The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-11
COL TLR CASE TEDIOUS
YESTERDAY WAS ENTIRELY TAX
EN- UP WITH EVIDENCE IDENTI-
FLYING BOX AND BALLOTS
STATES CASE NEARLY DONE

Assistant County Attorney ZoIIman
Stated Yesterday That He Expect
ed to Finish the Introduction of
Evidence TOday-BaIIOts Were
Finally Admitted by Judge Lewis
After Considerable Argument
There were no sensational develop
ments yesterday in the trial of George
Golfer on charge of having as judge
of election made fraudulent election re-
turns of the vote case in the Second
precinct of the Fourth ward. An aroma
of mystery chung around the little ballot
box planted prominently in front of
Judge Lewis and all day long the wit
nesseS called by the state kept glanc ng
at the box as if to refresh their memories
IN regard to the occurrences on the fate
III election night when the vote of the
Second precinct was made to show such
surprising and diversified results.
The first witness called when court
opened in the morning was John McNul-
", who was one of the ballot clerks He
had assisted in counting the ballots by
running the tally sheet for the white or
state ballots, but had nothing to do with;
tise blue tickets. The witness remem-
bered having signed the returns to the
county auditor. Golfer and S. Lee Da--
Wis. he said. had counted the blue bal
lots together and all of the election of
hclals had gone to the city clerks Office
direct from the booth after the count.
L remember that we had to seal the
blue box at the clerks Office" said Mr..
McNulty. But 1 don't know anything
ABOUT how this became necessary
When the witness was excused, S. Lee
Davis was recalled and Attorney w H
>McDonald, for the defense, resumed his
cross examination
held the office of county auditor for
five terms, said Mr.. Davis, but at that
time the Australian ballot was not in
use L was a Democrat Judge at the
Second precinct Of the Fourth ward at
lhe November election. I cannot ex-
plain why Golfer and myself failed to
give Arosin the balance of the total vote
cast after we had counted the vote for
anton Mlesen. That was the intention
II was not fact that AroSin's name was
on the ballot first and counted first.
do not remember that Ross and MYSELF
TOOK the tally sheets and returns to the
auditor while Celter was making returns
for the PRESS
If the tally sheet shows that Horton
received ia votes why does the re Urn
snow lH votes" asked Attorney ~AfcDon-
aid
don't know who made the mistake
replied the witness
Did not You count five more votes
than there really We're for WAGNER in
the Wagener-Irish contest?" persisted
the attorney.
Il don't know -
The witness testified that the Arosin-
Mlesen vote was not reeounted three
times and that the Wagener-Irish vote
was counted twice. He had taken none
OF the ballots out OF the box during the
absence of Ross. He had never road
the election laws through. but had mar
tially read the law governing judges. He.
mad taken his directions from Golfer
John ID. Hause, who was clerk of cleo
ton, told of having Accompanied the BAL
lot box to the clerks office after the
count. Then Representative John o, Con-
nor, who was@one Of the candidates, took
the stand and told Of having called az
tie booth at midnight He had seen
3 Golfer on the outside of the booth and
had asked him how the vote stood. Col
ter said the Johns vote had been counted
and showed OConnor to be forty votes
ahead. Golfer at the time said nothing
in regard to the Mesen contest. .
Henry Johns, who. confessed that he
mad been a candidate. was called and
had baEelY told Assistant County Attor-s
neX Zellman. that he e,s had been ac-
qualnted with the defendant for several
years when the question of a converse
ton with Golfer on the subject of the
Miesen vote was popped In and excited
Attorney Mcdonald who suggested that
the ballot boxes had not yet been intro
duced in evidence. Mr.. Johns was tenn
porarily withdrawn.
Assistant City Clerk E. E. McCrea.
VINO was recalled, testified that the bal
lot box could not be opened without a
Key. He did not know whether the lock
could be picked not, but admitted
rnat the seals might be steamed off. The
Key to the box had been in the CUSTODY
ot the county attorney and others dur
Ing the trial
City Clerk Matt Jensen was called for
the second time to testify in regard to
the inviolabilfty of the ballot box during
the time it was in his charge The box
had never been opened in the pre.ence
Of the witness except by order of the
court Since election day all the clerks
were instructed to allow no one in the
Dhice vault where the boxes were ken+
unless In company with a clerk There
had been two keys to the box and one
was lost somewhere. At this point the
state offered in evidence the ballots con-
tajned in the blue box and also tha how
on the ground that the box had been
improperly handled and unIawfully
opened and that it had been out of the
custody of the officer in whose charge
it was placed.
This gave rise to a long argument and
finally City Clerk Jensen was again re-
called and testified that he had locked
the box after it had been sealed by the
referees and had next unlocked it in the
grand jury room. To the knowledge of
the witness the box was not unlocked be-
tween those occasions,
The defense insisted that the ballots
be introduced separately and the court
agree dwith Mr.. Mcdonald. The ballots.
1874 in all, of which III were in a roll
aSd the other seven set aside by the
referees and referred to the court, we've
offered
Mr.. Zolman stated when court adj
5ourned that the state would probably
conclude the introduction of evidence to-
day