The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-19

Dover Del, Jan. 1S.--The committee
on elections and privileges of the State
legislature, which has been empowered
with the duty of deciding the res pective
claims Of John II. Diclicy and Woodward
w. Cheairs for seat in the general as
Scmbly from New Castle county, unearth-
cd Il sensation when the ballot boxes were
opened here to night. The recount of
the vote shows that the returns of votes
as tabuntcd when the inspectors of elec
ton assembled in the Wilmington court.
house on the night of November ). when
Il riot was ut one time imminent. had
been altered SO that John Il. Dickey could
90 to the legislature instead of young
Cheairs, the representative chosen by the
majority vote of the Democratic party.
Dickcy came to Dover with II certificate
OF election duly signed by the board of
canvass, many Of whose members may
get into serious trouble because of the
alleged criminal ear marks which were
left in the New Castle ballot boxes
There are ninety ballot boxes to he
counted by the committee, which will be
in session all night and all day to.mor-
row. The chairman is Benjamin Hazel,
the leader of the anti. Salisbury Dicley
faction in the House. Fourteen ballot
boxes which contain the vote Of five out
reveal IL discrepancy of 10 votes, rs re-
turned by the board of canvass, and SUBJ
sequent developments substantiatc the
charges OF Lawyers William +. KurtZ
and Thomas Bayard Icisel that Chears'
vote was sacrificed by the inspectors in
order to elect DicGcy
Further than that, the committee has
discovered evidence to prove that the vote
of Messrs. Taylor and Mccoy, two other
members Of the legislature, were altered
SO as To swell the vote of Messrs Donald
son and Dempsey, two men known to be
aililiutcd with the salisbury Dickey
outfit. In the Third district, First ward
of Wilmington, the recount showed that
ten votes were taken from Cheairs and
given to Dickcy. In the fourth district
OF the Second ward, twenty votes were
taken from Chcairs, ana in the Fifth dis
trict of the Second war,i twenty votes
were taken from Chciirs and added to
Dickcys vote.
Dickey's majority given him by the
canvas board, was only 3lS over Cheairs.
The frauds discovered so far reduce that
majority to 1870, and other discrepancies
are expected to show that Chcars will
have II safe majority. These disclosures
have practically side tracked Willard
Saulsbury's Senatorial boom and the
State is rocked from centre to circumfer-
cncc into excitement tonight. Dckcv
was the leader and champion OF the Sauls-
bury fight i'll the house, and the startling
revelation TO night is IL decided victory
for the Wolcott faction OF the Democratic
party, which has been after Dckey's
scalp for some time.
Dickey remained in the room where the
ballots We're being counted until he found
< Il Il
Then he put on his hat and coat and
left His counsel, James w. Ponder and
eX-Congrcssman Pennington, remained
behind to lool; after his interests. Chcairs
is present with hi; counsel, Messrs. Kurt
and HeiSel, OF Wilmington, and eN-Scc-
Rotary of State Hughes, of Dover. His
counsel are carefully putting down all
data and evidence of fraud, which will he
used in prosecuting the election inspec-
tors.
The Wolcott people are determined to
GUST Dickcy before tomorrow, the day
set for the election of IL United States
Senator. This explains the haste of the
committee in the recountng OF the vote.
Dickey was warned unless he gave up
his seat to Mr.. Cheairs THAT the ballot
boxes would he opened hut he persisted
in remaining in the legislature, and the
Chealrs people say he must bear the con
sequences
There is talk of the ants Salisbury PEG.
pie refusing to so in the Senatorial eau.
Gus, so bitter is the feeling tonight The
consencns OF opinion is that the discov-
cries here practically retired William
salisbury from the Senatorial fight, and
il is believed he will throw his strength
to John f. salisbury, the free silver
apostle of Kent.