The Washington times., 1895-05-26
AGAINST FRAUD
Illegal Voting in i Alexandria
County to Be Investigated.
JOHNsONS CHANCES FADING
The Votes of Jefferson Precinct VIII
Likely BE Thrown Out and Little
Dickey" Would BE eDefeated-Frank
Hume Fighting for the supervisors
shfp-voters Violated the Law.

Formal protests were yesterday filed
with the Commissioners of Election OF
Alexandria county against the votes cast
in Jefferson district for Little Dickey"
Johnson for commonwealth attorney and
William Duncan for the board of super
visors.
This action was anticipated exclusively
in yesterdays Times, and it looks now
as If Johnson's hold on the office is van
ishing into thin air.
The advisers of Mr. w w, Douglas and
Frank Hume claim to have discovered
such glariug frauds as TO make it decidedly
more than probable that the District will
be thrown out Yesterday was the day
fixed by the Virginia State law for the
canvassing of the vote OF the different
precincts, as returned and certified to by
the judges of election. by the county COM
mtssouers Of election, Messrs. William
A. schIivogt, and E. T. Sisson, Of JEFF
ferson District; Tippet Allan and A. G.
Mertens, of Arlington District, and N. c.
Bradley, of Washington District. The
meetiag of the commissioners was held
at noon in the old court house in Alex
audria.
FILED A PROTEST.
Before the hour for assembling, Mr.
Duncan in jefferson district for the board
of supervisors, and Mr.. Douglas were in
consultation with their attorneys, Messrs.
A w Armstrong and C. G. Carlin.
Che first precinct opened was Jefferson
district, and Mr.. Armstrong aud his
colleague then filed a protest on the part
of persons who were candidates, aud
fifteen qualified voters of Jefferson Dis
trict, no names bejug mentioned, on the
following grounds:
1. That said election WAS not held 10 the
manner prescribed by law.
2. Said election was frau udulently
conducted.
g. That votes were received from persons
not qualified electors of jefferson District,
more than sufficient TO change the result
in said district
Mr.. Douglas then entered his formal
protest in exactly the same words, eX-
cept that he claimed the fraudulent votes in
Jefferson were more than sufficient to
change the result In said district and
county.
This formality having been gone through
the remainder of the votes were then can
yassed, certified to by the commissioners
and placed on file in the county clerks
office. Within the next ten days the
clerk or the county court h. H. Young,
must notify Mr.. johnson, Mr.. Duncan and
the other successful candidates, of the
proposed contest, and the case will then
come up for hearing il is expected, at
the June term, beginning on the fourth
Monday.
The election was held under the new
Walton election law, a modified form
OF the Australian system, tried for the sec
ond time In Virginia. Under its provis-
ions no one but the special constable on
duty at the polls, and the voter is al
lowed to come within fifty feet OF the
take a memorandum orlcopyI of the ticket
into the booth with them.
MOB VIOLATED THE LAW.
On the violation of this portion OF the
walton law the first section of the pro-
test is founded. for Towley Sisson, the con-
stable of the Four-mile Run precinct, says
that the mob surged around the voting
booth all day, sometimes as many as two
voters being in one booth, and that the
negroes were furnished with writing slips
by "Dicky" Johnson containing the names
of those they were to vote for, and these
they took into the booth with them.
The second and third objections are based
on the fact that over 100 negroes, resi-
dents of Washington, had been fraudulently
registered in jefferson district by the
Johnson ring, and every one of these illegal
voters cast their votes for johnson and
Duncan.
These counts can De sustained, 1t Is
claimed, by abundance of evidence show
ing all manner of fraud in the jefferson
precinct election, and there seems to be
no doubt whatever that the vote of the
precinct VIII be thrown out when the case
is brought up before Judge Chichester,
who is greatly opposed TO the disgrace
that Johnson has brought upon the county.
From Judge Chichesters ruling an ap-
peal can be taken to the circuit court,
Judge Nichols, who will sustain Judge
Chichester, unless it can be shown that he.
ha sgreatly erred So that the chances for
Dick Johnston being the next common
wealth attorney are extremely slim, for
without the vote of Jefferson district Mr..
Douglas claims the county by sixty-tbree
majority. The throwing out of Jefferson
district vote will not change the result as
to the other candidates. A new election
would, however, be necessary for the
supervisor, and there is no doubt but that
Mr.. Hume would carry the district by a
very large majority.
n--
Robbed a Slot Machine.
Fred Mattingly and Charles Brown
made raid on a nickel =, .he-slot ma
chine, located in front of Harry Coleman's