The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-09
FIENDISH WORK IN FLORIDA.
"A MESSENGER BEATEN AND ROB-
BED OF ELECTION RETURNS.

Members of the Defeated Demo-
cratic Faction Mt Fernnndina Ac-
cused of the Crime-A Pistol Ball
Passes Through His Hnt-One of
His Bullets May HIVE Hit One Of
His ASsniIants Later Returns
From Florida Counties.
Fernandina. Fla. Oct S.-Deputy Sher-
fff Hogarth, accompanied by william VIII
kerson, left Callahan yesterday for Fer
nandina with the ballot boxes and cleo
ton returns. They were overtaken about
five miles out by an armed party OF men,
composed of part of the defeated demo-
cratic faction and compelled to return
to Callahan. Wilkerson was told to leave
town. and as he left eight shots were
fred at him. He arrived here on foot
to-day The deputy sheriff was severely
beaten and efforts were made to make
him confess to most anything. He was
also made to pray. He had a revolver,
but there were too many for him. When
he got away he jumped on his horse, and
as he was nearing the wood he was stop
ped and pulled off his horse and beaten
and his clothes nearly torn off of him.
Blood stains were on his clothing. When
he was allowed to go one of the party
fired at him, the ball passing through
his hat He returned the fire, and one
of the party fell. He had mounted his
horse and succeeded in getting away IL
was dark and he does not know if he hit
the man or not.
Jacksonville, Fla, Oct. S.--If the allie
CATION of w. s. M. Pinkham made to
Judge Call to-day proves true the sena-
torship of st. Johns county will go to
Pinkham and not to Gaiard, who, upon
the face of the returns, beat Pinlzham 5
votes. The allegation is that in the
Fifteenth district A marked ballots were
put in the box, the purpose being to
identify persons who voted with the bal
lot cast Judge Call issued an order di-
recting the canvassing board to count
only those ballots having no mark of
identification upon them. Gaillard was
the regular democratic nominee and
Pinkham ran as an Independent. Even
if beaten, Gaillard has a final appeal to
the state senate on the ground that Pink
ham was placed on the official ballot in
spite of the fact that here were not 500
petitioners for his nomination, as re-
quired by law.
Complete returns from thirty-four coun-
ties gixe Bloxham, democratic, a major
fly over all Of 1923. The same counties
in 1892 there being no republican ticket
in the field gave democratic majorities of
q, S05. The remaining eleven counties
gay HQmnpTntin N
1450 in 1892. The indications are that the
democratic ticket is elected by a major
ity of 1900, or a plurality over the re-
publicans of 1850 In 1892, the majority
for Mitchell, democratic, over Baskins,
populists, was 1888.
Ocala, Fla Oct. s.-The official vote of
Marion is as follows: For governor,
Bloxham, s24; Gunby, 247; Weeks, 31s. The
vote for all the other state officers of the
different parties averages about the same.
The county democratic candidates poled
a somewhat higher vote, County Judge
Hill getting the highest vote. 1902, Sheriff
Hodge $50, and County Clerk Sistrunk $50.
The rest of the ticket ran about fifty
votes behind this vote. The average of
the popullst vote for county officers is
about 240.
Barlow, Fla, Oct. S.-The total vote in
this county was 1856. The vote for gov
ernor follows: Bloxham, democratic, SlS;
Gunby, republican, 202; Weeks, populist,
S56 The democratic vote is just about
what it was in 1892. The county demo-
cratic ticket polled as high as 1000 votes.
Dade City, Fla, Oct. S.-The official
count gives the democratic state ticket
majority of 800. All the county democratic
nominees are elected by a good majority
The republican vote is small, and the
peoples party vote very small.
Pensacola, Fla, Oct. S.-Western Flori-
da has gone solidly democratic for the
first time i'll eight years The sixteen SEN
ators and representatives, with one excep-
ton. oppose the reelection of Senator
Call.