Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-05-12
PROBABLE GUILT.
Louis Si6O6rt TO AnSWer CHARGE of
Illegal Voting.

Bloomington local politics are lively
this spring, the license question being
the bone of contention 1t will be re-
membered that at the village election
last spring there were two or three
ties in the vote for members of the
village board. Lots were cast to de-
eide them and fortune seemed to
slightly favor the mo license party.
But on the question of saloons or no
saloons the village by small major
ity decided in favor of public drink
ing places.
To make the mix-up worse one of
the village board refused to qualify.
Another election was held to ill the
vacancy which the temperance work
ers ignored because they believed the
election illegal Result, license
board as it now stands.
But the no-lieense element of the
village are not inactive. They believe
the fruits OF fairly earned victory
were wrested from them by gross
frauds at the election and they pro-
pose to expose those frauds.
All this is necessary to understand
the arrest OF Louis Siebert for Illegal
voting at the village election of
Bloomington, April 5. 1898. A. c.
Tubbs and Grant Ballantine were the
! complaining witnesses. The case was
presented before Justice McGonigal in
this city last Monday. District At
torney Howe appeared for the state
and w. j. Brennan and Leo Philipson
for the defendant.
The witnesses sworn for the state
were Edward Greer, A. G. Tubbs,
John Ryan, VIM. Ryan, and Marion
Prideaux. For the defense were
Louis Siebert, Joe Donnelly, Andrew
Lewis, and Robert Donnelly. There
was not much contradiction in the
testimony of witnesses. The princi-
pal difference in the evidence related
to the whereabouts OF the defen mt
during the ten days Immediately pre-
ccding election.
The Ryan boys said he was at their
fathers farm near North Andover
most of that time; Joe Donnelly said
he boarded at his hotel in Blooming
ton, made it his home in fact, and was
in Bloomington nearly every day Of
the same period; the defendent him
self knows he was in both places part
of the time but can't swear positively
just how long or how much he staid
at either place.
The undisputed facts are that Louis
Siebert is without permanent home,
that he voted in Glen Haven in 1896,
that he worked for Marion Prideaux
last winter up to March /, and that
after that up to election day his time
was put in mostly at james RYan's
near North Andover and Joe Donnel-
ley's in the village of Bloomington
His business all this time was looking
for Job for the summer He offered
to vote at the village election. says
Casper Auel told him he had right
to vote. and his vote was received.
Mr.. Tubbs says that Siebert told Fra
zier that his residence had been in
Bloomington three weeks, or words
to that effect. Siebert says that ii he
did say so he did not mean it or did
not understand the question.
Justice McGonigal, after carefully
hearing the evidence and arguments
OF counsel, concluded that there was
probable cause to believe the vote IL
legally cast, and held the defendant
to circuit court under $500 bonds
John Ryan Of North Andover signed
his bail bond.
1t IS evident from the attitude Of
district attorney and complaining
witnesses that Siebert is not the .man
that they are really after and that
they do not intend he shall be pun
ished much If any Developments
will be watched with interest