The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-02-09
GOVERNOR NTH ACTS
FILES CHARGES AGAINST THE BOARD
OF cANvASSERS.

LANSING, Feb. Tat a late hour
Tuesday night Governor Rich served a
copy of the following charges and cita-
tons upon each of the returning board
Of 1898, through his private secretary.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE.
LANSING. Mich. Feb. 9, 1894.
John W. Jochin, Secretary pf state: Joseph
+. Hambit.;er, State Treasurer, and John
G.. Berry, Commissioner of the state
Land Office: Comprising the Boa I'd of
State Canvassers
GENTLEMEN--P Public charges have been
made and have come to my knowledge that
gross errors were made in the canvass OF
the returns of votes given i'm the various
counties at the election held in this state
on the first Monday in April, A. ID. 1893,
for and against the adoption of joint reso-
luton No. 10, approved March .. 1893 pro-
posing an amendment TO Section l of
Article of the constitution of the state,
relative to the salaries Of the state officers,
10y which il was made TO appear that such
amendment to the constitution had been
ratified and approved by Il majority of the
electors voting thereon, whereas it is IL
legged that by true and correct canvass of
the returns of such votes the said amend
p'aut was defeated.
under the power as granted and duly i'm
posed upon me as governor of this state
by Section s, of Article 10 of the constitu-
ton. 1t becomes my duty to inquire into
the condition and administration of your
several offices, and especially into the man
ner in which you have severally and col
lectively performed the duties of the board
of state canvassers of which you are ex-
officio members, for the purpose of deter
mining whether you have been guilty of
gross neglect of duty in the matter OF can
wasting said returns. You are, therefore,
severally cited and required to appear be-
fore me at the executive Office. in the city of
Lansing, on the 18th day of February, 1894,
at l o'clock in the afternoon, then and
there to answer TO the following specific
charges, viz:
l. That you, the said John w Jochim,
secretary of state: Joseph +. Hambitzer.
state treasurer, and John g. Berry, COM
missioner of the state land Office, who are
the board of state canvaSserS under the
constitutions and laws of this state. were
each and every one of you guilty of gross
neglect of duty in this, that you did not,
nor did either of you examine the state
ments or returns of votes from the several
counties filed in the office of the secretary
of state, showing the number of votes cast
for and against said proposed amendment
to the constitution relative to the salaries
Of state officers, by the electors in this state
at the election OF 1893
2. That you were severally guilty of
not, nor did either of you, ascertain and de-
termine the true result of such vote, nor
perform with due and proper care the du-
ties relating to canvassing the statements
and returns from the several counties of
the votes given at such election for and
against said proposed amendment to the.
constitution, required of and imposed upon
you as members of said board of state can
Sassers by the constitution and laws of
this state
B. That you were severally guilty of
gross neglect of duty i'm this; that you
made and suffered to be made gross errors
in the canvass of the statements and re
turns filed in the Office of the secretary of
state, of the votes given in the several
counties at said election in April, 1898, for
and against said proposed amendment to
the constitution, by which it was falsely
made to appear that such proposed amend
ment had been approved and ratified by
majority of the electors voting thereon.
Whereas, by true and correct canvass of
the said statements and returns the said
proposed amendment was defeated
4. You are further required then and
there to show cause why you and each of
you should not be removed from office for
gross neglect of duty. JOHN II. RICH.
Commissioner of Land Office Berry
and Treasurer Hambitzer were run
down at II p. IN, and while they were
quite reticent, both said that some of
the best legal talent in the state had
been engaged and some very nice legal
points would be made at the hearing on
Feb. 10. The members of the board.
Hambitzer said, Tuesday afternoon,
were engaged in preparing a request TO
the governor for stay of proceedings
before insisting upon their designations
and allow thew to be heard, but the ac-
ton of the governor had disposed OF
that Rnd the only thing left was to
make their answer to the charges.
Something Sensational May Occur.
MASON, Feb. THE action of the
grand jury Tuesday has tended to
tensify the general belief that some
thing sensational is brewing in connec-
ton with the investigation and that
important developments are about to
be made. The jury deliberated for over
two hours before summoning n wit
ness, and this is interpreted to mean
that indictments We're under consider
alton. Ho' yer, no indictments nave
yet been reported, but those who are
watching the case closely will not be
surprised il one or more are not re-
turned within few hours.
The sensational announcement COM
ing from Detroit, which is the latest
phase of the muddle, that the Wayne
county vote on the amendment Of 1888
was falsified in. the county clerks office
so as to show an increase of 8. 900 in the
affirmative vote, connects Sergeant-at-
Arms Buzzy with this feature of the
case. inasmuch 40 he was the chairman
of the footing committee of the board
of county canvassers. He says he has
no knowledge Of the classifying, as his
committee simply footed up the figures
on the sheets handed them by the coun-
ty clerk, and the footings are correct.
The changes were made in the votes by
precincts rs the sheets were filled out.
LANSING. Feb. 2.-The grand jury
called by Judge Person to investigate
the alleged frauds in connection with
the canvass of votes on the constltu-
tional amendments of 1891 and 1893
relative to the salaries of state officers,
reported for duty at Mason Thursday
morning. Two of the 28 jurors sum
moned were excused, leaving 81 on the
panel.
In delivering his charge to the jury
Judge Person enjoined them to preserve
the utmost secrecy az to all their de-
alterations. Ills Instructions were par
ticularly emphatic upon this point
MASON, Feb. 3-The grand jury
which is investigating the count on the
salaries amendment found the Jury