the same as he
l had before. His left hand was within an inch or
8 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
I other tickets that lay there. Then he unfolded
: that ticket and handed it to Mr.. Brooks to read
The ticket that he took out of the box at that
. time was Peoples party ticket. The one he
took in its place was republican ticket. The
way | know that the first one was Peoples
party ticket was that | saw the heading of it;
and of the one that he put in its place being re-
!, publican ticket, saw it and heard Mr.. Brooks
: read it.
''When discovered what have just related,
demanded of Mr. Thomas to hand Mr.. Brooks
0 the ticket he took out of the box. He said he
: did. | told him he did not, for saw him change
it, He said that he did not change it. | told
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