The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-29
COYNE BEGINS A CONTEST.
Says That Many Illegal Votes We're Cast
for William u. Form.

Attorneys G.. G. Donovan and NJ. j.
Donahoe. representing Patrick Coyne
of Minooka. Lackawanna township,
yesterday morning filed In the office of
Clerk OF the Courts John II. Thomas a
petition to the court for IL contest to be
instituted against William II. Fern, of
| the Archibald mines, for the office of
supervisor.
At the election held on Tuesday. Feb.
| Is, 1896. two persons We're to be elected
as supervisors Of Lackawanna town
ship, and the result was that James
Ward, of Moosic. received l93 votes;
William II. Fern, 800 votes; Patrick
Coyne, 3Si votes and Adam Fasshold.
3j3 votes. Ward and Coyne were the
Democratic candidates, and Fern and
Fasshold were the Republican candi-
dates.
The petition for the contest sets forth
| that Fern has been returned as having
received Il greater number of votes cast
n; the said election than Coync, which
return, it Is alleged. Is false, undue ana
Illegal, for the reason that Fern was
returned as having received 39O votes
whereas, according to the petition ne
should not have been credited with
more than $40 votes.
WOULD HAVE ELECTED COYNE.
lUlS WOulu nave tlttltu Wy W
forty-four votes more than Fern. Ine
speclica tions of fraud are more clear
ly set forth as follows: That Fern re-
ceived certain votes in the various dis
tricts of the township from persons not
qualified to vote for the reason that
they were not registered in the respec-
tive districts in which they voted, and
did not make or file legal proof by
means of affidavit as the law requires.
In the Northeast district twenty per-
sons voted who were not registered nor
did they make affidavit; in the East
district there were two of this class
in the South district there were thir-
teen. and in the West district, fifteen,
making in all total of fifty persons
who We're not registered and were al
lowed to vote without making aitidaNlt
The petitioner believes that the votes
thus enumerated were cast for Fern
and received and counted for him ana
that they should he deducted from III"
return Of the said election, which, II
done, will entitle Coyne to the office of
supervisor. The petition Is signed by
thirty-siX citizens of good standing,
who reside in different parts of the
township. They are as follows: Martin
McDonough. Professor Thomas +.
Joyce. John ]. Coyne. Patrick McDon-
nell, Patrick McNally, Jatrick j. Dis
ken, James Kelley, Anthony Hart, Pat
| rick Lydon. Patrick Brown, James
Mangan, William Dolan, Thomas
I.oughney, Thomas King. NJ j. Egan,
James Connolly, Peter Mullen, John
Conaboy, Bryan O'Hara, James Egan,
John Fitzhenry, William Mccormick.
| eX- Mayor NJ. W. LOTUS, Thomas Atkin-
son. Patrick Conway, James +. Moran.
| Anthony Moran, James Cuffney, Mi
chael Haley. Alex Rowan, Thomas xiv
| lin. William Kivlin, Michael Walsh,
John Joyce, Michael Flaherty and John
| Corbett.
| PETITION SWORN TO.
| The petition is sworn to and sub
| scribed before AldermanJonn =. - Mai,
| ley. of the T entieth ward. Fern VIII
be required to answer on or before Mon
day. March .. and then the issue VIII
| come before the court. Attorney chas.
| f., Oliver represents Fern.