Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-16
TWICE TRIPPED UP. Attorney for the Contestant in the
 Aldrich- Underwood CONGRESSIONAL CONTEST Fail to Spring a Much Desired Sensation as to Money
 Influences.
CONGRESSIONAL CONTEST

h the election contest an effort was made yesterday by the republican contestant to produce the impression that the democrats spent money lavishly in the November camp ign, but the effort fell short of &C., complaining the desired result.
 MT. E. A. Thompson, who was chairman of the democratic campaign committee of Jefferson county, said his committee had less than $500, all told, during the entire campaign. He said further that no negroes were paid to work in the interest of MT. Underwood, the democratic nominee. E In another direction the contestant also failed to adduce testimony that suited him. Policeman Walker was on the stand and MT. Vaughan, counsel for the contestant, asked him if the negro legislative ticket put out last summer was not at the in- stance of the democrats. The witness re- piled that he did not know, but some re- publican negroes said it was, while the democratic negroes said it was put out on account of the white republicans joining the populists.
 A great many questions are being asked aud voluminous testimony taken, mainly in rebuttal of statements of witnesses ex- amined in behalf of the contestant.
 B. A. Thompson, chief deputy sheriff of Jefferson county, was on the stand for
 
 chairman of the democratic campaign committee in the congressional campaign. He said he had no duplicate registration certificates on the day of election or at any other time, nor did he know of any one else who did have. He said he was fairly familiar with elections in Birmingham and he one in November was very quiet and orderly. Witness said there was some dis satisfaction among the negroes over the method of distributing republican funds and an organized effort was made to keep the negroes from voting. The democratic negroes organized with them.
 Witness said there were evidences of the repu ublicans distributing money very lib- erally in this county during the campaign. He said great many negroes supported MT. Underwood, some on personal grounds and some because they objected to being led by populists.
 agers of the November election were ap- pointed. Jerry Fountain, chairman of the Aldrich campaign committee, was also there. He said the republican managers suggested by Fountain were in every case appointed. As to the man Adam Powell in Isat Fountain was asked to spell the Lame, and he spelled it Powell. He said there was no attempt on the part of the committee to intimidate any negroes or any one else at that election. MT. Aldrich was not popular with the people in the country precincts and did not poll the full Jefferso ian strength.
 With reference to Messrs. H. F. DeBar- deleben, J. w. Warrington, Col. A. K. Shepard, Louis Schwarz and Demetrius Myers supporting Mr. Aldrich witness said his understanding was that Mir. DeBarde- leben was republican in national ques- tions, and that Colonel Shepard was an ex- treme high tariff man. MT. Worthington, he was informed, supported MT. Aldrich on purely personal grounds. Aside from those named above he knew of DO demo- crats who supported MT. Aldrich except few who did so on personal grounds. Witness said: "The contestant in this case has charged that there was conspir- acy in Jefferson county to hold fraudulent elections; that instructions had been issued ty the chairman of the democratic commit tee to carry out and perpetuate that con- spiracy. Now, desire to state, so far as the campaign committee is concerned, or so far as l, as its chairman, am concerned, the statement is absolutely untrue and without any foundation of fact.'
 MT. Vaughan, counsel for contestant, asked the witness if cipher code was not used by the campaign committee in send ing telegrams during the campaign, and if he had not received @ letter or telegram saying Jefferson county must be carried by the democrats.
 To this question Mir. Thompson replied any cipher code, and didn't know if one was used at all. He knew nothing of the letter or,telegram mentioned.
 R. w. Walker, a memb of the Birming- ham police force, was examined in the afternoon. The questions put to him were litical gatherings in Birmingham prior to 5 the congressional election, and especially the negro assemblages. There was nothing of special importance brought out in his testimony.
 h Florida, the land of flowers, Dr.