Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-07-20
ELECTION CONTEST
The Case Was Begun in the Mdu
Term OF Circuit Court at
Prairie du Chen.
JUDGE GIVES NO DECISION
a Large Number Of WITNESSES are Exam
iaCd-- Railroad in the Fight.

4
case was brought 70 oust the town
board Henry Roberts, John Harris
and Albert Schrcincr, who were de-
clared elected az last springs election
and seat the contestants Oscar Knapp.
Tuccr Hammond and John Lord 1t
was begun at Prairie du CHEN at the
May term Of the Crawford county
court and continued by stipulation to
the special term AT Lancaster 1t was
also agreed that . Jury would be
waived
AT the election III The town Of
Bloomington April !, 1899, there were
two tickets. n "Town Ticket" and a
Caucus Ticket When the voting
was over the inspectors counted 81
votes for the Town Ticket and ~
votes for the Caucus Ticket" thereby
electing Henry Roberts, John Harris
and Albert Sehreiuer for town board.
The complaint of Messrs. Knapp,
Hammond and Lord who were named
for town board on the Caucus Tick
ctN rcciles
That Ernest Willard voted illegally
at the election, that he voted the
''lown Ticket that he had not been
a resident Of the town ten days at
the time Of said election
That Cabby Root and Asa Bradley
voted illegally al the election, not be-
ing legal residents of the town and
that they voted the Town Ticket"
That VIM. Pearson, a legal voter,
was prevented from voting the eau
Gus Ticket rs he wished that he
voted instead clown Ticket
through the contriyancc and trick Of
one Fred Mason, who managed to get
Parsons Caucus Ticket" aud give
HIM a Town Ticket which he voted
without knowing the change had
been made.
That the vote should have stood 50
votes for the Caucus Ticket and Il
votes for the Town Ticket
The defendants answer denies all
the material charges Of the contest
ants except as to Ernest Nollard and
makes the counter claim that John
Small voted illegally fer the Caucus
Ticket and that Henry Waits vote
which would have been cast for the
Flown Ticket" was Illegally rejected
by the board Of inspectors.
The attorneys in the ease were
Lowry n Clementson and Leo Philip
son for the contestants, technically
called REALTORS and 4. ii Long Of
Prairie du Chen and Rufus Smith Of
Madison for the defendants
Court Reporter Chas Crton being
out Of town his place was filled by Mr..
Robt Morse who is the regular re-
porter for Judge Webb Of the Seventh
District
The first witness was Ernest Well
ard He testified
| live in Bloomington with Mr.
Scott have lived there over two
months. since Sunday March e, 1899.
voted in Bloomington At town cleo
tion April lth Of this year voted
the Town Ticket. lived in WA
lusing before | came to Bloomington
NV father lives there ! live there
vet when | am out Of work | met
Mr. Scott III Bloomington in Fcbru-
ary think. and hired out to him for
months at $500 a month On FRI
day before was to begin talked with
him over telephone and wanted to Get
of week lie would not let me of
and wanted me Go come SUNDAY So |
could be in town ten days before elec-
tion so rs to vote never had voted
in Bloomington before.
VIM Pearson was called nest lie
testified
live in Village oi Bloomington,
have been there one m nth did live
in town OF Bloomington: lived there
over year | attended the caucus
that nominated Oscar knapp. Tucer
Hammond and John Lord Tor town
board; voted for them in the caucus.
cannot read or write | voted 1t
the election last spring. | got my
ticket from Oscar Knapp folded it
IN my hand like that (,howing)
put it in my pocket for awhile, then
took ii out stood around awhile and
then went over 10 vote. We voted III
room in the second story met
MIR Mason ON the sidewalk near the
door leading up to voting place. lie
asked to see my ticket and said h,
guessed sc voted the same ticket oil
something like that. showed ii to
him lie took it, unfolded it and
looked at it, folded it again and put
his hand and ticket in his pocket lie
pulled his hand out OF his pocket and
handed me ticket that looked like
The ticket ! gave him ! took the
ticket and voted it, thought it was
the ticket for Knapp Hammond and
Lord. Mason went up the steps just
in front Of me. The ticket Knapp
gave me was the only ticket had
that morning before met Mason
Mason did not try to influence my
vote against the railroad.
Cross examination | had the tick.
ct Knapp gave me perhaps onc-hal
hour. had no other papers il my
pocket
Oscar Knapp testified l live in
town of Bloomington. | was candi-
date for chairman of the town ut the
spring election. gave Mr.. Pearson
4 Caucus Ticket that day; he fold
ed il up and had it in his hand the
last saw. | was with him maybe
five minutes.
John Lord testified. saw Pearson
and Mason in Bloomington on election
day Mr.. Grant Tubbs and | were
standing in the voting place. Mason
stepped up and said. I've fixed VIII
Parsons vote, ! changed tickets on
him. lie showed us the ticket he
had taken from Pearson. took il
and kept it, ! have il now Cricket
produced, identified as Caucus
IL. u r.