Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-04-17
Special to the Register

Special to the Register
Grafton, w. Va, April 16.-This
town has not for many years been so
stirred as it has to-day and yesterday,
since the report of the grand jury,
which has been in session all week and
had in charge the investigation of the
alleged election frauds in this county.
The GRAND jury returned report
which finds that there were some
changed ballots in this county at the
last election, and that the clerk of the
county court, Frederick ]. Burdette,
who died four weeks ago, was the man
who changed the ballots.
1t completely exonerates everybody
whose name has been connected, di-
rectly or indirectly, with these cleo
ton frauds, and in particular is a
complete vindication of the Democratic
party, which by inuendo and insinua-
ton has been made to bear some part
of the odium which attached to the
charge which the Republicans made in
respect to the late election. The find
ing is made by a Republican Court,
presided over by a Republican Judge,
with the investigation directed by a
Republican Prosecuting Attorney, and
the report is signed by grand jury
composed of sixteen men, fourteen Of
whom are Republicans. On last Tues
day morning Judge Holt, at the regular
session of the Circuit Court, now in
session, specially charged the grand
jury in respect to these election frauds,
and on motion of the Prosecuting At
torney issued writ which required
the clerk of the County Court to pro-
duce before the grand jury all the bal
lots from the several precincts in the
county.
Senator Stephen B. Elkins, in order
to fix the odium, if possible, upon the
Democratic party, sent here from
Washington, e. B. Hay, an expert in
handwriting, and before him and the
grand jury was laid the ballots, to-
gether with the handwriting of Ia
dozen or more of the citizens of the
town, and the written report of the
could not have been changed by any
gentleman whose handwriting had been
submitted to him; but that they were
changed by the same gentleman who
wrote the record in the County Clerks
Office, which was submitted to him.
The report has caused great deal
of bitterness of feeling among the Re-
publican friends of the late clerk, and
indeed all citizens, who held the de-
ceased in the highest regard, and it is
the concurrent opinion of the best cit
liens of the county that great injus-
tice has been done him, and that he has
been made the victim of desire on the
part of the Republican leaders of the
State and county to fix the response
bility upon some one so as to explain
their losses in the last election.
The friends of the late clerk insist
that the report was unnecessary, in as
much as Burdette, who was a very
worthy ad deserving young man, is
dead, and the only effect of it will be
to wound his living relatives. 1t is not
believed by the best people of the town
that any fraud was committed, and
that the Republican party, through its
grand jury, had to lay the charge upon
some one, in order to vindicate the po-
sition which it assumed since the last
election.
While it is a subject of congratula-
ton among Democrats. the result is to
be deplored, because of its effect upon
the memory of the deceased clerk
Leading Democrats of this county have
been, through the newspapers, for the
past four months, villifed and abused
by such men as Oldfeld, of Mcdowell:
White, Dawson and others, and the re-
suits of this partisan investigation.
bringing with it such complete vindi-
cation, should cause these gentlemen to
make an adequate and proper apology.
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