The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-13
Golfer NOT GUILTY
JURY ACQUPTS HIM OF THE
CHARGE OF FALsIFYING ELEC-
TION RETURNS
FOUR HOURS DEL1BERATIoN
The Announcement of the Result
Touched a Tender Spot I'm the
Heart of the Defendant and He
Burst Into Tears-TweIve Men
Had Little Trouble In Arriving
mt Hot
MT "a Verdict

MT u Verdict.
The jury in the case of George Golfer,
charged with having as judge of election
falsifed the returns from the Second pre-
cinct of the Fourth ward last November
went out at Has yesterday and shortly
after o'clock returned verdict of not
guilty. The defendant burst into tears
when Deputy Clerk Stobbart finished
reading the verdict
All the evidence was closed Thursday
and when court opened yesterday the
forenoon was taken up with the closing
addresses of the counsel and Judge Lew
is charge, which was strictly impartial
Golfer hung around the empty court room
during the afternoon awaiting anxiously
the result of the deliberations of the
| jury.
The news that the jury was about to
| return a verdict served to crowd the
court room, and when the jury filed in
| every avilable seat outside of the railing
was occupied. Golfer became very de-
| monstrative when the verdict was an
nounced and shook hands with each Of
| the jurors.
The first vote taken in the jury room
| stood eight for acQuittal, one for convic-
| ton and three blank. This was the sit
uation until the third ballot taken re-
suited in ten for acquittal and F. two
| blanks. There was no change until the
decisive ballot 80
George Golfer. who was employed as a
clerk in the office of the register of deeds,
| served as Republican judge in the Sec
ond precinct of the Fourth ward at the
November election There was a close
vote for county treasurer in which o. H
Arosin, the Republican candidate, was
slightly in the lead on the face of the
returns. Anton Miesen, his opponent,
demanded a recount which was granted
by the court.
AT the recount it was discovered that
Miesen had been given forty votes in
the Second precinct of the Fourth ward
to which he was not entitled and the ref
erees recommended that the grand jury
| take action in the matter. The result
was the indictment of Golfer on a charge
| of making fraudulent returns. He plead
| ed not guilty and was released on 81 600
| bail to await trial.
| At the trial S. Lee Davis, the Democrat
| judge, who with Golfer had counted the
| blue or white ballots, testified that Re
| had counted part of the ballots and Col
| ter. the balance. Sometimes Davis had
! called his totals to the clerk and some
| times to Golfer, who in such cases added
! his own totals and announced the re-
suit. In the Arosin- Miesen contest the
! witness swore that in violation of the
| law governing election judges the Miess n
! vote had been counted first, and then by
| special agreement the balance of the to-
| tai vote was credited to Arosin.
The state endeavored to prove that
| Golfer was possessed of a special animus
| against Arosin and had foretold that
Arosin would not carry his (Colter's) pre-
| cinct. The defense tried to show that
the ballot box and ballots which were in
| troduced in evidence had been opened
| In violation of law and had been ham
| died by many people.
1t was apparent from the, testimony
| that gross errors had been made in the
| count, but the jury was evidently CON
| WINGED of the truth of Golfers statme MT
| that he had not knowingly committed
| any mistakes in figuring the returns.
Mr.. Golfer was defended by W. H Nc
Donald, w. F. Hunt and w. L. Kelly, Jr