The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-12-25

There Were Such Discrepancies
as to Make Conspicuous show
ing-Others Were in the Eighth
Ward That Aroused Critical
Comment.
The referees the Miesen-Arostn
election contest filed a report with the
clerk Of the district court yesterday
afternoon recommending that the
grand jury make an investigation into
the conditions which made possible
gross errors in the returns from the
Eleventh and Fourteenth precincts of
the Eighth ward and the Second pre-
cinct Of the Fourth ward Especial at
teEtion is called to the Fourth ward
case.
The report, which is addressed to
Judge William Louis Kelly, is signed
by all three of the referees, e. f. Beck,
P. J. Metzdorf and Francis A. Pike
Following is the text:
In the matter of the appeal Of Anton
Miesen from the decision of the can
vassing board finding o. H. Arosin
elected to the Office Of treasurer Of
Ramsey county,
Sir: Pursuant to the order of your honor
In the above entitled matter. dated Dec S,
1893, the undersigned persons have inspected
the ballots cast In Ramsey county at the
election held Nov. 6. 1898. At the inspection
Messrs. John H. Ives. Pierce Butler and
Humphrey Barton appeared for Mr.. Miesen
and Messrs Carl Taylor and F. H. Griggs for
Mr.. Arosin.
We find that the total number of ballots
not f1o o1o Oo
treasurer 1850 undisputed ballots were cast
for Mr.. Arosin. 1882 for Mr.. Miesen, ,6S2
for other persons or in blank and 2S2 were SO
marked as to be claimed for Arosin or Miesen,
but not conceded by sthe opposite party. OF
these 282 ballots. 127 are claimed for Mr..
Arosin, 15S for Mr.. Miesen. and it seems
probable that at least 250 of them would be
counted by the court claimed by the
parties. These ballots are distributed among
81 Of the 11 Declncts Of the county. We
have placed them in envelopes, properly in
dorsed, to separate them within the ballot
boxes from the undisputed ballots In the
several districts
In three districts of the city of St Paul
and especially IN one Of the three. the re-
turns made by the election judges differed so
much from the recount as to attract con-
siderable attention and we suggest further
investigation by the proper authorities.
In the Eleventh district of the Eighth
ward the returns of the election Judges gave
Arosin 124 votes, Mlesen iii. We found III
for Arosin. 118 for Miesen. a difference of
Il in maiorities. In the Fourteenth district
Of the Eighth ward the judges returned 115
for Miesen instead Of 105 as we found it. In
the Second district Of the Fourth ward the
largest discrepancy appears The vote there,
as returned by the judges, was Y for Arosin,
110 for Miesen. We found SO for Arosin 70
for Miesen. difference of 4S in maiorities.
Besides the SO ballots marked plainly for
Arosin we found at least four ballots which
had once been plainly marked with the usual
CROSS in the Arosln square but from which
that cross had been more or less erased.
These we placed in the envelope indorsed as
referred to the court.
The ballot boxes, as exhibited to US by their
respective custodians, were without exception
properly locked and sealed. although many
Of the boxes used in the city Of St. Paul are
so racked with long use that great care is
needed the part OF the city clerk to Keep
them from breaking their seals on slight
movement.
He have resealed every box opened after re-
placing therein all the ballots which We
found in it.
One of the attorneys for the appel
liant stated yesterday that the appeal
will probably be dismissed.