The morning news., 1899-12-22
sWEENY GOT 1,424 VOTES.
HIS ELECTION AS COUNTY SHERIFF
UNANIMOUS.

No Opposition to His Retention of the
Omce of SheriG for the Remainder
of the Unexpired Term of Capt.
ROnan-Fourth District, ms Usual,
Led In the Voting-The Day with
out Incident and the Detail of PO-
lice Unnecessary to Avert Trouble.
New sheriff viii Hold Office Untl
January, 1901.
At the election for sheriff of Chatham
county. held yesterday, to I'LL the unex-
pired term Of Sheriff John T. Roman, ,424
votes were cast There was but one can
didate, Thomas J. Sweeuy, and every vote
deposited was for him. The size Of the
vote is a high compliment to the efficiency
and popularity of Sheriff Sweeny.
The vote by districts was as follows:
First district 327; Second district, 224;
Third district, S36; Fourth district, 4iS;
Fifth. Sixth, Seventh and Eighth districts,
"a. making a total of 1924. The voting be-
gan with a strong spurt in the morning, as
the body of citizens were going to their
business, Stacked down a bit until the
dinner hour, became comparatively heavy
again for an hour or two Stacked down
again, and closed with rush at 6:4
O'clock
The election was without incident to
make 1t memorable. small detail of po-
licemen, under the command of Lieut..
Reilly, was on hand to preserve order, but
there was never an indication that there
was danger of violation of the proprie-
ties. The friends of the one candidate
rallied to the polls readily enough and his
enemies, if he is provided with such use
less luggage, stayed discreeuy away. As
there was but one candidate there could
be no ground for difference of opinion
among the more belligerent of the voters,
and the customary fights around the polls,
that are quite usual incidents TO an cleo
tlon In the county of Chatham, were con-
spicuous by their absence.
The result of the election is In entire ac-
cord with the predictions of the politicians
Since the announcement was first made
that there would be no opposition on the
part of either of the factions of the party
in the city and county to the election Of
Mr.. Sweeny for the remainder of the un-
expired term Of his uncle, there had never
been a thought that he could be defeated.
There had never been an indication that
there was anyone in the city with sum
cient political hardihood to make the at
tempt The statement had been made that
Mr.. Sweeny stood in The shoes of the
widow of the late sheriff when he offered
for the unexpired term and that she would
be the principal gamer by the election.
This settled conclusively the whole mat
Ter.
Nevertheless, IL is an indication of the
manner in which the new sheriff is regard
ed personally that when he offered for
election, when there was no opposition and
his success was assured from the time the
polls were first open, that so many
votes should be cast. Citizens from all over
the city and county came to the Court
House to cast their votesg though they
understood that it was purely compliment
tary. The Fourth district, IS is quite
usual showed up heavily. II led in the
voting and in whatever of excitement there
was TO be found around the Court House.
The country districts, too, in which 1t had
been expected there would be but a scant
number of votes cast, rolled up nearly a
hundred. The others maintained abouI
their relative proportion of registered Vot-
ers. The total vote is about one-third OF
the registration list made up IN the Office
of the tax collector.
The election closed at 6:4 O'Clock, city
time, or O'Clock sun time. This is in
compliance with the election laws of the
state, under the requirements of which,
also. the front doors of the saloons were
Closed during the day.
One voter, well known in the city, stated
that he learned of the fact that an cleo
tion was in progress in this way. He
went up to the bar in which he takes an
occasional drink with that purpose in
view. On the door he saw a legend
CLOSED on account of election" from
which a hand, with extended index finger
pointed with unerrng certainty to the
side door of the establishment Follow
ing in the direction indicated, he learned
that there was still balm in Gilead and a
place where the thirsty wayfarer might
find something with which to wash the
dust out of his throat, and not be re-
stricted necessarily to an artesan cock.
tail, either.
Mr. Sweeny will hold office until Jan
uary, 1901, when his successor win take
his seat. The next election win be held
in October, the only announced candidate
being Mai John Sehwarz. who will re-
ceive the support of the Citizens Club fac
ton. The candidate of the opposition has
not been definitely announced, though bott
Col Jordan F. Brooks and Sheriff Sweeny
have been prominently mentioned in this
connection.
sFrN I'M