The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-13
Thayer Gains
By Recount.
DISPUTED BALLOTS
Enliyen the Dull Work Of
the Registrators.

!, After having been in continuous ses-
sion for twelve hours, the registrars of
voters completed the recount of the
baalllots cast last Tuesday in the city
OF Worcester for the congressional can
dldate, and as a result John Il. Thayer
makes q net gain of rs votes in the
city and carries the city by IA MAORI
~ over Congressman Walker. The
tlme-honored saying in political circles
that q recount never results in any
advantage to the losing candidate,
comes TRUE in this case, but Congress-
man Walker has the satisfaction Of
Knowing that the results now indica-
Ted are more nearly accurate.
The recount was interesting and at
times exciting and two or three times
heated disputes tended to break the
monotony of the dull routine. There
was no time or inclination for any
thing but business, and indeed many
OF the watchers neglected their meals
IN their anxiety to observe every count
The registrars met in their office at
the city hall at O'Clock yesterday, and
In order to accommodate the candi-
dates and their agents, they at
once adjourned to the CITY
clerks workroom at the northwest cor
ner OF the building, where four tables
mad been arranged for their use. In
order to facilitate the counting, w
Henry Towne was added to the list of
counters and each counted one pre-
oinct of each ward separately. Con-
gressman- elect Thayer occupied a seat
at one table close to Henry L. Parker,
il r a,~1a
man, chairman of the republican city
committee. George w. B. Sisson and
Daniel f. Rourke kept track of the
ballots with Mr.. Towne, Councilman
George F. Wall and Frank Roe Batch
elder were at the table with Charles j.
O'Hara, and Edward A. D. Moss and
John H. Meagher kept track of Reg
4strar Richard Matthews
The ballots of each precinct We're
counted in blocks of fifty and fractions
thereof, and new tally-sheets made up
each precinct, these records being
made by clerks from the office Of the
city clerk. Careful note was made of
all blanks and in many of the precincts
none were found
All through the day regularly mark
ed ballots We're found, and much time
was consumed in deciding just how
these ballots ought to be counted. or
stances the representatives OF the can
didates protested that the marks as
made should be allowed for their candi-
dates, and SO frequent did these dis
putes become that late in the afternoon
Mr.. Thayer, worn out by the nervous
strain, was ready to throw up his share
in the recount.
Whenever the question of irregularity
was raised by either of the candidates.
the ballot in question was taken from
the pile and laid aside until such time
as City Solicitor Rugg should determine
in whose favor the ballot was intend
ed to be cast.
-Four hours were consumed in re-
counting the ballots in four wards, and
during that time IL questionable bal
lots had been found, and during the
remainder of the day about as many
more were discovered. All disputes
were finally left to the decision of the
city solicitor, at the suggestion of Mr.
Thayer.
There were a few amusing incidents
during the day for the edification of the
watchers and the favored few who were
permitted to witness the process of in
creasing Mr.. Thayer's majority. Among
these was single vote cast for State
Committeeman George w. B. Sisson.
The suggestion was made that perhaps
Mr.. Sisson had voted for himself as a
practical joke. To prove that. he had
not, it was given out that the ballot
had been cast in ward 1.
Among the irregularly marked ballots
was one where crosses had been placed
in the space opposite the name of Mr..
Walker, and another directly under it,
in the space opposite the blank under
Mr.. Walkers name, which was the last
on the ballot. The question was raised
as to whether the voter had intended
to vote for Mr.. Walker or had first
made the mark opposite the blank
space, and then noting his error had
made a second opposite Mr.. Walkers
name.
Another point that aroused no end of
discussion was where the voter had not
used care IN marking his ballot and
had allowed the marks to protrude into
the space below against the name of
the other candidate. In most of these
cases thetintention was clear. but in
some cases the ballots were referred to
the city solicitor. During a heated
discussion on one of these cases, Mr..
Thager remarked to Mr.. Tatman that
Sc he doubted for whom the voter had
intended to cast the ballot, then he
sFhayer) doubted whether Mr.. Tatman
desired to be fair in the matter.
sgThe registrars finished the recount
about g. o'clock, and the result, as
shown in the tables, show a net gain of
Is for Mr.. Thayer and majority in
the city of IA, and he is consequently
elected without doubt.
THE following tables show the vote,
according to the returns, and also the
registrars figures of the recount.