The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-12
MARKET VALUE OF VOTES
TWO DOLLARS WAS PREVAILING
QUOTATION AT ANDERSON.
DisEracefuI Conditions Indicated by
Evidence i'm Stoner-CregOr SEN
atOrial Contest.

contested election case of Stoner against
Cregor. With one exception the witnesses
were Republicans from Anderson, and the
testimony was generally damaging to the
Cregor interests. All the witnesses were
sworn and then separated and brought into
the room to testify one at time.
The first one was Charles w Smiley, of
the nineteenth precinct" who said he didn't
vote on election day, but instead stayed at
his home at 4S9 West Main street, rather
than vote the Republican ticket. In ex-
PLANTATION he said he had not been treated
right by the party and besides was told
that if he stayed away from the polls he
would be paid s. by Harry Honeycutt and
John Bolen, the latter a saloon keeper of
Anderson. He admitted that he did re-
ceive money for not voting. but when it
came to establishing the exact amount he
was at sea. Taken altogether, he said. the
job of staying at homo yielded him about
81 or s.. Before election he says he received
car fare to Muncie, and on Thursday after
election he was handed So by Bolen. along
with half a pint of whisky.
Louis Lagle, of $50 Central avenue, also
said he did not vote but worked all day.
On the night before election he said he met
Chester Lawson. who told him that if he
IANAAAN
with the crowd on election day there would
be some money in it. This invitation was
afterward extended to him by Honeycutt
also Although he did not attend the free
picnic he received 81 from Bolen two weeks
after election. As balm to his conscience
for having failed to vote his regular party
ticket he said he paired with a Democrat
named Proster, and so his vote was not al
together lost to the party.
William West, who lives with Lagle, said
that Lawson met him the night before cleo
ton and told him that he could get 81 if he
did not vote. He too went to work on cleo
ten day, did not vote and in about two
weeks received a dollar by mail and a few
days later was given another dollar by a
man named Malone.
w. II. Doles, of Fletcher avenue said he
didn't vote, as he was packing household
goods all day. He said that Charles Smiley
Ghe first witness) who was sort of a tin
horn detective" wanted him to go fishing
on election day along with crowd of others.
Doles says that in reply he told Smiley that
he was fool to propose such a thing, where
at Smiley told him candidly that he could
get 81 if he went with the crowd. Lawson
also tried to get him to stay away from
the polls, and said that if he would meet
tire itol VI the cTOWQ III a room over a Sd-
loon they would talk it over" and he could
then find out how much there would be
IN It, This gave DOles an inkling of what
was contemplated, and he says he at once
went to Mayor Dunlap and asked him if
there was no way by which "all those Re-
publican votes" could be prevented from
going out of town." The mayor said he
knew of no law covering the point. Does
says he then kept the appointment at the
room over the saloon and saw Honeycutt
Keeping tab" on those who came in. He
did not vote on election day and was given
81 the next day by Bolen.
Frank Webb of 1877 West Tenth street,
went on the Fishing trip to Perkinsrille
and did not vote in consequence. He went
on the invitation of Honeycutt who gave
him 81 when he returned, he says. He said
he used to be a Democrat, but for six years
has been a Republican, and had he voted at
the last election would have voted the
straight Republican ticket
HOW COLORED MEN WE'RE TREATED.
James Smith, poll clerk of the Ninth pre-
ctnct, told how it happened that Joe Dan
iels, colored, was not allowed to vote. Dan
1els came into the voting place and asked
for instructions in the method Of marking
his ticket. The Democratic clerk at once
spread out a ballot and said, pointing to
the Prohibition ticket IF you want to vote
the Prohibition ticket you mark here" in
dicating the proper circle, but if you want
to vote the Democratic ticket, you put your
mark here" pointing to the rooster. Dan
lelS said he wanted to vote the Republican
ticket, and asked where to mark in order
to do it, when the Democratic officials pro-
tested that he had forfeited his right to vote
by telling what ticket he intended to vote.
Charles Rdgney admitted that he had
earned 81 by not voting on election day
and said that he did because Nat Free
a democratic ee politician, tempted him by
make something out Of it," After a little
persuasion he decided that he wanted to
make something and stayed away from the
polls
After a little cross-examination by Capt.
Curtis, Attorney Foley brought out the
fact that Rigney had moved from his regu-
lar precinct a few days before election be-
cause he was given money for doing so
Harry McCune, of Brown street, did not
vote because he had sickness at home and
got 81 besides from Johnny Bolen." In
later testimony he became somewhat
tangled and said that nothing had been said
for not voting, but under pressure he said
that he supposed he knew what it was
for
HE WAS HONEST"
William Ferguson did not vote, and said
that he got % for not doing it and wouldn't
vote because he wouldn't go both ways"
which was taken by Senator Gilbert to
mean that he was honest" enough to stay
sold.
William Morton said he was supposed
to be a Republican" and did not vote be-
cause John Bolen told him that there was
81 in it for him if he would leave town on
election day. He went to Alexandria, stayed
all day and received his 81 from Bolen
when he came back. He further said he
would have scratched his ticket even had
he voted, but that he would have voted
for Stoner If he had found his name on the
ticket.
Albert Ginger said he was a Democrat
and had received no money for not voting.
Charley Schuyler also received no money
but went to Alexandria with several more
men to spend the day and did not vote.
Edward Baker said that he, too, went to
Alexandria but got no money for not yot-
ing, nor did he see any one else get anV
lie said he had always been Republican.
but since election day he didn't think he was
anything.
At the conclusion of the testimony Senator
Brooks said that he had studied the ques-
by Cregors attorneys and had concluded
that they We're not well taken. The Cregor
contingent claims that If there was any
fraud It was committed after the votes We're
counted and that this can be proved BY wit
nesseS. Senator Brooks said that sGch a
companied by an unwarrantable expense
were 1t not understood at the start lust what
was to be proved and how many witnesses
it would require TO do it, and that while
the State would be expected to bear this eX-
pense il was not designed to make il ex-
Judge Ballard, for Cregor said that as an
example OF what they expected TO prove, he
would say that 1t was possible for them 10
show by oral testimony that seVenty-five
straight Republican votes had been cast in
one precinct and that the tally sheet which
preserved, failed TO show such number
after the count. which would DrOve liDrnfS-