New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-16
OWENS PROBABLY WINS.
PLURALITY WILL BE SMALL.
A BIG VOTE FOR BRECKENRIDGE IN THE
"MOSSBACK" COUNTIES.


LAW woRKED-sENAToR LINDSAY
on BREcXrNRlDGEs MISTAKE.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO PIE fRiBUyE.l
Lexington. Ky. Sept 1.-THE triangular race
for the Democratic nomination in this Congress
District promises to be exceedingly close. and
until all the official returns come In II may not
be entirely safe to assume the defeat Of either
candidate. At the present writing however Mr..
Owens seems to have material advantage on the
face OF the vote officially declared with conserv-
| ative estimates on the missing precincts With
one precinct In Henry County estimated. ne has
an apparent plurality Breckenridge OF more
than 400. and his corrected plurality will In all
probability exceed 300
The figures received early In the evening from
| this county Fayettc. and from the Blue Grass
| counties generally Indicated that Mr.. Owens
would make a clean sweep. carrying the district
| by at least 1000 plurality The later figures from
| the "backwoods' counties u owen and Henry
| changed the aspect OF the count entirely. and for
| a brief moment II was thought that Colonel
| Rreckinridge had perhaps been able to overtake
| and pass his Scott County rival. With the few
missing precincts In owen and Henry counties
| showing the same ratio Of gain az those already
accounted for Colonel Rrccknridge will still poll
will go on the narrowest margins. Indeed, to the
candidate whose canvass has stood for all that Is
| sef-respecting and honorable In the political
traditions ~ this famous district.
The returns tonight have shown some strange
SURPRISES to the political prophets on both sides.
| Colonel Breckinr.dge. who had confidently hoped
| 10 make winning canvass In his own county.
| Fayettc. and had counted on plurality here ot
nj least 500. came losing the county alto
gefher his official plurality being only 2O8. which
| was contributed entirely by the city ~ LeNins-
| ton Itself Mr.. Owens suffered similar diSap-
pplntm. mt in his home county of Scott. Expect
ing a plurality ~ 500. he secured on the orlcdl
county only 1874 on the other hand. while io'ing
! the adjoining county oi Bourbon, h. carried the
| remaining Blue Grass counties. Woodiord ana
Franklin handsomely and won n signal victory
| by beating both his rivals in the ohio River
| county of Oldham. Colonel Breckinridge carried
| the other two "mossback" counties. as against
| Mr.. Owens. by considerable pluraiities. and on
| a somewhat fuller vote might possibly have
| achieved an eleventh-hour victory.
HOW THE VOTE SEEMS TO STAND.
At this writing the balances for Owens and
Rreckinrfdge seem to stand about as follows
| Plurality for Owens-Scot. 1874: Woodford 49,
Franklin 533: oldham. 1874
| Purallties for Breckin -idge-Fayette. 204 Bour-
| bon. l53. owen (estimated), 25; Henry tone
| precinct estimated). 40
| Definite results cannot be ascertained. however.
| except by the official count. Both sides are
the rival headquarters bids fair 10 continue all
through the night.
| LITTLE DISORDER AT THE POLLS.
| The G.sori and hloodshed pcrsisteutly pre-
dicted by the glocmier political prophets. who
| have not realized the change gradually coming
| over the spirit ~ political warfare In Kentucky
were conspicuously absent at to-day's election
| This was the first primary held under the new
Ia fnr OF officers,
| etringent safeguards imposed were found To have
| n snlutary effect both in checking attempted
irregularitl.s and IN lcssening the chance OF dis
! tnrbance at the polls. Here in Lexington where
fact!onal bitterness has run as high as anywhere
| In the district and the probability Of clash at
| the voting booths to-day was considered un-
usually threatening. the two sides manager %
| maintain peace without much ehprt' ahu eN-
| ccpt FOR a few nstic encounters. common on any
| occasion of public excitement no disturbances OF
! the surt feared reported by the police
OF the minor alterations. the most noteworthy
| ACQUIRED about ! o'clock the two principals De
ing Dc-ha Brecklnridge the eldest son ana po-
| lticaI lieutenant II the present Representative
and J. Walter Peak. the secretary Of the pwrns
| Committee ~ tbs county. Tn" two comhatahtS
| became engaged in 4 war ot words over IN" case
| ~ voter challenged at The polling place III
Precinct |. and coming ont from th' poVan' '
| pass.d the watchers limits still angrly ne
| rating each other. When they clnch"d. now
ever and came 20 blows bysanders rushed up
hurriedly. and some Of young Breckinridse
| friends hustled him into carriage ana drove
| hurriedly to his fathers headquarters IN" new
| Primary law fortunately requires the closing oil
| all lIauor shops from midnight 70 midnight on
| election day, and this wise restriction mas had
| much to do with minimizing disorder mere To-
| day. ~, -,
| ( telegram received here from Versailles. the
| county seat ~ Woodford County. says that
| n,ht b.tween about twenty Breckinridge and
| owens men occurred this morning In one of the
| outlying districts of that county \. w. Gilles-
| Df ,rpck
| ,.ith n dirk knife ih the breast and back. the
wounds proving exceedingly dangerous. No one
| else reported injured.
THE EARLY AFTERNOON BULLETINS
Rv 1 o'clock this afternoon all three factions
here had issued street bulletins giving the latest
! news from the polls. The Owens nen were Jubi-
| liant over the unexpected strength which tney
had developed in Franklin County, ,,,, IN "n'oh nh
| Frankfort the state capital. IL situated ana
declared that they would carry the county .. d
decieiva nlural,tv The Breckinriige managers
put out "A statement announcing tha' their can
| didatc was winning In walk ana wouiu carr
the city OF Lexington against Mr.. owens by ) 10
| l. The Settle men published string OF en-
couraging dispatch from owen ana otner I,1a low
end counties. in which 1t was claimed tnat Se!tle M
was polling from two-thirds to four-hfths ol 'he
| mossback Democratic vote. -,
| All the early afternoon bulletins. based on esti-
| mates made before the polls closed seemed 10
| point to n heavy vote for Owens In Scott. Bour-
| hon and Franklin counties; a close hght IN WOOD
| ford and fair plurality for Breckinridge III
| Fayette with Settle holding his strength pretty
well In the Ohio Valley counties.
| The polling booths used for to-days primary
| election were the same as those employed ior ''e
| regular State and county elections Inc aus
tuclsv and the voters privacy is efficiently pro-
| tected Much the same sort Of booths are con,
| structed and the same regulations are enlorceu ~
| about limits of approach for eiec'ioierllns & p
| noscs II seemed rather paradoxical com
| ment on the secrecy sought to be obtaineo III tne
| November baotng. when Intending voters W
| dav were challenged by the poll Watchers ana
| forced by the ruling OF a political committee %
| declare on oath tina; they would In the approach-
ing Congress election vote for the regular De"io-
| cratic nominee. 49,. -, ,h ,,,.
| One OF the CHARACTERISTIC features OF the uay
| a1d at Morrison