The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-01-21

Special Dispatch to tho Intelllgencer.
WESTON, W. VA, Jan. 2o.-A pointof
evidence wns adduced In the election
contest cases here which created q great
sensation among local politicians. Mar
ceilus White, a wealthy and influential
farmer, and one OF the best men OF the
county, appeared as witness for the
contestants, and after describing the
kind OF ticket he voted, positively iden-
tilted his ticket, he having made three
eraslires and insertions. He did not hesi-.
tate to swear that the insertions were
In his own hand writing, and ,..e entire
ticket was clearly that described by him
before seeing the ballot, with the eHcep-
ton that the name OF Llghthurn foe
county clerk had been subsequently
erased with pen and Ink. HIS ensures
and Insertions were made with pencil.
Mr.. White is one of the old citizens OF
county, and has been elected to oftica at
different times, being a. present mem
Der Of the board OF education.
Three other witnesses testified that
they were familiar with Mr.. Whlte's
writing, and that the ticket In question
had evidently been prepared and voted
by him.
on yesterday the ballots from Pleas
speetion. Besides other indications OF
fraud two ballots were found on which
Lightburn's name had been erased and
the name OF l.. a. Bennett written in
cramped and palsied hand, very suspi-
cious for sameness. At straight Run
precinct an inspection of the ballots re-
Vealed erasures and insertions OF the
same kind. To-day the ballots from the
precinct known as the Fisher house
were gone over in like manner and three
erasure5 OF Lightburn's name and In
sertions OF the name Of Bennett, the
present Democratic county clerk, In
whose keeping the ballots were entrust-
ed, were found, and one Of the contest
nnts In these cases.
These insertlonswere apparently
by the same person, who made the two
at Pleasant View school house, and the
two at Straight Run.
Leonidas Smith, one OF the older citl-
zens of the town, who has been Demo-
cratic election commissioner almost
every year for twenty-five years was
witness to-day, and he testified that he
was present ut the recount and saw the
package OF ballots from the Fisher house.
brought before the board OF canvassers
from the county clerks office, and that
the wrapper on said package had been
reversed and mutllated at some time af-
ter he delivered them In person to the
county clerk. At this paint Lightburn
lost seven votes In the recount as COM
pared with the original count, At one
point three Republican tickets show era
sures Of the name of Ii. W. Lightburn
with the insertion OF no name Instead
thereof, and from the same point aim
davits have been made by a number
of Republicans voters sufficient to Rc-
count for the votes accredited to Light
burn in the original count. At Straight
Run precinct the certificates on the poll
books and the sworn testimony OF the
three commissioners, two OF whom are
Democrats. show that two hundred ano
three ballots were returned to the
county clerk, but upon the recount It ap-
peared that three Republican ballots
had been extracted and only two hun
dred remained.
Probably these are some Of the frauds
to which the Register correspondent
from this place refers as having been
unear.hed.