The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-01-04
THE FRANKLIN VOTE.
Populists Take Testimony to
Prove 1t Was Irregular.
THE BALLOT BOX WAS TOO FULL.
Tickets Had 20 BE Eammed Down, bss
vasser's side Today.

In the election contest cases yesterday
the Populists finished thssr testimony as
TO Franklin precinct. bat were unable 10
go on with proof Of the irregularities
charged at Ballard and Bellevue. Tire wst-
nesses having been detained ey the snow
Blockade. Il Is understood these two pre-
clncfs are now the only ones which are 10
be attacked By craI testimony in addition
to those already assaiied-kenr, Spring
brook and Franklin
After Gideon s. Bailey had been recalled
and asked few questions in behalf cf
DIR. Askam. T. Evans was called bv Judge
winsor The object of Evans testimony
seemed to be to establish as fact that
Louis Ward and Jack Snyder had voted
without being legally qualified Evans
said that ne knew both Ward and Snyder
and where they had been during the last
few months Ward had lived in Frank
lin since 1890, but left for Illinois last
Mar and did not return TIL about August
3. the day after the disaster in the mines.
Snyder came from California in the spring
with c. G. Todd.
All this testimony was objected to by
Mr. Gay ON the ground that Van dc Van
ter had received no written list. as re-
W
the persons names who cast them, but
judge Langley allowed the testimony 10
be given for what IL was worth.
Evans was at the polls OF and on nearly
all day. He was in the polling room twice
and voted the last time he was there. He
was not permitted to take a ballot. but
was banded one by one Of the judges.
After he had marked and folded it he
~
ii and handed Ii back. Witness then gave
the vote to Todd. the other judge, who
said it was not folded small enough, and.
with the witness consent. folded 1t again
and put 1t through the slot in the top OF
the ballot box Ballots would not So
through the slot unless folded very close
~. Witness was ordered away from the
entrance to the polls because II was said
he was eiectioneerlng. He saw no drunk
enaess there.
c. C. Todd, Judge Of election, was the
next witness. He was at the polls all
day, having been sworn in in the morn
ing. The ballots we're handed TO the vot-
ers by one OF the judges. Some. of the
voters tried TO take ballots themselves.
Evans did, and witness told him TO put 1t
back, which he did. Every ballot was
passed folded through the slot In the top
of the box. When tfae box choked UP the
inspector and judges first pushed the
votes dowa with a pencil. then they shook
the box and then, as the box got fuller,
they opened the wicket in the top and
pressed the ballots down with the hand.
Some one was ordered out when the polls
were closed, but witness did not know
whether or not the room Yves cleared.
Todd was questioned at length about
his signature at the end of the poll books
He identified the signature on the book
retained by Bailey inspector, as having
been written By him. but the one on the
other book had been written by the other
Judge. Martin Burns. at Toid's request.
Notwithstanding the storm. the court
room was well filled during the hearing
yesterday morning. Populists being in the
majority 1t is difficult to say when the
cases will be finished. The testimony for
Meyer is nearly all in. It will be followed
by testimony for Van de Vanter and the
others whose right TO office Is challenged
Then will come argument on the testi-
mony and the disputed ballots. A few
days will certainly end the contests as far
as the superior court is concerned.
The eases will come up again this morn
ing at $780,