Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-17

MENT EMPLOYE. THE CHIEFS
OF THE OUTRAGEOUS con-
SPIRACY-GEORGE KIRKLAND,
WHO ENCOMPASSED TIL
DOWNFALL OF THE GANG,
AGAIN ON THE WITNESS
STAND.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, November Is.
Samuel Salter, deputy coroner, OF
this city; Joseph G. Rogers, lieutenant
of the Capitol police, Washington, d.
c., and Clarence Meeser, employed in
the copyright division of the Congress
ional library, were to-day held in
81 800 bail for trial on the charge of
| conspiracy to make fraudulent election
returns in this city The arrest of the
three men was the outcome of testi-
mony adduced at the hearing last week
| of several rsidents of Washington, who
had been arrested here on similar
charge.
On that occasion it was testified that
a party of alleged repeaters numbering
about 14,were brought to this city from
Washington by Lieut.. Rogers. Two of
them, George Kirkland and w. H.
Cook, impersonated election officers in
the thirteenth division of the Seventh
ward and assisted in classifying the re-
turns and stuffing the ballot box while
the Others were employed as repeaters.
kirkland testified against his compan-
ions, saying that he came here at the
instigation of a newspaper to partic-
ipate in and expose the fraud. Salter,
Rogers and Meeser were implicated and
warrants issued for their arrest. They
surrendeed voluntarily.
At t.-day's hearing Rogers said his
address was 244 Delaware ave-, N. E.,
Washington, and Meeser said he lived
in Kensington, Montgomery county, Nd.
A number of witnesses were called,
some Of them merely to identify the
| defendants and others to furnish cor
roborative testimony.
An important witness was Joseph G..
Richmond, one of the three city COM
missioners, who have charge of the dis
tribution of the blanks and ballots to
the officials. He testified that one the
night before election Deputy Coroner
Salter secured the ballots for the thir-
teenth division of tn Seventh ward. The
judge of election is the only person au-
thorized to do this, but Mr.. Richmond
said that although Mr.. Salter did not
hold that Office he was so well ac-
quainted with him that he felt no harm
was done.
John F. Graham, night clerk for Scott
hotel, testified that Rodgers and Meeser
came to the hotel at $3.50 on the morning of
election day and slept there until o'clock
the same morning, when they were called,
as were all the members of party which
had registered the previous night VIM.
Hamilton, the regularly elected judge of
the division in question, testified that Sal
ter was his father-in-law. He (Hamilton)
was i'll on the night previous to the cleo
tion and authorized Salter to secure the
ballots for the division.
Hugh ODonnell, who was prominently
connected with the Homestead strike in
1892, and who is now newspaper reporter
in this city, testified that he Swallowed the
Washington party from their hotel to the
residence of Deputy Coroner Salter and
Magistrate Harrison. Rodgers and Meeser
were in the company. He saw kirkland
and Cook go into Salter's house and the
others go into that occupied by Magistrate
Harrison Later he saw Rodgers and 9TH
ers of the party enter three different poll
ing places, but could not say what trans
pired within.
Charles NJ. Smith, another newspaper
man testified to shadowing Rodgers and
Meeser. He saw them enter the Senate Re-
publican Club.
George Kirkland. one of the defendants,
told how he met Rodgers at the railroad
station in Washington and asked permits
sion to accompany the party to this city.
Rodgers was unable to secure a ticket for
Kirkland and paid the latter's fare. He re-
lated the movements of the repeaters up
to the time he and Cook separated from
the rest of the party and went to Salter's
house. Here he and Cook were handed by
Salter 200 ballots and told by the deputy
coroner. according to the witness, to put
them in the boxes as soon as they reached
the polls. Witness said Salter's instruc-
tons were followed. SaIter he asserted
was in and out of the polls at various
times during the day and on one occasion
handed him card bearing the name Clar-
ence Boyd. This. witness said Salter told
him was to be his name Kirkland acted
as minority inspector and Cook as Judge in
place of Hamilton. In the afternoon If
teen additional ballots were placed in the
box by Salter and Cook and "a citizens
voted specimen ballots. which were de-
stroyed when the polls closed.
Witness said that in the evening he re-
ceived SIS from Rodgers, who said:
Keep your mouth shut and you may get
a chance TO earn another SO" Kirkland
then detailed his movements up to the
time of his arrest with the others at the
railroad station here.
Magistrate Esenbrown. who heard the
case, scored the defendants severely. He
said he considered the pollution OF the
ballot as serious a crime as treason and
wished ne had the power to make the pen
atty greater. He then held the defendants
in 81 500 bail each for court
Eight persons are now under arrest
charged with completely in the alleged con-