The Norfolk weekly news. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1888-1900, 1899-10-26

lDENI lFlED.
(The envoIope marked Exhibit al"
was opened by the committee and thu
ballots marked with tho initial lettc"
"F' at the top and are counted by the
committee and found to contain 202
ballots.)
Q.-IIanding you a bunch of ballots
taken from the envelope containing
the ballots cast for the constitutional
amendment of M~CFadden township
will ask you If you can identify any of
the ballots altered by you or those with
you and will ask you II you can iden-
tify any of the ballots and the names
Of the judges written by you on them
or any Of those with you?
Al identify some of the ballots as
ballots charged by myself and thu
other man hat was with me. | also
identify some of the ballots there that
never vent through the ballot box.
Q.-Handing you this ballot exhibit
81 | will ask you to point out any al
terations you discover on them?
A.-That ballot was voted no at the
top of the page that was not for all
the amendments and 1t was change
by putting one yes at the head and
one cross opposite the head for the
judges and one cross opposite the yc;
down below for another amendment.
Q.-Was that your usual method?
A.-That is the method that was
adopted for the ballot that had a no
voted in at the head of the ticket.
Q.-What was your procedure in
case the ballot was blank?
Ain case the ballot was blank
the cross was put opposite the upper
yes.
Q.-Suppose you found a ballot with
the no, opposite the proposition for the
supreme judges, what did you do
then?
Ave would put a cross opposite
the yes and a cross opposite the upper
yes. that is, voting two yeses for the
amendment.
Q.-Then how would you count It?
A.-The commission gay the
amendment the benefit of the doubt.
Q.-The two yeses overcame the II
no?
Ayes sir.
Q.-And you were there to create a
reasonable doubt for the committee?
Ayes sir.
On case of a ballot in which
there was a no cross, opposite each OF
the proposed amendments, what was
your procedure in such a case?
Awake a yes opposite the amend
ment and a yes at the end Of it.
Q.-Handing you exhibit 3S l will
ask you whether you recognize that IA
an altered ballot?
Ayes sir. it is.
Q.-This ballot identified as exhibit
80 shows a cross after the word no,
after each Of the amendments, at the
top it also shows a cross after the yes.
and it shows a cross after the yes Oh
the amendment increasing the number
of judges, how would a ballot OF that
kind be counted?
A.-For the amendment.
Q.-And was that the rule you fol-
lowed right along?
Ayes sir, we counted the yes for
the amendment for the judges and the
no for all the balance.
Q.-Do you remember how man"
ballots were changed or altered in any
way?
A.-No sir, | do not, we just altered
them as we got to them, we kept no
track of that, we had not time for that.
Q.-Can you make an estimate?
A.-Why there was in the 81 coun-
ties | think there were something like
seven thousand. Harlan county had
something Over a thousand.
Q.-Do you remember how many
York county had?
A.-Twelve hundred.
M C.N, y.lN. ,.n, - tInt
Mr.. Edmisten first spoke to you in re-
lation to those ballots?
A.-Why, when Edmisten spoke to
mi it was about the beginning of tho
session, others spoke to me prior to
that.
Q.-Who had spoken to you before
that?
A.-Some of the rest that was help
ing count.
Q.-What was said?
THE SCHEME OUTLINED.
A.-They said they were going to
have a OF the judges and they
would find enough ballots to show that
they were elected.
Q.-When did you first talk with Ed
misten?
A.-That was prior to the beginning
of the legislative session.
Q.-He told you did he that you
WOULD be one of the parties to help d.
it?
A.-Yes sir.
Q.-And engaged you to, that is told
you what was to be done?
A.-No sir, he didn't say we were to
do any marking, only we would steal
the judges in.
Q.-Where were You when this con-
yersation took place?
Ain his office.
Odd you talk over your affairs O,
operations?
A,-Not until the commission was
appointed.
Q.-What was said when you started
ii anything. Give the conversation
that was had as to what should be
done?
Al don't know only to mark them
that is all.
Odd Edmisten mark any?
Ayes sir.
Gle set the example for you, did
he show you what he wanted done?
Ayes sir. He started off showing